THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411110338
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
SOURCE: Ron Speer
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
When I finally came to realize Wednesday that I had just been witness to a revolution, I thought of Charles Dickens and his 1859 book, ``A Tale of Two Cities.''
The novel is about the French Revolution in the 18th century, and the opening lines seemed to fit the events of America's Nov. 8 upheaval two centuries later:
``It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.''
However our revolution turns out, these are exciting times.
Exciting in Washington. Exciting in Raleigh. And exciting at home.
The demon Democrats have been thrown out almost everywhere.
Righteous Republicans, who for decades have blamed the Democrats for our growing woes, have taken over Congress, many statehouses and even - for the first time in modern history - the North Carolina House. The ball is in their court.
And now new faces and new voices will set the course for our nation and our state.
The future will be brighter for some of us, scarier for some of us, and different for all of us.
The times, they are a changing. And although nary a bullet was fired nor a drop of blood spilled, a revolution it was when the voters expressed their anger at what has been happening to the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Many of us were not prepared for the fervor with which Americans stormed the walls of government from city halls to statehouses to the Capitol.
When Walter B. Jones Jr. came calling after I moved here last May, at the beginning of his campaign for Congress as a Republican, I asked him: ``Do you honestly think you've got a prayer as a Republican in a Democratic stronghold?''
He assured me he did, but I was still doubtful that he'd draw much support.
Mr. Jones beat H. Martin Lancaster by 7,000 votes Tuesday, turning out a Democrat who'd been in Congress for eight years.
Out in Iowa, an old acquaintance, Democrat Neal Smith, was ousted after 30 years in the U.S. House. And for the first time since the Civil War, a Speaker of the House, Democrat Tom Foley, was discarded after 30 years.
The Old Guard is gone, or stripped of power by the Putsch.
And now all those angry folk who had turned to talk shows to vent their frustrations have sympathetic listeners in high places.
Hopefully, new blood will find ways to cure some of our major problems, such as the use of drugs. Most experts say that the costs of paying for drugs are a major cause of crime. Republicans would be hailed as society's saviors if they could come up with ways to cut back on crime, which has turned many Americans into prisoners in their own homes. We're still lucky in most of northeast North Carolina, but only a fool would think that our neighborhoods will escape forever the violence that is spreading like a cancer through the nation.
Hopefully, the widespread anger against welfare can be channeled into solutions that will help the less fortunate among us live decent lives while requiring everyone to make an effort to contribute in some way to society.
And hopefully there will be a new approach to our muddled tax-collection system that will be fair to all and will tighten loopholes that allow many money-makers to thumb their noses at the multitude who willingly pick up the nation's tab.
The opportunities abound. So do the dangers, particularly for the have-nots who may be cast to the wolves by the inexperienced young Turks when they try to carry out their mandate for change.
But change there will be, because the people not only spoke - they shouted on Nov. 8.
Our descendants may remember that date as well as we do July 4. Let us hope and pray that they recall it with pride - and not pain. by CNB