THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 20, 1996 TAG: 9601190030
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 31 lines
Freshmen members of the House who opposed the attempt by Bob Dole and the Senate to put the government back to work declared their decision to be a matter of principle - even though they were visiting hardship upon those affected by their action. Their ``principle'' was, apparently, as Speaker Gingrich had warned last spring, to force the president to accept the GOP budget as submitted.
The action of the person, or people, who bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City was, undoubtedly, a ``matter of principle''; Yitzhak Rabin's assassin has indicated his action was a ``matter of principle.'' The ageless conflict in the Balkans has rested upon the matter of religious principles.
What these inexperienced, eagerly arrogant young lawmakers have yet to learn is that our form of government is based upon compromise - the lubricant that enables democracy to function as intended - resolving differences by reasonable exchange, not by use of force.
Defending that principle would bring much-needed maturity of thought to their role as legislators.
HARRY K. SMITH
Edenton, N.C., Jan. 9, 1996 by CNB