Compromise necessary for our democracy

When I first heard of Hank Williams Jr.’s recent quote regarding Obama and Hitler, I was naturally appalled. After hearing the actual quotation, I made the determination that it really wasn’t that bad; he just used a poor analogy. Upon further review, I now feel that not only was it a poor analogy — it simply is not a valid argument.

He could have used a less flammable analogy like “wolves dwelling with lambs and leopards lying down with young goats” or “oil not mixing with water.” Either of these would have been less offensive.

But the notion that President Obama and John Boehner should not golf together is particularly misguided and wrong headed. There is something fundamentally wrong when the Speaker of the House and the President of the United States cannot communicate with one another.

This shouldn’t be an adversarial situation. They are both playing on the same team — only different positions. They both work for the same people. The idea that compromise should be shunned is naive and unproductive.

As Shelby Foote was quoted as saying, “Americans like to think of themselves as uncompromising, but it’s the basis of our democracy. The true genius of American politics is compromise.”

This is not war, Hank Williams Jr.

Ken Wiklanski

Elgin