[June 17, 2017] It’s easy to say that great leaders come from those capable of bringing people together for a common goal; it’s another thing to make it happen. It can take a tragic event to force people to unite and that is exactly what happened after a socialist-Democrat attempted to murder Republicans practicing for their annual baseball game with their rival Democrats.
It’s also to easy to find examples where politicians eagerly put obstacles in the way of good leadership. The great leaders however find a way to overcome those barriers as we saw just a few days ago when the annual Republican-Democrat charity baseball game occurred as originally planned. There were some who wanted to call it off but cooler heads prevailed.
Baseball is a national pastime for Americans; many of our heroes are baseball players. My dad, who will be 88 years old next month, still remembers the name of every team member on the New York Yankees roster of early 1950s when they won several World Series. Player names like Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Yogi Berra and the team that won the most are often discussed in our home.
The Congressional baseball game is purely symbolic; the outcome determines nothing other than bragging rights. I’m sure no money is lost by betting (yep, you bet!). Many see Congress as being dysfunctional, highly unpopular, savagely partisan, and full of pantywaisted twits. That may be true, or maybe not, but this particular game that went on a scheduled certainly showed a bipartisan resilience that was needed now more than ever.
“This is what our country needs after such a tragic act.” – Rodney Davis, Republican from Illinois
A decision to carry on with the game was the right one. It showed that these folks can get along if they try hard enough and show simple, good leadership principles. Both teams knelt in prayer for their colleague who was shot while at practice. Even some of the most hyper-partisan members of Congress displayed a show of warmth; unexpectedly.
The U.S. Congress can make it happen. They proved it to the world that it is possible. This is what leadership is all about.
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