I read Ron Vodenichar’s recent article and found it effective and principled. I knew, especially in these polarized and politically charged times, it would draw fiery criticism. Voices are easily assumed to be political opinion, and politicized opinion is a battlefield where return fire is mandatory.

All politicized voices claim to have principles — and each contests the other principles against principles as a matter of principle —and the main principle is to win the battle of principles.

The best way to return fire in a battle of principles is to be aggressively articulate, well spoken, well written. The better the aggressive return fire sounds, the more it makes its particular principle seem like a winner.

In the battle of political principles there are rules of warfare. The first rule: Always counter generalities with specifics which confound generalities. The second rule: Always counter specifics with generalities which confound specifics. The third rule: Never let history beat you — no matter how significant that history may be. The fourth rule: Beat history with the first two rules by always expressing those two rules with words which do not seem to have (or do not betray) bias, prejudice, cynicism, defiance, or simple ignorance. Principles cannot face such betrayal.

We live in a world of communication where subjectivity rules, and openly defies objectivity. Ignorance, poverty and oppression, and all the human actions and reactions these three generate are fertile ground for subjectivity — and subjective words--and subjective actions.

Ron Vodenichar’s article was about an American football player. Football is a tough American game. It claims, in its own special way, to reflect, influence, and permeate the American Way. Vince Lombardi is associated with the football wisdom: “Winning is not the most important thing. It is the ONLY thing!” George Allen is associated with the more definitive version: “The time is NOW!”

In this 2020 battle of political principles, there is a nonpolitical universal American wisdom which should appeal and apply to every American as surely as the eternal prayer for peace: “...One nation, under God, with Liberty and Justice for ALL..” This is the wisdom we still seek, and like peace, we have not yet found. This wisdom is “The ONLY thing” and “The time is NOW!”

In our great historical war to preserve the Union, Lincoln warned us with an ancient wisdom: “A house divided cannot stand.” To win, preserve the Union. That’s the American Way!