It's time to vote for progress this November

Back in 1975 the Navy was celebrating its 200th birthday with a series of posters with the themes of tradition and heritage of our 200-year history. At my duty station some vandal added the phrase, “unsullied by progress” to the "tradition" poster. I believed it was true at the time and still do.

There is much to be said for tradition but it should never be a substitute for progress. If we’re not moving forward for the betterment of all we’re actually going backward. Time never stands still. We must always learn from mistakes and strive to be better. The Constitution says all men are created equal so why has so much time been spent maintaining inequality for so many?

The GOP has always been conservative. But for the last several years they’ve been all about maintaining the status quo and allowing no progress. Compromise has become a four-letter word when compromise is the only way we can achieve any progress at all.

It’s time the pendulum started swinging back toward progress. We, the voters, can stop a distinct minority of conservative ideologues from imposing their agenda on the majority. From Washington, D.C. to Sandpoint vote for progress.

GIL BEYER

USN retired

Sandpoint