I have been involved in politics since high school. My first introduction came 55 years ago at a meeting in Murray Kauffman’s home. Murray passed away in 2019, but those who are as old as I am will remember that he had a metal-finishing business on Lincoln Way East next to Snavely’s Garden Corner. Murray was a conservative with a vision.
His vision was that young people learn what government is all about before they grow old enough to vote. With that in mind, when I was a high school sophomore, Murray asked me to help put together a number of students interested in learning how the government works.
The organization held get-togethers, forums with speakers, initiated a day in which students worked with elected Franklin County officials, and more. I remember being “judge for a day” and sitting with Judge Chauncey Depuy.
It grew to include hundreds of students. But not all of the adults who looked after us were happy. The reason was that the organization accepted those whose parents were Democrats into this supposedly Republican group.
Murray and I discussed this dilemma. We came to an agreement that inclusion was better than exclusion. And being in high school, my friends and fellow students didn’t walk around with an R or a D tattooed on their foreheads. I argued that we were interested in politics and government, and that everyone could benefit from learning and sharing ideas — such as these were at this time in our lives.
Once I graduated from high school and moved on to college, I became active in a number of political campaigns where candidates that I supported were both successfully elected and sometimes not. I learned a lot.
When I entered the business world, I remained active in politics and am so today. I have written checks, held campaign fundraisers in my home, made more calls soliciting campaign contributions than I can possibly count, been active in numerous campaigns, acted as an adviser and worked diligently for those who I felt would make for good governance. I have participated in borough, county, state and federal campaigns.
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On the national level, I founded and was the first chairman of PrintPAC, which is the Political Action Committee for the printing industry. I have also contributed both time and money to this and many other organizations and campaigns.
Outside of having to bid competitively for government printing work when I owned a printing business many years ago, I have done no business with the government. I have not been paid by anyone at any time for my political advice or hard work.
So, why have I spent a lifetime actively involved in politics and getting candidates that I like elected? The reason is simple, and there is nothing nefarious about it. The system works, and good people in office certainly beats the alternative.
That‘s why the Donald Trump years irk me. When I was naive and inexperienced in high school and college, it seemed easy to pick a side based on arguments put forth regarding this issue or that. Yes, there were dirty tricks played by both sides of a campaign.
But it was not hateful and threatening to our way of life. No one that I recall, except for Trump, said that we should throw out those parts of our Constitution that prohibits Trump and his ilk from taking over the country after clearly losing elections.
Whenever Democrats or Republicans lost an election or a tide of elections in the past, no one painted them as enemies of our country, or as child molesters, or as any other filthy names. And to my recollection the population did not stand up and cheer for such name calling and character assassination.
Perhaps more than any other election cycle, 2022 proved just how far we have traveled down a path that is both dangerous and shocking. A number of our fellow citizens attempted to push falsehoods and autocratic ideas down the throats of those who disagree. This was done because of the supposed immorality of others, the lack of faith in our democratic institutions, a singularity of thinking, and hard-line Christian evangelism.
Fortunately, the majority of people across the commonwealth and elsewhere saw the light and voted down these threats. However, even now, the majority of central Pennsylvania has been reluctant to reject autocratic ideas in favor of democratic ideals. And Trump still leads in polls.
I for one hope that letters to the editor and other opinions soon become less harsh and more courteous and honorable. It is difficult to digest opinions that are inflicted on those who have given of their time, energies and resources to make for a better government.
It is one thing to disagree honestly about the role of government, the direction of our country, our philosophies and who might be best to represent us in Harrisburg or Washington, but it is entirely a different matter to name-call, disparage others, raise the level of discourse to a shrill, or to besmirch anyone’s character.
We are blessed here in south-central Pennsylvania with elected officials who are dedicated to serving their constituents. They work longer hours and sacrifice more than most of us would be willing to do. Let’s give them the honor and gratitude that they deserve.
Respect for one another, intelligent discussion, care and concern, all go a lot further than name calling, pointing out human frailties, attempting to paint personal lives, and worse.
Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, Shippensburg University Trustee, and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. The firm provides enterprise-level cloud-software for communicating, specifying, approving, procuring, producing, reporting and activities necessary to obtaining direct mail, packaging, promo, marketing and all other printing. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at[email protected].
