To the editor:
Thank you for your editorial, “What’s happening to our ‘perfect union’? Many politicians find divisive issues and exploit them.
When private sector workers began to lose their benefits, politicians began to attack the benefits of public sector employees. Their rhetoric fanned envy, often demonizing those who seemed to be better off.
By exploiting envy, politicians got workers to vote against their own interests. One of the seven Catholic virtues is kindness — humanitas in Latin — the exact opposite of the sin of envy.
In addition to the loss of health care and pensions is the new norm of job insecurity. Driving this, in part, is greed, the antithesis of the Catholic virtue of charity.
As you suggest, the solution is return to civility. This can be found in the seven Catholic virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. Let’s all take a fresh look.
Tom Roberts, Madison