Recently, I read an op-ed by Peggy Noonan that was published in the Wall Street Journal.

If you don’t know, Noonan was a speech writer for Reagan and is eloquent in her use of the English language.  In the article, Noonan bemoaned the demise of a political party and the decline of a country.  She held high the vision and ideals of our former leaders:  Hamilton, Lincoln, JFK, Reagan and said that now our country’s choice is between political leaders that can be described as “crazy man” or “criminal.”

The truth is our leaders have never really been pure and idealistic. What they have been is human beings who wanted power and were willing to do what it took to get it. In the process they had speech writers like Noonan that were talented enough to touch the core of the human spirit and a media or historians willing to buy into the vision.

In the process, as an incidental by-product our country moved forward and changed … sometimes for the better.

Noonan is right that time is over. Now, we know. People who wanted power have always come forward, some who wanted to use that power to make a positive change and were willing to make deals and compromise to get it; and others because they enjoyed what power gave them.

Now, our eyes have been opened, no longer can the media or screenwriters hold up the “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington” scenario as being reality. It never did exist, and now we know.

I’m 77 years old and don’t have much longer in this world, and that’s OK.

Flena Rubalcaba

Cassopolis