December is here and for many Americans that often means craziness.

There is so much to do!

Decorating — Do you put lights outside your house? Outside decorating can mean almost anything from a wreath on the door to lights hanging from the gutters, covering the bushes and adorning all your outside trees. If you've watched "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation," and most people have, then you know outside decorating can become intense.

Grocery Shopping — Cooking Americans know the workload involved in preparing for a Christmas meal but also the other days of the month. Family coming in early or stopping by normally invokes the call for extra cookies and snacks around the house. How many trips can any good soul make to the store in a month? The aisles of the stores and checkout lines can be tedious this time of year. Beware and don't wreck your grocery cart while hurrying to get through the checkout!

Buying gifts — Obviously America's stores count on Christmas holidays to financially see them through the year. Christmas spending is a big chunk of your local mall's budget each year. Most Americans enjoy giving but commonsense should always be employed. Don't overdo it. Don't break the bank giving stuff to people who may not need what you are buying. Even if they may need it you should only give what you can afford. Don't buy on a credit card that might take you a year to repay the debt.

Go for quality — Quality time seems to have vanished in the modern age. We have more communications technology than ever before and less communication. We can email, text message, face time, Skype, email, post on social media and then, of course, there are cell phones and old-fashioned mail and landline phones that still exist. Yet, people are talking less and visiting less than ever it seems. There is only so much of you to go around but try to find some meaningful moments with the real people in your life. Real talking, one on one, and doing something together with family or close friends are Christmas moments usually remembered.

Charitable giving — You have plenty of places to give your money. Your church, Salvation Army and many other places appreciate your gifts. Try to remember giving to those people who are all around you that are working to serve you. Give something to the person who carries your groceries to the car. Give a little extra to the kind restaurant waiter. Give something extra to the person who styles or cuts your hair. There are people who may serve you in various ways throughout the year and are struggling to make a living. Remember these people. We give often to needs and crises that are across the ocean or are in another town and we should help others. Help those who are right under your nose, trying so hard to just survive.

Celebrate the meaning of Christmas. The world has defined Christmas a lot of different ways. Regardless, it's still the day billions on the planet celebrate the birth of Jesus. During this season of the year please find time to take a closer look at the baby in the manger that Christians around the globe celebrate. The world is desperate for some real peace on Earth. We need calm on the planet and in the hearts of the people. With so much war, terrorism, poverty, violence in every American town, broken homes and broken lives, could we not all benefit from the message of the Biblical story? Upon the birth of Christ the heavenly host declared, "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men."

Peace and good will — now there is something we can all give and use.

Glenn Mollette is an American syndicated columnist and author.

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Write a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Celebrate peace and good will in December

The theatrics surrounding government funding standoffs could be avoided if Washington politicians didn’t have the budgeting skills of an Ole Miss frat boy.

I am not the least bit concerned about the federal government shutting down over the spending bill to keep it running. A shutdown is not a problem — I worry when the government is open.

Dems are using DACA "Dreamers" funding as a shutdown tactic. They, and the permanent bureaucracy in D.C., obstruct President Trump at every turn. I fully expect the four turkeys Trump pardoned at Thanksgiving to have their sentences overturned by a California Court of Appeals.

There have been about 13 government shutdowns. The last one was in 2013 and no one noticed. The "Deep State" is so petulant that the feds took extra steps during that shutdown to post guards at open air national parks to prevent citizens from walking through them.

Two things again became apparent then: how little we need most of government, and how spiteful public servants can be when they do not get their funding. They fake falling down and playing hurt like a World Cup soccer player.

During the last sequester, then-President Barack Obama even shut down White House tours. Tourism is the second most common reason people go to DC; number one is to beg for a government handout.

Of course, members of Congress get their full pay during shutdowns, under the Americans with Next-to-No Abilities Act.

Don’t raise the debt limit. Let Congress live within its means like the rest of us. Think of it this way: If someone owed you lots of money, would you prefer that he be allowed to raise the credit limit on his credit card or forced  to live on a budget?

We have a $20 trillion debt, up from $10 trillion when Obama took office, and much of it is owed to China. All the while, Congress ping-pongs spending bills back and forth between the House and Senate. Here’s what we know about ping-pong: Championships happen every four years and the Chinese always win.

Why in the budget battle have there been no conversations about cutting government? Corker and Flake have tried to advance that novel idea and are now "enemies of the state" or, better said, enemies of the Deep State. Nancy Pelosi said that "the government cannot cut any more."

Why not require every government agency to appear before Congress and define what it does, why it does it, and how much it costs? We then decide if we want to keep it. If whatever service it purports to do can be found in the Yellow Pages, I say shut that agency down. We have 800 military bases in 70 countries. We have 14 intel agencies who don’t cooperate with each other or with Congressional subpoenas. Really?

House Speaker Paul Ryan has a tough job. Marshalling Republicans is like gift-wrapping an octopus. Libertarians wanted less war, less government and less debt. The evangelical wing of the party wanted to station U.S. troops at all gay weddings and any public restroom a transvestite might use. But you have to hand it to the Dems; they do what Pelosi and Chuck Schumer tell them to. They have not had a meaningful inter-party debate since 1968.

As Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan wields a big gavel. I hope the large gavel is him compensating for his "small" government. I feel for the Speaker. During Schumer's whiny diatribes, Ryan looks like a man enduring an old lady’s long story at a Walmart returns counter.

If we shut down government, who will pay politicians like Rep. John Conyers’ (D-Mich.) sexual harassment settlements? In fairness to the "icon" Conyers, he was first elected in 1963 during the Johnson administration.

Threats of government shutdowns will continue. Such standoffs have no easy off-ramps for either side; neither wants to be the first to blink.

When politicians head over a "fiscal cliff," I pull for gravity and a low tide. It’s our fault. About $38 million will be spent just on the Alabama Senate race for a job that pays $174,000 a year.

And we expect these folks to balance a budget?　

Ron Hart is a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.

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Write a letter to the editor.

"A shutdown is not a problem — I worry when the government is open."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Another government shutdown showdown

It's beginning to look like Christmas all over town. Decorations are up and stores are playing Christmas music.

Now that the rush of Black Friday is over, are you getting into the Christmas spirit?

Have you bought your Christmas cards and gotten out your list so that you can get them sent?

How about your shopping — is it almost complete?

Do you have many packages that need to be shipped to other parts of the country?

I am sorting and wrapping our gifts so that they can be on their way in time for Christmas. So much to do, yet such a joyful time of year. 

A LIVING NATIVITY 

Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church will host "The Living Nativity" on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at 8115 Fourth St. Featured will be live animals and performers telling the Biblical Christmas story. This is an experience where the participants interact with cast members while taking a meaningful journey to Bethlehem.

This production is an inter-denominational effort involving other churches. Fellowship and light refreshments will be offered in the fellowship hall after the journey.

The census taker may be recognizable to many participants… 

GIFT CARD SAFETY 

As a family, we don't generally mail gift cards because they can be easily lost.  Should you decide to mail a gift card, here are some tips for it to arrive safely.

First, on the gift card itself, put a label with your name and address directly on the gift card, both front and back (not over the numbers.)

Next, wrap the gift card in bubble wrap, then put the gift card and your card separately into a padded mailing envelope, taping the envelope securely.

Make sure that the recipient's name and address are clearly written on the envelope as well as your return address and affix the right amount of postage. This should help ensure that your gift card gets to its destination safely, and if something should happen, you will be notified.

Also, keep your gift card receipts with the gift card number and amount until the card is received in case you need to claim it from the Post Office. 

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Christmas throughout Crestview

It should come as no surprise to anyone when I say that Democrats are in trouble mounting a challenge to President Donald Trump and the Republicans in 2020. The odds are all on the side of the Republicans for a number of reasons.

First, the current effort to cut taxes plays well into a re-election strategy. Having majorities in both houses of Congress, the Republicans have the votes to get tax reform through. History tells us that tax cuts will stimulate the economy for the short term, 12 to 18 months. If the tax cuts pass in Congress and go into effect in the summer or fall 2018, the positive effects would most likely run into the election cycle of 2020. We tend to vote for the incumbent when our economy is running well.

A second reason the odds favor the Republicans is that they have a formidable list of possible presidential candidates even if President Trump decides not to run again.

Just a superficial list of well-known Republicans would include Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. It would also include several current cabinet members and, perhaps, one or more of the four generals clustered around the oval office as advisers to President Trump.

Why wouldn’t President Trump run again? The reasons are legion. His experience in the White House has not gone as he anticipated. His campaign promises of repealing Obamacare, building a wall, etc., are proving to be extremely difficult. The popularity polls show him continually below 40 percent and not likely to win over those who currently view him negatively. His history is that he doesn’t hang on long to a losing proposition. Note the several bankruptcies in his past. When the work isn’t going well he cuts his losses and moves on. That is good business and he is, at his core, a business man.

Age is another factor that might persuade President Trump not to run. He will be 74 when the next election rolls around. If he did run for re-election and won he would be 78 before he left the White House. Most weekend golfers have stretched their hobby into five days a week by age 78. Those in our population who are still working in their mid-70s generally need additional money to live on. That isn’t President Trump’s problem.

Historically, we elect presidents a decade younger than our current president. The average age of a U.S. president at the time he took office is 55. Most were in their 50s (24). The youngest was Theodore Roosevelt (age 42).

Democrats have several nationally known leaders, but none who are in what one might call a "reasonable" age range. By Election Day in 2020, Elizabeth Warren will be 74, Bernie Sanders 79, Nancy Pelosi 80, and Joe Biden, 78. Ronald Reagan was the oldest man we ever elected to the presidency for the first time and he was, by comparison, a youthful 70 when he took office in 1981.

There is another 18 months before presidential campaigns begin to heat up and someone else may emerge on the national scene who captures the minds and hearts of the electorate.

Being president of the United States is a major "stress" job. President Trump said, "Who knew health care would be so complicated?" Every problem that gets to the White House is complicated. Everything on the president’s desk is a gray area problem with multiple constituencies disagreeing on the solution.

President George W. Bush once identified himself as, "the decider." Well, he was. And, so is President Trump. Being the decider is not fun. In fact, virtually every decision a president makes generates enemies who have long memories.

Stay tuned. The next 36 months are going to be very interesting.

Dr. Mark L. Hopkins writes for More Content Now and the Anderson Independent-Mail in South Carolina. He is past president of colleges and universities in four states. Contact him at presnet@presnet.net.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Democrats have a high hill to climb in 2020

When news breaks of a sexual allegation or an event like the violence in Charlottesville, Va., there’s a breathless race — before any due process or facts are vetted — to denounce the event. 

Not only must you denounce and condemn a purported, media-hyped event, you must do so very quickly and in terms that please the media. It is their way of saying: If you do not condemn our "news" that we decided to cover quickly enough, strongly enough, and without facts (just use ours — trust us), then you are as bad.

It’s a silly media game. 

I’d not be surprised if, after Black Friday sales are reported, CNN tries to get Trump to admit all sales matter. And how can Wisconsin's football team be in the NCAA championship with an almost all-white starting team? Shouldn’t we condemn that? It seems wrong. 

If you did not condemn the Duke lacrosse team, as I remember it, you might as well have been in on the "rape." Oh wait, it never happened, and a politically ambitious DA ruined many lives. 

Condemnation is also a pious way for the media to substitute their righteous indignation for their dubious morality. 

All this happened during Thanksgiving as America enjoyed its favorite contact sport: politics payback. Democrats led Republicans in sexual complaints 14 to 7, with plenty of time to play. 

It was recently uncovered that 234 members of Congress have settled similar misconduct cases, costing us taxpayers $17 million. In the private sector, you lose your job and pay lawyers. In D.C., our representatives quietly stick us with the bill and keep their jobs. 

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) skated on his prosecution of financial impropriety, charges brought by our government when he crossed Obama on Cuba. And Judge Roy Moore fended off sexual misconduct charges.

Call me old, but I remember when Republicans did financial crimes and Democrats did sex crimes. It's good to see "diversity." 

The media and Congress have about a 13 percent approval rating. Roy Moore, who leads the country in most proms attended, probably thinks 13 is an OK number. Yet the  Alabama Senate candidate has bowed up to his curiously timed allegations, tweeting "Bring it On." It is unclear if it was defiance toward his accusers or his favorite high school teen cheerleading movie. 

So he won’t have to denounce or be denounced, Sen. Al Franken refused to answer any sexual questions on the counsel of his legal advisor, Kevin Spacey — this on the weekend that Charles Manson died. Manson was beloved by the left because he only killed rich people; it’s not like he sexually harassed anyone or voted for Trump. 

Leftist stalwart Charlie Rose got multiple allegations of sexual impropriety heaped on him. Like Bill Cosby did, I feel it will come out that Rose took advantage of women after putting them to sleep with his long-form TV interviews of obscure guests. 

Who would have thought a few years ago that Tom Cruise and Michael Jackson would become the least creepy guys in entertainment? 

Let’s all take a breath on all this condemnation of just allegations. I want to be very clear: violent crimes like assault, rape and anything underage must be prosecuted. But this has become public pillorying for allegedly boorish behavior by rich and powerful men just hitting on women. Many are conflating caddish behavior with a crime. Let’s reason through this. 

I’ve taught my daughters to be strong and sensible, and empowered them to fend off the inevitable reprobates. They can walk by a construction site and not crumble at catcalls. 

My daughters ought not to be excluded from an office lunch, dinner, golf or drinks because the men fear they might go to Human Resources. In the PC world of say-nothing corporate communications, imagine how stifling it would be to a woman’s career not being privy to real business info exchanged over drinks. To exclude women from such opportunities just empowers the "good ol' boy network." 

And do you blame men for not inviting women out in this environment? Risk their careers? Their reputations? One wrong word, one joke that didn’t work, one angry complaint to Human Resources, and you may be fired.

The risk is not worth it. 

In our victimization society, we’ve conflated true physical crimes with anything that offends someone.

We are all such victims now that I am surprised the government doesn't issue us our own crime scene tape and chalk.

Ron Hart is a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor.

"Many are conflating caddish behavior with a crime. Let’s reason through this."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: About condem-nation — today’s race to denounce

Sex is an equal opportunity destroyer.

Very few people don’t have significant sexual desires. That isn’t meant to be dirty or shocking. When controlled by self-discipline and confined to a committed relationship, those desires are a normal part of a healthy, happy life.

Unfortunately, while everyone has sexual desires, not everyone controls those desires.

History will not look kindly on 2017. The new president’s administration is known mainly for lying spokespeople. The deadly racist Charlottesville rally, terror attacks and now serial sexual abusers are being found on both sides of the political spectrum and across several industries.

For years, those in authority had all of the power. No matter what they did to women — or very rarely men — their position and their powerful friends protected them.

Rumors abounded that John F. Kennedy was a scoundrel in office. It was a different time in the media and many reporters left those tales untold. The rise of the internet changed that by the time Bill Clinton was in office. His dalliance with Monica Lewinsky may have been consensual, but not many corporate human resource manuals would look favorably on the CEO "having sexual relations" with a female subordinate. Clinton also faced multiple charges from women who say his sexual advances toward them were anything but consensual.

Why would a man who was governor of Arkansas and president of the United States risk those positions for fleeting gratification? Obviously, because he thought he would both enjoy it and get away with it.

He was right.

Even George H.W. Bush is now accused of groping women during photo opportunities as his age advanced and his health declined.

President Donald Trump was recorded bragging about his sexual impropriety.

Al Franken is a senator on the Democratic side of the aisle who has been accused of forcibly kissing a comedy tour co-star and getting handsy while getting cozy with women for photos.

Franken has apologized in generalities and claimed that he never intended to be sexually inappropriate, but I wonder how many people have grabbed, patted or groped women’s backsides while being photographed? That’s hard to defend even though many are defending him.

Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore married a woman who was 15 years his junior but his supporters would have us believe there is no truth to a handful of women recalling being underage girls molested by Moore when he was about 15 years older than them. I don’t know how you believe that those women lied when his marriage is basically proof that this is the age group he preferred to "date."

Add to all of these alleged abusers Texas Congressman Joe Barton. Barton isn’t accused of abusing anyone, but he did send some of the least sexy photos to extra-marital romantic partners and believing they wouldn’t be made public. That was an incorrect belief.

Beyond politics, some of the most powerful people in Hollywood and in several other industries are facing their reckoning for horrible things they did to women over whom they had some power.

I have no problem believing any of these women. I want to believe some of them are lying, but I don’t know many women who want to become famous as "that woman who was raped by …" And when they do come forward, supporters of the men in power attack the victim in every way possible in an attempt to discredit her.

That just isn’t a position I would put myself in if I weren’t telling the truth.

This is a long overdue reckoning. There is no party line it won’t cross. There is no industry it can’t touch.

Women finally have a weapon to use in the fight. There is strength in numbers and, due to the number of men who have abused their position and the people who work with them, there are a number of victims who are no longer forced into silence.

Kent Bush is publisher of the Shawnee (Oklahoma) News-Star and can be reached at kent.bush@news-star.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Victims no longer feel the need to remain silent

I was sexually assaulted when I was about 12 years old.

Several of us boys from elementary school attended the summer 4-H camp.

Overall, it was a great time. We had craft classes, volleyball, badminton, good food, dancing at night and vesper services all surrounded by the quiet Appalachian mountains.

One morning, a classmate was exclaiming to a couple of us guys that some man had climbed into bed with him. What he was telling us, in a frightened tone, did not sound good to a group of 12-year-old ears. I don't know if he talked to anybody else — we went on with the activities of the day.

Sometime in the early morning hours of the following night, I was awakened with two huge hairy arms around me and two hands on my genitals. I had been dead asleep.

Was I dreaming? Was this a nightmare?

Yes, it was a nightmare for certain.

Many of us at camp shared bunks with classmates. A friend of mine was probably only a foot away from me in the same bunk. The night was so dead silent. The only sound was this strange man breathing in my ear as he molested me.

Becoming fully awake, I started making sounds like we sometimes make when we are trying to wake ourselves up from a nightmare. It was somewhat of a humming sound. I hoped I could wake my classmate but it wasn't working. I was only about 5 feet, 5 inches at the time but that was tall for a sixth-grader. I began pushing backward as hard as I could as I worked to get this guy out of the bed, as my volume increased. He finally gave up and got out of the bed. Unbeknownst to me, he may have gone to someone else's bed.

The next morning, I told one of the camp leaders about what had happened.

The response I got was, "Yes, on these cold nights, Mr. John Doe is known to get into the beds with the boys to get warm."

I didn't know what to say. I saw the man walking around the camp the rest of the week and he never got close to me again.

I wonder how many little boys Mr. John Doe not only molested that week but also the entire summer and throughout his lifetime. I suspect the numbers would be startling. Even one is too many.

Little children often don't say anything. Like most, I was afraid to say anymore. I was afraid that I had done something wrong or would be punished, scolded or derided.

I was afraid that my parents would never let me go to camp again if I told them or that they might be angry with me for some reason.

This is why child abusers get by with so much. The abuser knows that children are easy to victimize.

Most people have experienced some kind of crap in life. We try to deal with it, learn from it and impart our wisdom to others. We try to get over it and emotionally/spiritually try to heal.

Most of the time I never think about that event, but here I am writing about it today. This just goes to show what such events do to us and how they are seared into our minds.

Often, they are buried beneath the deepest parts of our brains but then they surface.

Protect your children. Warn them about predators. Tell them what is off limits. Other people have no business ever touching them and certainly nowhere close to their private parts.

Sadly, many little children are abused and traumatized at young ages and often never get over it or get help. Keep the conversations going with your children and grandchildren. Be their parent and talk to them about everything. Don't sit in judgment or get religious. Just be loving, talk to them about life and listen a lot.

I was clueless as a child what a pedophile was or that men existed who got off on little boys. About the only thing I knew at that age was I loved life, sports and music.

I was clueless about the real depravity of some human beings and that some adults are base enough to do anything, even to a child.

Glenn Mollette is an American syndicated columnist and author.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Sexual abuse — a childhood memory

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview’s main road, accidents and traffic

Thanksgiving dinner is over, the dishes are done, the leftovers put away.

Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving?

Wasn't it fun catching up with family and friends one rarely sees?

I still consider Thanksgiving my favorite holiday, even though most of us, myself included, spend much more time getting ready for Christmas. I had a thoroughly enjoyable Thanksgiving! 

What did you and your family do on Thanksgiving evening? Did you watch movies, play a game, or go through the papers so you could hit the sales bright and early on Black Friday?

Once again, several stores opened on Thursday afternoon to tempt shoppers into their stores rather than allowing their employees to spend the day with their families. Shame on Belk, Best Buy, Big Lots, Dick's Sporting Goods, J.C. Penney, K-mart, Kohl's, Macy's, Sears, Target, Toys R Us, Walmart and many more.

Those who want to shop can shop online for the best deals; they don't have to physically go shopping on a family day. Since Thanksgiving is the day for which we give thanks for our abundant blessings, this push for sales and more "things" seems a bit incongruent. 

I shared Mother's Cranberry Nut Bread recipe a few years ago, and have had some requests, so here it is again. 

Cranberry Nut Bread

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup water; boil in a saucepan until the cranberries pop
• 1 and 3/4 cups white sugar; set aside
• 1 package rinsed fresh cranberries 
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder; sift together
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup oil (I use canola) cream
• 2 teaspoons orange peel
• 1 cup of walnuts or pecans

Gently add the cranberry mixture to the flour and mix well. 

Add the egg mixture to the cranberry and flour mixture; mix thoroughly. 

Have two loaf pans ready, spray with cooking spray and lightly dust the bottom of the pans with flour, then evenly divide the mixture into the loaf pans. 

Cook for one hour at 350 degrees; a toothpick should come out clean when the bread is done.

Cool for 10 minutes, gently remove from the pan and continue to cool on baking racks. Makes two loaf pans.

Enjoy!

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Thanksgiving reflections; Cranberry Nut Bread for Christmas

The last time I was in Washington, the Capitol was wrapped in scaffolding, undergoing a $60 million restoration. The cast iron structure had been rusting away and had to be fixed. Now the scaffolding is gone, the job is done and the magnificent dome positively glistens in the afternoon sun.

Unfortunately, that’s about the only thing that has gotten better in our nation’s capital since my last visit. The rust under that gleaming dome may be gone, but the political rot has only gotten worse.

I watched from the gallery as the House debated the most significant change in the tax laws in 30 years. The ornate chamber was nearly empty as members took turns performing for the C-SPAN camera. The other members weren’t listening, since debates aren’t about persuading anyone of anything anymore. There were no fights over amendments to the bill, since GOP leaders weren’t allowing any.

The tax bill is a big deal, but there were no activists packing the galleries, no marchers in the streets. Just the usual school groups and tourists moving through a small section of the public gallery. They stayed a few minutes, got bored and moved on.

Nobody was listening, either inside or outside the chamber. Nobody was engaging with anyone from the other side.

The bill they were debating had been drafted in secret, with no public hearings and no Democratic input. It was being rushed through Congress because GOP leaders didn’t want to give the opposition time to get organized. It was urgent, everyone said, because if Republicans don’t get something through Congress before the end of the year, their jobs could be in danger.

House Republicans gaveled through the bill, to no one’s surprise. Not a single Democrat voted for it.

Meanwhile, everyone was talking not about taxes, but about the wave of sexual misconduct accusations lodged against a sitting senator, Al Franken, and a candidate for Senate, Roy Moore. A discussion about how men should treat women might be healthy. But in Washington, it’s all about which side gains a partisan advantage from which scandal. It’s all about making our side win and the other guys lose.

That’s not how a great legislative body is supposed to operate. But the standards of behavior in Congress have changed over the last 20 years. Procedures written to respect minority viewpoints are now routinely ignored. Customs and political incentives that used to encourage civility, compromise and problem-solving have disappeared.

Sen. John McCain, the end of his service in sight, reflected last month on his long friendship with Joe Biden: "We often argued — sometimes passionately. But we believed in each other’s patriotism and the sincerity of each other’s convictions. We believed in the institution we were privileged to serve in. We believed in our mutual responsibility to help make the place work and to cooperate in finding solutions to our country’s problems."

Congress isn’t like that these days, and neither is America.

Americans’ political divisions have grown, with extremism and distrust on the rise. Pollsters, historians and social scientists see this shift in a dozen different measures. A 2014 Pew Research study found that the percentage of people who believe the other party is "a threat to the well-being of the country" has more than doubled.

Politics is souring the relationships of people far from Congress. Back in 1960, 4 percent of Democrats and 5 percent of Republicans said they’d object if their child married across political lines. By 2010, those numbers had grown to 33 percent and 46 percent, respectively, and I bet they are higher now.

Congress isn’t the only pillar of democracy that’s crumbling. The presidency has become a center of conflict, not unity. Since George H.W. Bush, each president has been more detested than the last by those who didn’t vote for him. The Supreme Court has never been more political. Vote suppression and foreign interference have undermined confidence in elections. Political parties are a mess. The media is in disarray and disrepute. Religion has been tarnished by scandal and politics. Education, which used to be a unifying value, is constantly caught in the political crossfire.

Politics is even threatening Thanksgiving, that most American of holidays. An analysis of 10 million cell phone calls made last Thanksgiving found that "politically divided" families cut their holiday visits by an average of 20 to 30 minutes. How can we expect Congress to be civil and productive when some of us can barely make it through the main course without a fight?

America, I fear, is facing a crisis of citizenship, a moment when the respect and obligation that lubricate the democratic process have run out, and the machinery is grinding to a halt. Our people — and our leaders — are angry and frustrated with a corroded political system.

Bringing back Washington’s luster will be a lot harder than restoring the Capitol’s dome.

Rick Holmes can be reached at rick@rickholmes.net. You can follow his journey at www.rickholmes.net. Like him on Facebook at Holmes & Co, or follow him on Twitter @HolmesAndCo.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Trouble under the Capitol dome