Glenn Melancon/ Contributing writer
Have you ever heard the Medieval saying, “Don’t cut your nose off to spite your face”? Spite is an uncommon word today. It means to hurt or offend.
Often spite is an act of revenge. One person feels offended and responds spitefully. Revenge makes us feel vindicated or justified.
Unfortunately, spiteful behavior is too often self-destructive. If you cut off your nose, you will damage your face.
For the past 10 to 15 years, politicians have taken spiteful action to gain the upper hand. The victim of these destructive behaviors is the American people.
Take for example President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal. Infrastructure supports other economic activity. Without infrastructure other activities slow or shut down.
Think of infrastructure as the skeleton and circulatory systems in the body. Weak bones, like weak bridges, can cause a body to fall and not get up. I don’t need to remind you of the dangers power and water loss created just a few months ago.
President Biden wants to avoid that type of pain by investing in America’s infrastructure. The Biden team has detailed projects in every state, including Texas. The American jobs plan includes:
-$115 billion repairing roads and bridges
-$111 billion investment to ensure clean, safe drinking water
-$50 billion to improve the resiliency of power supply
-$400 billion to help more people access care and improve the quality of caregiving jobs
-$100 billion to bring universal, reliable, high-speed, and affordable coverage to every family in America
Not only will these projects improve our communities, but they will create jobs here at home. These jobs can’t be shipped overseas. It is a win-win.
At least that is the way the majority of Americans see it. Republicans have decided to make this a partisan issue. Instead of rallying around America, Republicans have chosen the politics of spite.
Republicans believe their best path to win elections is to hurt America. They want to cut America’s nose off and give it an ugly face. They will then turn around and blame President Biden.
Who is getting hurt by these political dirty tricks? We are—the American people.
These investments will make us stronger and more secure. American will be better.
Texas will be better. Let’s end the politics of spite.
Glenn Melancon is a professor of history at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He can be reached at glenn@glennmelancon.com. His opinions are his own and do not reflect those of the Jefferson Jimplecute.