Walk in the Park III

Continued from Sunday
"Would you explain more about your theories of  government, Colonel?"
" Dee-lighted, but my ideas were none too popular with the business community then and not much better received now.  I can tell you that."  He stared straight ahead at some distant point. "One leader of industry wrote to the New York Times that the rights and interests of the laboring man would be protected and cared for, not by labor agitators, but by the good Christian men that God had put in charge of the property interests of the country.  What unmitigated nonsense. You see -every man of power is capable of causing trouble to his neighbor."  He stopped and looked at me straight in the face and forcefully said,  "I told a group of veterans if they were good enough to shed blood for the country they were good enough to be given a square deal afterwards."  He chuckled to himself,  "And then, everyone in the country wanted a square deal and why not?" 
"It sounds a bit like now." I said hoping to calm the gentleman down.
"No, no," He spit out, "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.  That is what many are doing now--nothing."
"I think those many are worried about the cost of government programs."
"A typical vice of American politics is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues."  He laughed and I laughed.
"Hi, what's the joke?" Three high school age runners passed me on the trail and eyed me suspiciously.
Mollie and I were very much alone.  The Colonel and his dog were gone.
"An old joke," I called out to them.  "Have a good run."
They waved in acknowledgement and vanished into the mist.
Be well
A Journeyman