Dissent Is Important

I have heard from several sources that dissent is essential for a government, for a church, for any body that seeks to lead people. The reason? Dissent keeps people examining the issues, never letting them settle their heels and fall into complacency. To a large extent, that is why a two party system in our nation is so vitally important. We need each party to balance the other, to always challenge the other's beliefs. We've seen what damage can be done with an unquestioned Republican majority; we might be on the verge of seeing what damage can be done with an unquestioned Democratic majority.

Here we have an excellent story of a great dissenter in Congress. We need more men like H.R. Gross--not because he was a Republican, but because he was a voice constantly challenging his colleagues.