The Great American Lemming.

Are you at all familiar with the lemming? If you are, then you realize the myth that all lemmings commit suicide is false. Its also true that many lemmings do in fact wind up falling off cliffs or drowning in bodies of water. Knowing this, let me tell you of a story about three groups of lemmings. The first group of lemmings prefer the cliffs to the east. they claim these are the very cliffs used by the first lemmings in history and as such have set a standard and a custom that requires all lemmings to use these cliffs. The second group prefers the cliffs to the west. Their rational is that the rocks at the bottom of the western cliffs are much softer and therefore the western cliffs are much more desirable. The eastern and western factions are in complete disagreement and neither will compromise. Then there is that third contingent of lemmings. They prefer the cliffs to the north. They believe they have the best solution to the disagreement. Their reasoning is that, they claim, there are far more succulent grasses on the approach to those northern cliffs. the trails to the north have sweeter, more tender grasses than do either of the other approaches. They point out that it is the approach to the cliffs that makes the difference, not the heritage or the comfort of the fall that matters. After all, sustenance, or lack thereof, is the reason for the fall, in the final analysis. These Northern Cliff Lemmings believe that if there were better forage, there would be no need for the cliffs at all. In the meantime, the eastern and western cliff lemmings continue to squabble over which cliff is the cliff that all should follow. Now if you compare the Great International Lemming Dispute to the American political campaigns, you'll get an idea of just how silly we look and how easy a solution to our problems would be, if only each side would come out of their respective corners, shake hands and take a good long and honest look at what the other side is proposing and decide to work together.