The word "politics" gets abused often. The practical definition, as used in our day, is anyone who may have a different point of view. If someone takes a position contrary to our own, it is just politics. The speaker fails to acknowledge that whatever position he or she may take on a public matter almost always has a political calculation.
Asking questions about public officials is political. Refusing to answer questions is political. Nothing is gained if a person categorizes another point of view as politically inspired. We seldom see or hear of meaningful debates or discussions about the war in Iraq, Social Security, medical care for the poor and the children of the poor, global warming, use of stem cells and the like. It is all political.
Let's not label people and ideas but rather try to find the best solutions.
John Preston Creer
Salt Lake City