’A promise is a promise only when it’s kept. Otherwise, it’s a lie.’

By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times

I found this quote by Shirlene Renshaw on Pinterest in my search for an explanation why national politicians who promised to defend Social Security and Medicaid during last year’s presidential campaign are not keeping their word.

Federal legislation now before the Senate would strip tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians of their health insurance and also put many more at risk of malnutrition by cutting food programs like SNAP, previously known as food stamps.

Sadly, Republican members of Congress like Rep. Hal Rogers and Rep. Andy Barr are justifying their votes for that “big, beautiful bill” by hiding behind the claim that the bill will bring about the elimination of “fraud, waste and abuse” from those programs.

That fairy tale reminds me of what a world leader once said about political promises:

“Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers.”

Speaking of unkept promises, what about the one to stop the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the new administration’s first day in office, more than five months ago.

Or the bloody conflict in Gaza and the new fighting in Iran when we keep saying the U.S. is not involved when almost every major weapons system in Israel’s arsenal was purchased from our country. And our president keeps talking about his influence with Israel’s leadership.

Or the one about last Saturday’s military parade not being hijacked to celebrate a certain politician’s 79^th birthday instead of the Army’s 250-year anniversary. However, I was relieved that none of our soldiers had to goosestep past the boss like they do in North Korea, China and Russia.

Or the oft-repeated promise to deport all undocumented immigrants by the millions, with the exception of the agriculture and hospitality workers whose absence someone finally realized would cripple those industries.

Education apparently is not popular at the White House these days but someone there might want to read what the Roman statesman Cicero wrote about promises, such as:

“Promises are not to be kept, if the keeping of them is to prove harmful to those to whom you have made them.”

Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com.