The dogma of the 50′s with the technology of today
So when it comes to politics, we still tend to lose our minds. Republicans, Democrats, Indy’s, and whoever else is out there -please hear this. I don’t want to hear what you’re candidate can do or what he/she will not do. If you believe that your kingdom will be saved because John McCain gets into office or that life will be so much better of Senator Obama takes the stage, than you are on one ride that takes you to fairy tale land, a place where Jack Bauer lives and never dies.
It’s a bit like football season. We all have hope our team will win, and cheer to that end, but ultimately, who cares, it’s football. You might say, “well this is not football.” No, it’s not, it’s worse. It’s a stage designed to create reality where no reality exists, and then tell you it’s reality.
I have news for all of us – No politician will ever make it better. Not a donkey or an elephant or a donaphant. What will make it better is if we begin to make a difference in our communities, in our churches, at our workplaces, and in our families lives.
I was told by everyone around me in my place of birth that the world was coming to an end because the honorable Bill Clinton came to office in 1992, but by the year 1999-2000, I was as happy as I’ve ever been. Why? Because my trust is not in a politician. It’s true that this subject brings out the worst in us. We become as dogmatic as my baptist brethren back in the 50′s.
So my suggestion would be to go out in November to vote, because I believe that’s your right and personally I think it’s important. But before and after that time, get up, move around, start to love people, and begin making a difference in their lives. At that point, and only after that point…
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A couple of things:
1) Are you implying that Jack Bauer isn’t real? I’d be careful doing that. He might just hunt you down and prove how real he is.
2) Very generous of you to call Bill Clinton “honorable”. He is and was many things, some of which are even “admirable”, but I think anyone would agree that “honorable” might be a stretch.
great point – i was thinking the exact same thing last night
i was talking to some friends and they were ranting about how awful the world would be if obama got elected, and my response was… i think i heard that same spiel back in the 90s when clinton was up for election – and our country didnt do too bad.
sure, there were some negative things, but our country is bigger than one man and rose above it
as far as using honorable before bill clinton, maybe he wasn’t honorable in every sense of the word, but he was still the President, and it’s a matter of respect and you used it properly
I couldnt have said it better…well maybe “better” but not with any more truth.
Thanks for the post…it is good perspective.
DMLee
It’s certainly true that people put too great of expectations on one politician to change the face of the country. a lot of it, though, is either side proving to the other side (and to themselves, and to the world) that the country is also on their side. Maybe this is more true for liberals like me, where “liberal” has become a bad word. We need to show that the USA is completely capable of electing the complete opposite of who we last elected. Even if it were the other way around, going from liberal to conservative, that would still be showing that our country is capable of change and self-renewal. That’s what the US typically does better than any other country, but it requires continual re-proving.
Being a positive force in others’ lives, including community involvement, is of course the ultimate way that change is brought to your own life, and to the people you know. But I do hope that despite your skepticism of what any one politican can or will do to bring change to people’s lives, you understand that the extreme interest around the election is because it’s about a lot more than the person being elected.