Jerry, when you mentioned people voting with their own best interest in mind, you hit a hot button for me. My number one gripe, fear is that many American voters will continue to do just that. Their vision is so narrowly focused on their own lives and pet causes that they can’t/won’t see the big picture. The candidates, who probably can see the big picture a bit better, are practically forced through the nature of our televised election process, to shift their focus from the big complex issues to the small and often insignificant issues in order to get peoples’ interest or votes. For instance, (on both sides) a candidate’s public stand on abortion, same-sex marriage or school prayer will break or seal the deal for way too many voters--even though those things have little or no effect on my or my children’s or grandchildren’s lives. My neighbors personal private abortion won’t effect/affect me in the same way her loss of a job, loss of her home, or loss of a son to war would. Some folks talk a big game, but on voting day the big complex issues that can genuinely effect our country’s future are ignored.
I fear the legislation of values and morality for lack of a better way to say it. I want to know that the person in office has a wider, longer, deeper field of vision than me and my neighbor. They need to have concrete goals, but a flexible plan to achieve them with the help of a cabinet and support team made up of the wisest, most broad and far thinking people in the country.
I know we aren’t children (well actually a lot of people are like kids I guess) but I want them to be like a truly great parent who does what is best for their children (and that doesn’t mean giving them everything they want) I want them to set an example through hard work, wisdom, kindness, tolerance, rules, limitations and consequences among many things. I want them to have high expectations for me. I want them to keep nutritious food on the table, but put a limit on the desserts. I want them to make a clean, safe and healthy environment for me to live in. I want them to make me make my bed and do my homework, take out the trash and do the dishes. I want them to let me experience negative consequences when I don’t. I want them to take me to my soccer games or piano lessons, but I don’t want my day, or their day, so full and structured that family time suffers in the shuffling back and forth, or that I fail to learn how to manage my own life. I want them to make sure that I show respect to others. I want them to monitor the kids I’m allowed to play with. I want them to guide and help me in dealing with whiners and liars and bullies. I want them to make sure I’m fully educated culturally, intellectually, and socially. I want to have opportunities and choices that allow me to fail or succeed alongside my peers. I want them to allow me to argue my point, if I can do it in a grown-up way, using intellect not the world revolves around me tantrums of a toddler.
okay, I'm done, that felt good! Apologies to those who feel like throwing up after they read this.
Donna
|