Thinking

Over the weekend I had an interesting epiphany through some rather bizarre conversations at me. I say "at me" because I really didn't respond back. I just didn't know how to concisely put to words all of the thoughts I had when I was being told how wrong I was.

The gist of it - power. Power to *my* beliefs, power to what *I* believe in, power to what serves *me*. It's "survival", I was told.

Is that a Democrat or Republican philosophy? Would you be surprised if I told you it was a Democrat? Would you NOT be surprised if I told you it was a Republican?

Does it matter? (It was a Democrat by the way.)

This is my point about "Voting Wisely" tomorrow.

Now, of course, everyone thinks that "they know best" - and have all the answers, all the solutions, and can be your only salvation. They mask it in fear - "The Republicans will take all your services away to save money and you will have nothing, and they'll take all your money and give it to the big corporations" or "The Liberals will turn this country into socialists, and they'll take all your money and keep it for themselves or hand it out to people who are just too lazy to work."

Really? Are we really that gullible that we believe it?

All I know for sure is - it's about POWER. That's it. Not about you, not about me - power.

While some of us lament to the media that the FEPC is NOT balanced and NOT fair and they will NOT participate until it IS FAIR.......really throws me for a loop.

WTF do you think I want in my government?

Fair.

Then I usually hear this: "Well, I want fair too, but every idea I have it's shot down by.......(insert political affiliation opposite of yours here)"

EVERY time. I can set my watch to it.

Then, sometimes, I hear this answer (and it always makes me laugh) "Well, what have YOU done to make it better?"

Well, f*&@stick, I voted YOU into office to be fair and work FOR US. That's what I did. Apparently, you can't do that job, and I will now cast my vote against you for someone else who might do that job.

I didn't elect you to push some agenda to help your friends out. I elected you to make laws to protect us, to serve us, and to allow us to decide what's best for us. US. ALL OF US. Not just the people who share your political views.

I work with a guy who is a Born Again Christian and serious Glen Beck lover - I tell him I was born right the first time. We laugh. We get along. I cried when he told me that he had to put his dog to sleep, he comforted me with kind words when my Mom died. We are somehow miraculously able to accomplish tasks at work that help the company prosper and survive. We do it for ourselves too - it is our job - but we do it because it is our job. I don't want to join his church - but he always hints at "you should visit" when he tells me what is going on that weekend or whatever. I always tell him "no thanks" and he is never a jerk about it. Can't blame him for trying, and I'm sure he does not understand why I don't convert - he thinks his way is the only salvation and that he cares about me so he has to try to 'save me' - I think he's full of shit, generally (the whole religious thing), but I appreciate that he cares so much. I am so interested in his opinions that I read the King James Bible again just so I could argue with him - he enjoys it as much as I do. We like each other. We believe in totally different things, but we get along and work side by side. How in the world do we do it?

My family, and many families I know, were all made up of different personalities and politics and religion. I'm Irish and German and the families we all knew or were a part of were Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, Albanian, Turkish, Indian, etc. - I didn't live in an affluent suburb atmosphere - my Grandfather lived on Clifford Avenue - I have white cousins, black cousins, every nationality you can think of cousins, heterosexual cousins, homosexual cousins, cousins who became priests and cousins who served time in jail. We saw each other at family reunions, funerals, weddings, holidays.....and.....you're not going to believe this......but we all got along. We all loved each other. Nobody was right and nobody was wrong. We were family.

One of my Aunts, who I love dearly, is very.....so very......Catholic. When a family member passed away, their family did not have a grand service at a Catholic Church for him.....because.....he didn't want that. He wanted something simple, something happy, and he wanted everyone to be there. That's it. After the wake and short service, we congregated outside, and my Aunt said to my cousin, who was standing next to me, "I can't believe that they didn't have a service at....(her Catholic Church)!" I said "Why?" She said "Because that's what we do!"......I said, "No, that's what YOU do. Obviously, Uncle ***** did not want that, so why would you be so upset about it?" Of course, I got a smack on the ass and a kiss on the lips (she actually grabbed my face in both of her hands and called me "Fiona" - which she has called me since I was a child....I guess it means "fair". Clarification - she called me "Fiona" because I had white blond hair and blue eyes and light skin as a child-I was "fair" in color, not in attitude. I was a child, the world revolved around me because I was a child, and I wasn't always fair in the "even" sense.) ...but anyways.... in that situation, at that moment......who was right? Me for saying what I believed in, or my Aunt for saying what she believed in?

Neither of us were. It wasn't about me or her at that moment. It was about Uncle **** , his family, and what they wanted.

Basically, the two opposing powers at that moment decided on doing what was best for the family at that moment and to keep our mouths shut for the moment and work together for the good of the family.....at that moment.

Why can't we do that as a village, town, city, county, state, or country?

Why can't we - whoever we are - put aside our differences and just work for what's best for EVERYONE - fairly.

Why can't we elect people who think about what's fair instead of what will give them power?

What are these elections about? Who wants to keep the power, and who wants to regain the power, and everyone refers to politics as a "game".

This isn't a game, folks. Our representation should not be about winners and losers and who is in power and who wants that power.

I am just amazed that people actually think this way - that THEIR party aligns with what THEY believe in so THEY will support THEIR party....on and on and on.....while the millions of people in this country are not all THEIRS.

You hang around folks who think like you, act like you, do what you do, say what you say 24/7 and you start to believe that THIS is the RIGHT WAY and we must do whatever it takes to get THEM in office.

What about the others? I don't want Democrats to cater to just Democrats - I don't want Republicans to cater to just Republicans.

Why can't we demand that our government be more like what Joe Morelle demands that the FEPC be? Impartial, fair, and balanced?

It will never happen as long as we treat politics and our government like it was some game that we all have to make sure that OUR team wins.

That's going to do us all good, right?

I never.....ever......thought I would wish I was ignorant.......but I really do. I honestly wish I didn't know these things about politics and could just live my life happy that the people we elect to office are working together to get things done in the best interests of my friends and families and neighbors and the people I don't even know.

Those people aren't all Republicans or Democrats.

Neither is our population in our villages, towns, cities, counties, state, or country. But, we all vote like they are.

How about some fair and balanced representation in our Government?

Apparently.....not only am I ignorant.....I am naive.

I'm probably going to have to vote with my feet by the time the next election rolls around after tomorrow - I can see by the conversations at me this weekend - things aren't going to change.

I guess I will have to find my Utopia elsewhere.

I have come to realize after the conversations at me this weekend - and it doesn't make me angry or insulted....mostly sad - that people only care about themselves and what they want.

All of them. Democrats/Republicans and everyone in between. It's all about Power.

We are so doomed.

Happy voting tomorrow. Does it even matter anymore if you're one of those that doesn't care about power - but about impartial, balanced, and fair government?

No wonder so many people are apathetic about voting.