Let's Talk Politics
I HATE POLITICS.
But let’s stop suggesting that we leave politics out of it.
I repeat…I HATE politics.
I’ve never paid attention to them.
My default is to focus on the things that I control and politics don’t feel like something that any of us have any real control over.
I feel like most people can relate.
To this point, I’ve stayed out of it.
People like me are why we find ourselves in the current situation.
When your kid is being super quiet in the playroom and you’er NOT PAYING ATTENTION you feel pretty good about things.
I’ve got a moment of peace and quiet and whatever is happening right now is not affecting me so it’s all good….
Until you walk into the room and there’s fucking peanut butter and magic marker everywhere.
That’s America right now.
The lights are on and it’s a mess.
Regardless of your ‘side’ we have all done a poor job of holding each other accountable. And we sure as shit haven’t held our elected officials accountable for anything.
We’ve all done a poor job of remembering that most of the work is done locally and that bitching and moaning is not a viable solution.
We lack real leaders in our households and communities.
People willing to speak up, respectfully.
To most of us there is only one politician and they are responsible for everything…the President.
This is a false narrative.
The truth of the matter is that the things that actually impact us each day are decided by local leaders and the people who represent our congressional districts.
Do you know who represents your district?
Have you ever reached out to them with a question or concern?
Do you know their voting record?
All of it is available on the internet.
Whether we like it or not politics are the management structure of this nation.
So instead of focusing on the politics, focus on the people executing them.
These people run for office on the notion that they will be here for us in times like this.
They stand up every few years and tell us about all the problems that we have and how they’re going to solve them.
They speak hypothetically about all of the ways they can lead us and help us improve the communities we live in and the lives we lead.
Sometimes they even make up the problems we have, just to get their point across.
Well, right now, we have a fucking problem.
Regardless of what side you are on…
Red or Blue, Left or Right, Republican or Democrat…things are not good for the American people right now.
At this moment in time your elected officials are either doing the right things through the right perspectives or they are not.
They are thinking about the impacts of short term decisions on long term results….or not.
They are working urgently…or not.
At every level of government from local to state to federal they have a responsibility in this moment to US.
So look at each of them and decide if they are looking out for you or are they looking out for them.
And don’t forget this in November.
Now I ask you this….
Spend some time between now and the next voting cycle thinking about your OWN values. For many people this will be the first time they’ve really contemplated this.
Write them down.
Who are you?
What do you believe in?
How do you want to live?
What will you do to make an impact?
Where is your line in the sand on important issues?
What do you want your community to look like?
What does it need?
What will the ramifications be for the decisions being proposed in your area?
Is anyone taking the lead?
What are the options?
What are the individuals running propose we do about the things that matter to you?
What have they done in their own lives?
Are they an example that you want your community to follow?
Think rationally and REALISTICALLY as to what it takes to create a scenario in which everyone has a chance to continue to live with the liberty and freedoms that we’ve come to take for granted.
Consider the every solution is a double edged sword and there’s always the other side of the coin. Think shit through.
THEN choose your ‘side’.
Please don’t let your identity be determined by your ‘affiliation’.
Most of us have this backwards.
Be honest with yourself….where do your values line up?
Is the ‘party’ that you support still aligned with you?
If so, go there…get involved.
If not, change.
Respectfully impact the community you live in by being involved in the conversations with your neighbors.
Vote for the decisions that matter.
We don’t realize how important these things are until we find ourselves in times like these.
My home state of Vermont is in danger of losing the majority of their higher education system. In fact, it was put on the chopping block last Monday. 3 schools were going to be completely wiped out in one swipe.
Until they weren’t.
You know why they weren’t?
Because the people in those communities stepped up and got involved in the conversations, respectfully and with passion.
It’s easy to bitch and moan to your spouse and co-workers.
It’s easy to post a stupid meme you found online.
It’s easy to vent on Facebook and social media.
It’s easy to write a blog and tell people what’s easy.
But what do you and the people in your community DO when it’s time to impact what’s going on around you?
We have more control than THEY want us to believe.
This is our country. These are our communities.
It’s time we stop expecting someone else to take care of things for us and we start TAKING CARE OF THEM OURSELVES.
I can promise you this.
For me, this entire time period has forced me to pull my head out of the sand. To pick my gaze up from what I do every day to look around and realize that the lack of accountability that we have in our elected officials is my fault.
And it’s yours too.
I haven’t done enough so I have no place to bitch.
That changes now.
Instead of suggesting that we don’t make it about politics.
I suggest we get involved in shaping the World around us.
I'll never tell you how to vote.
This is not intended to be a 'political' post.
But the theme of this entire blog is accountability and improvement. Right now our country is in dire need of both and it's leaders like US that can make the impact.
Focus & Fortitude.
-Linc