Signs along the road, in front of houses, store windows, they’re everywhere. A name followed by an elected office with a support or elect or re-elect is commonplace as we head into the 2018 midterm elections. So many signs that say so little. As if I believe what you believe is the directive to the voters. The electorate just is empowered to vote for a name. Family photos, include the dog and grand children and babies, watch the lighting, everyone smiles and a casual look is expected. Is that enough? Few political office holders or seekers think much more is necessary. Trust me, I must be a good person, look at my family and photo.
Each has a website now with the same photos and a series of one liners which are supposed to provide the reader with the message and the conclusion this is my candidate. This is whom I am voting for. Candidate information states he or she is more conservative than a primary opponent in the same party. Issues carry no weight just a claim to be the ideological best matters. This is more often a Republican mantra. Other candidates actually do recognize relevant issues. Claims of improved economy, better jobs, improve education etc. These all sound good and should benefit most working families. However the process to solve these problems is never clarified. It’s like trust me to solve these or correct them to make your life better. Whether claims are simply calls for ideological purity or calling out problems but offering no solutions the result is the same. The people who are helped are who have access through monetary contributions or paid lobbyists. There is an expression; money talks and bullshit walks. That’s only half right. Money talks and bullshit is what we the electorate get back. If we can agree that this the current state of our electoral system, then what do we do for starters?
We, the voters need to register and actually vote. Our candidates and elected officials need to understand we are watching and will not vote for a candidate or elected official who has no solutions. We also need to stop being ideologues ourselves. We can’t only vote for a person who claims to be anti-abortion, opposes gay lifestyles or believes that serving our country is only standing during the national anthem. You may hold those beliefs and speak up to explain your beliefs but you have no right to impose them on others through the legislative process. Likewise our candidate must tell us how to achieve our goals and solve our problems to create a better life for all. Corporate America is not the magic solution to our problems. Do they create jobs? Sure they do. Do they try to maximize profits, reduce costs, reduce payrolls and benefits? Yes. How do we together improve the economy create better schooling and even reduce the tax burden on us all fairly and equitably? These are man-made problems and as such can be corrected by men and women.
Time for change is now more than ever. This can not be a blame game or ideological battle, it requires us working and talking to each other and not at each other. It will take common sense, understanding and accepting that our opinion can not be the only right one. What is the expression about walking in someone else’s shoes? If we can come together figuratively and grasp each other’s hands, then when we get that close it’s really hard to hate. The ladder is more difficult to climb from the bottom up and very easy stepping down. We need to all step down and then begin climbing together without fear of reaching down to lend a helping hand.
Phil's Personal Perspectives 