Winners and Losers

A quick warning, this post will be political, but I welcome any comments that engage with any of the thoughts and opinions expressed in this post in a productive manner.

Over the course of the last 9 months I have come to believe that the political environment of this country is creating an environment where we see our political leaders as either “winners or losers” rather than focusing on engaging in rational debate and discussion on the future of the country. This has created a “win at all cost” attitude that has increased the divide between the various portions of the American melting pot. When leaders tweet about “losers” or question the legitimacy of duly elected officials, they only increase the divisiveness plaguing our country.

What has kind of surprised me, is how many folks are reacting to the situation. There has been a lot of focus in my social media feeds about how “hopeless” and “depressed” people feel about the future of our nation and how they can’t see a way forward. I would like to offer some thoughts on that.

1)      If you feel depressed about the ability of your leaders to inspire you, I would encourage you to look for leadership elsewhere. Leadership is not a positional thing. True leadership occurs despite the title or authority of the leader. That is one of the great things about a democracy. Leaders can come from anywhere and inspire and motivate us and if they are successful leaders, we can vote them into positions of power.

2)      Find an issue you can deeply about and work in an passionate, focused, positive way to create that change. You may succeed, or you may fail, but the benefit you get for following a passion to create change will be rewarding no matter the result.

3)      Tune out the negativity that seems to surround us and tell us how bad things are. More than 3 billion people (about half the world’s population) live on incomes of less than $1,000 a year. Even the “rich” people in some of these places live lives without access to clean water, consistent electric power, sufficient sanitation, a stable food supply, and access to healthcare. If you are reading this post, it is very likely you are significantly better off than any of these folks.

4)      Take back our political system. Show that coherent discussion of real issues can take place without name calling, disrespectful language, and shouted sound bites.

In order to kick off number 4, I offer my personal political views on various issues. I look forward to engaging one or more of you (come on - do I really think that more than one person has read this far?) on one or more of these issues, or even the issue of your choice.

Let’s raise the level of discourse and create a 21^st century America that is positioned to continue to set the standard for political stability and citizen engagement.

·         I believe that abortion would become a non-issue if congress simply defined when life began. Prior to that point, the collection of cells has no rights, after that it has rights. I personally believe that occurs around the 10-12 week of pregnancy.

·         I believe that guns, like other weapons, should be legal. However, I believe that responsible gun ownership requires that you take responsibility for how your weapon is used. Therefore, I believe we should hold gun owners accountable for how their weapons are used.

·         I believe that any two adults should be allowed to commit their lives and futures to each other in an institution we call marriage. I also believe that private organizations should be allowed to decline to participate in the ceremonies if the behavior of the individuals does not align with their core values.

·         I believe that the problem with healthcare is enshrined in the current “insurance model.” Insurance is normally set up to limit liability for rare, unexpected events, not to supplement normal preventive maintenance. Healthcare needs a commitment to decrease the cost for maintenance and to increase the “supply,” not to supplement the antiquated insurance model.

·         I believe that the federal government is no better or worse than any other large institution (think large corporations or big religion). Therefore, they should relegate themselves to tasks that require large coordinated efforts (national defense, large infrastructure projects, defining minimum safety standards, foreign policy). If you want responsible, agile government it is hard for me to believe that this can occur at a national level.

·         I believe that the primary job of our police force is public safety, including the safety of suspected criminals. Deadly force should only be used in cases where lives are directly threatened. I also believe that communities have a responsibility to help police with this task by not protecting those that are engaged in criminal activity.

·         I believe that we should allow anyone that commits to our core values (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness) to be admitted into our country and allowed a chance to prove themselves. Geography of your birth does not determine your commitment to these values. How you live your life determines these values.

As I said above, happy to engage in a conversation about any or all of these statements. All I ask, is you be thoughtful and respectful in your response.