Well, here we are, the morning after the 2012 Elections and sure enough, the sun came up, I got my children off to school, and I am planning to go to work and pay bills. I've read all of the positive upbeat comments from people about the sun still coming up and God still being in control. I want to say that I agree whole heartedly with these sentiments, in fact, that's not only my "hope" but what I place my faith in every day of my life.....not just this day. However, I believe that my job as a citizen and a parent is to learn valueable lessons through life and then try to use those lessons to help others.
One of the things that has continually "gnawed" at me during the past four years is the back and forth that has gone on regarding the different "classes." There are certain "hot button" isues that don't hardly even get my attention and others that just really get "in my crawl." The "class warfare" is probably THE ONE that really makes me angry. It makes me angry because I thought we had moved past the whole rich vs. poor, black vs. white, man vs. woman, etc... etc.... I guess I mistakenly thought this, because in my world, I had. As I have said before on this blog, I was brought up being taught that "Joe Blow" down the street, "puts his pants on just like you do.....one leg at a time." The thought process saying "I deserve this or that" just doesn't enter my mind. The botttom line is that there will always be those who have more than me, financially speaking, and there will always be those who don't have as much as me, financially speaking. I am "called" to love people and to me that means to genuinely love them. To love their hearts, to talk to them, bring joy to their lives, tell them the Truth of God's word, to help lift their burdens, but ultimately point them to the only joy there is.......their eternal HOPE through Jesus Christ, God's son. So hopefully everyone reading this blog understands where my heart is.......However, I do live on this Earth and God has given me a brain and a conscious, not to mention discernment to help me distinguish between right and wrong. I believe that at the young age of 48 I still have a lot to learn and will until the day I die, but I also believe that at the ripe old age of 48, I have enough life experience to preach a little and lament on things.
Allow me to lament a little.........I am sad that half of our nation didn't choose to give a man with a proven record a chance to try to fix our economy. I am sad that a wonderful, American made, family like the Romneys aren't going to be the famiily representing the United States of America. I am sickened that half of our citizens still even give an ear to Bill Clinton, who doesn't know the difference between "having sex" and "having intercourse." I am sad that our President sees the need to call his opponent a "BullShitter" to Rolling Stone magazine, just to achieve the cool factor. I am sad that God was "booed" at the Democratic National Convention. I am ticked that President Obama thinks that small business owners didn't "build their businesses." I hate that 4 Americans were killed in Libya and that our leaders are flat out lying about the events that led to that. I hate that Jay Z is cheered on like he is one who we should be inspired by. It makes me sick that Joe Biden is our Vice President. It is disturbing that President Obama is the most pro-abortion president in history and that women's issues focus on birth control and abortion. All of this leading to another bottom line........The leaders who were elected last night don't like me, they don't like anything that I stand for, and they don't like my family and most of my friends. They don't even like our part of the country. Yet, I'm supposed to like and trust them? Well, I don't.
There are always, always, always lessons to learn. My kids get so sick of this, but I'm forever saying, "what can we learn from this?" Well, here goes that part.......and really this is to the next generation because they may not hear me now, but hopefully they will at some point. Everyone has their most important lesson but here is mine.........NEVER let anyone else tell you what you should believe or how you should think. Use your brain. Research, study, ponder, talk to people you trust, and most importantly, pray, and then decide who you are and what you stand for. Through your life, ask yourself this question every single day. "What do I stand for?" That's my most important lesson but I've got plenty of others:
2. Do Not Lie. Tell the truth. If you will tell the truth you won't have to backtrack and "hem haw" and use the annoying filler word "Look" to get people's attention. Let people know that you will tell them the truth and then do it.
3. You don't have to try to have the "cool factor." You don't need swag or brag or bad language to be cool. You are cool because you know who you are and what you stand for.
4. Do not give up on voting just because it's obvious that your vote doesn't count. It might seem that way, but always vote.
5. Quit blaming. Are you kidding me that President Obama, and frankly half of the country, are still blaming the George W. Bush era for problems that have gotten worse over the past 4 years. Take responsbility for your actions. It's past time to figure out a way to fix problems.
6. There will be those who look down on you because you are from the South. They will make fun because you might be conservative, you might talk with an accent, and you might not drive a hybrid car. NEVER EVER let these people make you feel like you are ignorant or narrow. ALWAYS be proud of your Southern values.
I will wrap it up today, but not in a tidy little package. I'm mad, I'm disappointed, and I'm sick to my stomach. I will pay my taxes and I will continue to influence my part of the world, but I will NEVER change my values. I will never think it's right to abort babies, I will never think its right to lie and cover up, and I will never look at how much money one has to determine what "class" they are in. That's my story, and I'm stickin to it.
I'd like to take a few minutes to respond to your post, because like you, I also try to set a good example for my kids. When things don't go my way, I try to understand where the "other side" is coming from and I encourage them to do the same. I happen to think that both "sides" in this case - Liberal and Conservative - should spend more time trying to understand one another. It's sad to me that our nation has been polarized to the point that someone would actually write that: "The leaders who were elected last night don't like me, they don't like anything that I stand for, and they don't like my family and most of my friends." Wow. To me this indicates that there are voices out there delivering a message of hate and derisiveness to an audience who must want to believe it! And these voices - these organizations - profit from successfully cultivating an "us against them" mentality. Honestly, there are plenty of liberals who think that the "real" Mitt Romney could have been a strong Presidential candidate. After all, actions speak the loudest and when he was true to his values, he did some very good things. But when the GOP reprogrammed him they created a candidate who came across as having no real CONVICTIONS. It's not my intent to engage you in an argument, just to point out that proliferating the notion that it's "us against them" is only further tearing our country apart. I'm glad you're committed to continuing to do your part in your community. I am someone who started volunteering in my community 4 years ago, largely because of President Obama's leadership. I hope that you can respect that, even though I am different from you. He inspires me and thousands of others to be a better citizens of our cities, our nation, and the world. Peace.
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