Dear America,
'i don't have a problem, you have a problem.'
'i don't have a problem, you have a problem.'
get ready for a continuation of another bicker fest over the holidays, right?
you know how it goes -- it's pent up -- and every couple of years, it gets a little bit ugly across the table.
We've been surveying all things related to boundaries this week. Some people just don't know where to stop. [A worst case scenario: looking a lot like "a beatdown" in Lansing a couple days ago.]
But more often than not, another perfect rendition can be witnessed coming out of 'the people's house.' Instead of being genuinely and earnestly and humbly intent on doing the right thing, we get grandstanding, politicking, name calling, teasing, milk spilled and mashed potatoes thrown by the fist-full. Washington turns into this unruly gaggle of egomaniacs, one-upping each other by the 24/7 media minute.
Don't they get it?
Don't they realize who they represent?
[Don't answer that]
Washington represents the people -- and if A equals B and B equals C, then guess what? - A equals...us.
and aren't we all a wee bit into ourselves and our position.
BUT THIS! This just takes my breath away:
Seriously, Harry? I love you and that voice of yours, but honestly, what planet are you living on these days? Lock up the opposition? That's your recommendation to Obama? Are you insane, trying to be clever and ironic, or simply angling to work into comedy?
And that goes for all of you on the Left -- insistent and self-righteous about the so-called "mandate" of the president....
Take a seat. Somebody needs a time out...
Let's review: The election results show the president brushing against a split of 50.6% - 47.8% of the popular vote -- in real numbers, that works out to 62,611,250 votes to 59,134,475 and a difference of 3,486,775 votes, at last count; it also looks like 26 states going BLUE and 24 states going RED; it also looks like the Senate having a Democratic majority of 55 Senators to 45 Republican Senators; it also looks like a Republican majority in the people's House with 234 representatives, bickering alongside a 200 strong Democrat minority.
WHERE IS THE MANDATE?
You know what it's like? It's like you're all clamoring to be the one on top -- perhaps mom and dad's favorite. You know how it goes, being the one who brings home the most trophies... being the smartest, the slickest, the most successful in their eyes.... when all they really need is love. Love for the process; love for the chance to get all together; love for the responsibility and duty to the whole; love for the monumental and historic opportunity to get something done -- something that will be truly memorable (and forever honored, if we do it right) long after they are gone.
Think of it as a time being held hostage in a time capsule. One day....years, decades, centuries later -- this time will be looked upon with fresh eyes. For it's just a fact: Historians are recording the facts and numbers and the chief movers and shakers, as we speak. This is our time for all time.
TO be sure -- there is one person who will be owning the days we make. That person is the president.
But even so, isn't Washington just a sorry representation of all of us right now? We are all in the room.
Don't we want history to be kind?
Don't we want the history of THIS -- the fiscal cliff and more -- to show substance, with egos safely checked and balanced at the door for the betterment of the whole?
But let's get one thing straight, Mr. Belafonte, Mr. Sharpton, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Reid, President Obama, and anyone else standing on the left leaning soapbox and screaming into the left leaning mic without a mandate -- respect the space. Where is the tolerance? Where is the openness for arriving at a compromise? Where are the spending cuts? Where is simply the decency to treat us -- the Right -- with civility in the public forum, as well as behind closed doors?
But let's go back to something that should frighten each and every one of us. This body politic, the one that represents us -- it should be of no surprise for the family resemblance. The truth is, IT is US in a nutshell, in a nut-house, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until the day we die. We put these people there. And a hard reality is rearing it's ugly head, they are simply the microcosm of the macro acting psycho.
Who voted this guy into office?
Seriously? There will be blood...let's imprison the opposition....come on people, can't we just get along????
Let's think about something for a moment.
For those of us who love politics, isn't the dialog, the controversy, the ideological divide what it's all about? Doesn't it fuel us, from deep down inside us, to become more involved, more educated, more confident to speak up, to make a change, and hopefully, BE the change? We choose to be republicans and democrats, conservatives, liberals, independents, libertarians, and even green for a reason.
Apparently, somewhere down the line, we can no longer get together and simply, and respectfully, and lovingly, agree to disagree. The boundaries safely honoring each man's space to believe what they will have been smudged, infringed upon, if not offensively crossed.
And with that, dialog is sure to stop altogether, retreating to our own corners, slamming doors and all; what should become of us now?
The thing is -- and I really hate to be argumentative here -- but THERE ARE two sides to every situation. Yours and mine. What in tar-nation is the problem?
Somewhere in the middle lies the hope of reconciliation and resolve.
But if we stop talking to each other -- we stop.
And if we never stop to listen -- we lose.
And if we just wish we could lock somebody up for being of a different mindset, or call for blood because we want two different things, we have already crossed a line and over to the other side. In a word, it's called chaos; it looks a lot like lawlessness, untethered recklessness in thought, word and deed. It's also unconscionable, given what we inherited!
In such a situation, a third party or mediator is useful. In relation to Washington, that responsibility falls to the one in charge -- the president. His job grows less political and more about keeping the peace, finding solutions, breaking the standoff, blending the ideas, assuring confidence in the process that all is not lost, much like a loving father would do.
Unfortunately, President Obama doesn't recognize this mandate. He resorts back to taking measures outside of tradition, outside of the realm of precedence and chief duty of keeping the peace. [And shocking, isn't it... given this is the response from a recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize! talk about getting a trophy for doing nothing....]
But let's make something perfectly clear, Mr B. and President O. Unless living in your own little narcissistic, egotistical, pig-headed, unyielding, stupid world -- there is no mandate; the American people are split down the middle in two, almost in equal portion.
No, scratch that. It's not that simple.
Let's not fall into the trap of sugarcoating over our reality, for that's just being delusional. We are a patchwork of characters, with each our own idiosyncrasies in Technicolor glory. Independent and magnificent, aren't we all a little bit crazy in our own way? But now we're just getting sidetracked.
The American people are inherent of a foundation -- complete with the tools, the design, the principles, the structure, with all the hopes and best intentions in the world. It was as if the founders blessed us with a family heirloom -- so fragile, not even they could guarantee it's future.
And what this means is -- we are in the midst of only one mandate. We must each take a corner and own it, mend it, patch things up and cherish it. All voices are not only expected, but mandated, to show up around the table.
In the people's house, everyone has a chance to have the floor -- while for everyone else, there is an open opportunity to listen. It's a beautiful thing, being in real relationship with one another.
Sure, it comes with a whole host of problems and issues; it's not perfect; it's loud, teetering on obnoxious. But it's real! It's engaged -- it's dysfunction -- it's American -- and "it's" still talking. And let me tell ya, that is a whole lot better than not saying another word.
Make it a Good Day, G
'i don't have a problem, you have a problem.'
'i don't have a problem, you have a problem.'
get ready for a continuation of another bicker fest over the holidays, right?
you know how it goes -- it's pent up -- and every couple of years, it gets a little bit ugly across the table.
We've been surveying all things related to boundaries this week. Some people just don't know where to stop. [A worst case scenario: looking a lot like "a beatdown" in Lansing a couple days ago.]
But more often than not, another perfect rendition can be witnessed coming out of 'the people's house.' Instead of being genuinely and earnestly and humbly intent on doing the right thing, we get grandstanding, politicking, name calling, teasing, milk spilled and mashed potatoes thrown by the fist-full. Washington turns into this unruly gaggle of egomaniacs, one-upping each other by the 24/7 media minute.
Don't they get it?
Don't they realize who they represent?
[Don't answer that]
Washington represents the people -- and if A equals B and B equals C, then guess what? - A equals...us.
and aren't we all a wee bit into ourselves and our position.
BUT THIS! This just takes my breath away:
Seriously, Harry? I love you and that voice of yours, but honestly, what planet are you living on these days? Lock up the opposition? That's your recommendation to Obama? Are you insane, trying to be clever and ironic, or simply angling to work into comedy?
And that goes for all of you on the Left -- insistent and self-righteous about the so-called "mandate" of the president....
Take a seat. Somebody needs a time out...
Let's review: The election results show the president brushing against a split of 50.6% - 47.8% of the popular vote -- in real numbers, that works out to 62,611,250 votes to 59,134,475 and a difference of 3,486,775 votes, at last count; it also looks like 26 states going BLUE and 24 states going RED; it also looks like the Senate having a Democratic majority of 55 Senators to 45 Republican Senators; it also looks like a Republican majority in the people's House with 234 representatives, bickering alongside a 200 strong Democrat minority.
WHERE IS THE MANDATE?
You know what it's like? It's like you're all clamoring to be the one on top -- perhaps mom and dad's favorite. You know how it goes, being the one who brings home the most trophies... being the smartest, the slickest, the most successful in their eyes.... when all they really need is love. Love for the process; love for the chance to get all together; love for the responsibility and duty to the whole; love for the monumental and historic opportunity to get something done -- something that will be truly memorable (and forever honored, if we do it right) long after they are gone.
Think of it as a time being held hostage in a time capsule. One day....years, decades, centuries later -- this time will be looked upon with fresh eyes. For it's just a fact: Historians are recording the facts and numbers and the chief movers and shakers, as we speak. This is our time for all time.
TO be sure -- there is one person who will be owning the days we make. That person is the president.
But even so, isn't Washington just a sorry representation of all of us right now? We are all in the room.
Don't we want history to be kind?
Don't we want the history of THIS -- the fiscal cliff and more -- to show substance, with egos safely checked and balanced at the door for the betterment of the whole?
But let's get one thing straight, Mr. Belafonte, Mr. Sharpton, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Reid, President Obama, and anyone else standing on the left leaning soapbox and screaming into the left leaning mic without a mandate -- respect the space. Where is the tolerance? Where is the openness for arriving at a compromise? Where are the spending cuts? Where is simply the decency to treat us -- the Right -- with civility in the public forum, as well as behind closed doors?
But let's go back to something that should frighten each and every one of us. This body politic, the one that represents us -- it should be of no surprise for the family resemblance. The truth is, IT is US in a nutshell, in a nut-house, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until the day we die. We put these people there. And a hard reality is rearing it's ugly head, they are simply the microcosm of the macro acting psycho.
Who voted this guy into office?
Seriously? There will be blood...let's imprison the opposition....come on people, can't we just get along????
Let's think about something for a moment.
For those of us who love politics, isn't the dialog, the controversy, the ideological divide what it's all about? Doesn't it fuel us, from deep down inside us, to become more involved, more educated, more confident to speak up, to make a change, and hopefully, BE the change? We choose to be republicans and democrats, conservatives, liberals, independents, libertarians, and even green for a reason.
Apparently, somewhere down the line, we can no longer get together and simply, and respectfully, and lovingly, agree to disagree. The boundaries safely honoring each man's space to believe what they will have been smudged, infringed upon, if not offensively crossed.
And with that, dialog is sure to stop altogether, retreating to our own corners, slamming doors and all; what should become of us now?
The thing is -- and I really hate to be argumentative here -- but THERE ARE two sides to every situation. Yours and mine. What in tar-nation is the problem?
Somewhere in the middle lies the hope of reconciliation and resolve.
But if we stop talking to each other -- we stop.
And if we never stop to listen -- we lose.
And if we just wish we could lock somebody up for being of a different mindset, or call for blood because we want two different things, we have already crossed a line and over to the other side. In a word, it's called chaos; it looks a lot like lawlessness, untethered recklessness in thought, word and deed. It's also unconscionable, given what we inherited!
In such a situation, a third party or mediator is useful. In relation to Washington, that responsibility falls to the one in charge -- the president. His job grows less political and more about keeping the peace, finding solutions, breaking the standoff, blending the ideas, assuring confidence in the process that all is not lost, much like a loving father would do.
Unfortunately, President Obama doesn't recognize this mandate. He resorts back to taking measures outside of tradition, outside of the realm of precedence and chief duty of keeping the peace. [And shocking, isn't it... given this is the response from a recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize! talk about getting a trophy for doing nothing....]
But let's make something perfectly clear, Mr B. and President O. Unless living in your own little narcissistic, egotistical, pig-headed, unyielding, stupid world -- there is no mandate; the American people are split down the middle in two, almost in equal portion.
No, scratch that. It's not that simple.
Let's not fall into the trap of sugarcoating over our reality, for that's just being delusional. We are a patchwork of characters, with each our own idiosyncrasies in Technicolor glory. Independent and magnificent, aren't we all a little bit crazy in our own way? But now we're just getting sidetracked.
The American people are inherent of a foundation -- complete with the tools, the design, the principles, the structure, with all the hopes and best intentions in the world. It was as if the founders blessed us with a family heirloom -- so fragile, not even they could guarantee it's future.
Benjamin Franklin
And what this means is -- we are in the midst of only one mandate. We must each take a corner and own it, mend it, patch things up and cherish it. All voices are not only expected, but mandated, to show up around the table.
In the people's house, everyone has a chance to have the floor -- while for everyone else, there is an open opportunity to listen. It's a beautiful thing, being in real relationship with one another.
Sure, it comes with a whole host of problems and issues; it's not perfect; it's loud, teetering on obnoxious. But it's real! It's engaged -- it's dysfunction -- it's American -- and "it's" still talking. And let me tell ya, that is a whole lot better than not saying another word.
Make it a Good Day, G
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