Let's Get Something Straight

The political season is upon us.  I hate it almost as much as I hate football season.  We seem to have evolved into a football team mentality when it comes to deciding the leaders of our country.  Reasonable people become intoxicated jerks, jeering in the stands.  It's all about making sure your team gets to take down the goal post.  Go Red Team!  Go Blue Team!

I don't get it.

I can't stand it when people call each other names.  Over the course of the last few weeks, I have seen people use words like 'moron', 'idiot', and 'retarded' to describe the other side (this is coming form both sides of the fence so nobody gets a pass here).  How ugly.  Surely, we are more civilized than this.

But maybe not.  It's disturbing to me that people who don't understand that Republican and Christian are not synonymous and who are concerned about the details of Snooki's pregnancy are capable of directing policy.  Clearly, we're a little confused and have a long way to go in sorting out our priorities when it comes to what really matters.

I know that "what really matters" is different for everybody, so let me tell you what matters to me:

Tonight, there's a kid in your community who will go to bed hungry, who doesn't have a toothbrush.  That's a promise.  I've seen it.  What are we doing for him?

Tonight, there's a kid in your community whose 'father' or 'mother' is beating the crap out of him.  How do we protect him?

Tonight, there's a kid in your community who can't read and doesn't have the tools to learn.  Are you trying to make the world a better place for him?

Or are you just worried about you?

That's what I think our problem is.  Too much 'me' and not enough 'us'.  A lot of the issues being discussed could have a 'trickle-down' effect, but let's face it: it won't trickle down that much.  I see a lot of discussion about The Man vs. the common man, a lot of discussion about guns and religion and civil rights: all important--don't get me wrong.  But, in my mind, those are 'now' things: fix it now, fix it for ME.  I don't think we are thinking enough about the very resource which could sustain us or sink us, and that's the kids.

I think we should look at making sure help goes where it's truly needed: let's make sure we are feeding those kids food that's good for them, let's make sure we are keeping them warm and keeping them safe, let's make sure we are giving them the tools to raise themselves up, give them a chance.  Let's build our future here, and let's start by being good examples and treat each other with respect when we disagree.

I haven't decided which suit I will vote for in November.  I'm not on the Red Team and I'm not on the Blue Team.  I'm on the Bottom Layer Team, the team who can't vote, the team whose fate I may decide with a click of a button.  That's a lot to consider and I'll take my time to consider it.

Or maybe I'll just vote for me.  I like my platform best anyway.  :)