Refocus

Let's refocus. I want to explain how I see things and understand them so that you can understand what I am saying. I have gotten ahead of myself.

My wife, Jaime, said to me the other day, "you should be a politician." My response was that I really don't like the IDEA of politics, let alone being in that profession. Politicians convince others to like them and support them. The whole goal of a politician is to put themselves in a position where their power can be increased. Where you hear the word POLITICIAN or see a politician put your brain filter on so that you understand that what they are SAYING is meant to send you a message that will make you think more highly of them than you did before.

Actions speak louder than words.

I am attempting to look at the actions of our leaders rather than their words. You don't have to look to far to find someone who will agree with you that politicians will SAY anything. Any party, any system. I want to challenge myself and you to take an active role in learning about the people you vote for and the people leading our nation.

BLAME ---

What a wonderful game to play. I think I'll blame my current position on the last guy becuase I can make a case that his decisions have put me in the negative position that I am in. Economic crisis? Let's blame the banks for lending more than they knew they could afford, let's blame the government for agreeing to subsidize the loans that the banks knew would fail; do we dare blame the people who agreed to take the loan, knowing full well that they might never repay it?

What if our first question was, "what could I have done to avoid this problem?"

If I ask myself that question, my answer is, "huh, I guess I should have been paying attention to what the leaders we are voting for are actually doing, rather than what they are saying." Every elected official comes to judgement every 2 - 4 years and every person in the country has the chance, the right, perhaps even the duty, to evaluate what those elected officials are doing and then decide if they deserve to be in their position.

I believe that MOST people, including myself, have simply listened to candidates and voted accordingly. Our problems (economic, and otherwise within the public arena) exist because the voters were and are too lazy to learn about what their candidates really stand for; what they have really done.

Talk is cheap.

Depending on how much you trust your favorite media outlets, your position may be skewed even more. So many people in the media are biased and can be decieving in the way they use their words and their position. Don't listen to just one. If you ask yourself, or you hear anyone ask themselves, "what can I do?" The answer is, first: learn about the issues.

Let's evaluate our position, understand where we are, understand the factors that may have gotten us here, understand the issues, and then decide what to do next. Let's forget about ourselves, and think about our children and those around us, and act in a way that is most responsible towards them. Let's make the discussion and education of the issues that effect us centerpieces in our lives. I love hearing opinions that differ from mine, because it forces me to re-evaluate why I believe what I'm saying and to support it even further.

Challenge yourself, challenge your friends. Take responsibility.