This World We Live In (#6)
Since the beginning of the last presidential campaign cycle the political news reel on my internet browser has read more like the entertainment or pop culture news reels. I actively avoid news those other news reels. I can’t possibly blame one candidate or a single party; it was a group effort to turn politics so openly ugly. I’ll admit that politics was probably always this ugly, but in order to be successful a politician used to have to hide the ugly from the public. Some people might suggest that it’s a good thing for politicians to not try so hard to hide their vices and shortcomings in order to be successful, but I would rather my president be a person my children can openly admire, and neither candidate from the last election really fit that bill. I want my politicians to know how to put on the professionalism when they come to work, and keep their private life and personal vices from the eyes of our nation’s children. The children will develop their own vices, they don’t need a president of our nation to show them just how much they can get away with.
The point is that the government seems to be rapidly losing its way. I lean toward the conservative side on a lot of issues, but I recognize that my particular moral code of behavior is because of my religious beliefs. That being said, a person who does not share my religious beliefs may have a different view on what is acceptable behavior. While government officials of every level should exemplify professionalism, honesty, integrity, self-control, and a willingness to compromise for the greater good, the government is not the moral police. There are things that I, personally, would never do that I do not believe should be illegal. With all of the major drama going on these days, the major issues rarely come to light. When the big issues do come to light, everyone starts arguing about what is right and what is wrong, but the first question that really should be answered is, ‘does government have a place in this discussion?’ In general I would say that the answer is usually no.
All that being said, I would prefer a president who seems to care about people more than I would prefer a president of either particular party. I am a registered republican, and I disagreed with a lot of Obama’s decisions, but I had a chance to listen to him speak in Tucson, Arizona after a shooting. His speech was completely non-political. No one was put down. His speech was about unifying and lifting each other up. I could appreciate his words and his attitude, even though I was a member of the opposing political party.
That is the type of outreach that every president from every party should be capable of. I haven’t seen it in a while…
http://ellemariedanielswrites.strikingly.com/
