Most posts start with the disclaimer: This is not political. This one starts with: This is indeed political.
No matter which side of the fence you are on, I’m confident you will find value in this piece. I trust that you will read it with an open mind and contemplate my words with inquisitiveness rather than cast judgment. I will then challenge you to evaluate your own perspective and ask if you truly believe 100% in the party that you subscribe to.
While working in between meetings today, I listened to Blinken testify before the Senate committee about the Afghanistan withdrawal. Given that I was listening and not watching, it gave me the opportunity to impartially weigh what was being said without putting faces to the voices or, what some would do, choose one party over the other.
I took so many mental notes and only wish that I had been the next in line to question Secretary Antony Blinken, to ask for further clarification and call out inconsistencies with the answers that were delivered.
The voice of a female, or a menstruating person as AOC is now calling us, caught my attention as she seemed to be sliding into the division of parties. Her words screamed us against them, Republican against Democrat and Democrat against Republican. I thought to myself, here we go. Someone had to go there.
Her next words caught even more of my attention when she called out the Republicans, who she agreed with on how we withdrew from Afghanistan, but vehemently urged them to take responsibility for not stepping up to the plate earlier vs. Monday morning quarterbacking today.
Her name was Jeanne Shaheen and she is the U.S. Senator from N.H, my now home state.
I was impressed by her seven minutes on the podium, clearly stating that each individual within both parties must take responsibility for the decisions that were made. She was passionate, furious and, well, appeared sincere in her delivery.
Senator Shaheen’s focus was on the matter at hand – not partisanship. Though her initial ‘rant’ sounded to be divisive and hateful toward Republicans, it turned out that she was only asking them to admit their wrongs in the process as well.
And I’ve been there. Not in the public sector or having held public office, but in the private sector that can be just as political – if not more so.
I’ve worked with the wolves in sheep’s clothing. I’ve watched those who hate each other unite when it comes to a matter that was threatening their individual positions of power. I’ve witnessed people’s lives be nothing more than boxes on an org chart, dispensable. I’ve been in both rooms – the room where they make these decisions and the room where they lie through their teeth, causing you to scratch your head and wonder if you’re crazy. They lay on the love and care, playing on your emotions, letting you know how hard it was for them to make such a difficult decision.
Trust me. It wasn’t difficult at all. They slept quite well that night while your world fell apart.
Republicans. Democrats. Libertarians, Green and Constitution Parties.
Tell me – do you believe 100% in what your party sells? Is any party 100% true to what they say?
No. There is no way any rational human being believes 100% in anything. There are strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages. You may lean more right or left, but how far right and left do you want to go?
Barbara Bush bashed those of us who chose independence (Independents). She was adamant that we must belong to a party or we stood for nothing. Let it be known, that in 2019 the late First Lady said that Trump drove her away from the Republican party.
I rest my case. Do you believe 100% in what your party sells?
Ironically, like or hate him, Trump sold America. He touted America first, patriotism and making our country great again – not at the exclusion of other countries, but asking other countries to step up and work with us vs. us working for them.
Yet today, even tonight, I heard about Trump being the root of all evil. I just don’t get it. His delivery was downright awful. I can’t recall how many times I thought, “Just don’t speak.” But if you looked beyond that and measured the substance as well as, and more importantly, the economic strength of our country, your perspective may be different.
Only speaking for myself, but the most liberal, Democratic and socialist people I know are afforded that opportunity because of the economic strength of our country. Those liberals are living in wealthy communities in multi-million dollar homes with six figure jobs. But that’s not hypocritical? Their charity donations make them feel better? Help me to understand. Not judging – just asking.
But Larry Elder is a white supremist – huh? The last I knew, Larry is a colored man who wants to maintain and grow the strength of our country. A Trump clone? I’m baffled. And Newsom prevails. I’m bewildered.
What is my point?
We need Independents. At one point we were labeled ‘unenrolled’. Why? My feeling is because the majority of people need to feel a sense of belonging. True strength is independence – those who weigh the issues, not the parties.
Those who lean right, but heard Senator Shaheen today and said, “Wow, that is spot on.”
Don’t ostracize the Independents. They are the people you can trust.
