Thoughtful Thursday: There Are No Words

I don't usually engage too much in political rants, discussions, or (shudder) debates. I tend to make up my mind very quickly, and then I go through the process of what we call democracy in a private manner. Please forgive me for this rant about what we've been through the last 2.5 years.

I am tired of politics.

I am tired of how everyone seems to say one thing but really mean something else. I am tired of how nothing seems to get done because candidates seem to forget that our government is a three-way partnership, not an oligarchy or a dictatorship. As a single individual, I could make all sorts of promises about what I would do when given part of the power, but I still have to figure out how to convince everyone else to support and approve my plan. We seem to forget that fact during political campaigns.

I am tired of people who claim to be or who claim to want to be MY "representative in (fill-in-the-blank) congress, house, white house, etc." I don't recall any of those people calling me or anyone I know to actually ask us how we feel about specific issues. You cannot be MY representative when you do not care about what I think or need.

I am tired of political seasons that start 5 minutes after the election and keep going until after the election.

I am tired of people making claims that they know good and well will never happen.

I want someone to stand up and say, "I really would like to reform the tax code, but realize that I will have to figure out how to convince members of Congress to help me develop a lawful system that represents the interests of all people. I know that this will be difficult, but I am willing to work long and hard to get this done."

I know that there are people out there who talk this type of talk, but others don't seem to want this type of honesty in their public leaders. I do, though. I would be a staunch defender of someone who would be brave enough to make the comments that I want to hear. I think I could get behind a leader like that and finally take my political views and opinions into a public forum.

Having said all this, here is the last thing that I believe about our political system.

If you don't vote, you shouldn't complain.

I am getting my ballot in the mail pretty soon. I will fill it out, send it back in, and then be ready to go on a trip on election day. Who I vote for, what I vote for, and why I vote the way I vote is nobody's business but my own. The only question I ever answer is "Do you intend to vote?"

The answer is always, "Yes."