It's not US vs. THEM. We are all on the same team!

I am troubled this morning, or maybe more aptly put, deeply disturbed.  The farther we get into this election process, the less I like it.  We are becoming more deeply divided on our issues forgetting that it is not an “us versus them” situation.  I use to be an athlete.  I understand competition, which basically boils down to exploiting the other team’s weaknesses and dominating in your strengths, scoring goals to try and win.  But and this is a very big but, never were you to cheat because then the win didn’t have any meaning. There were rules and referees! There were times when the teams we were on so heavily dominated the team we were playing that we would take out our starters and allow our less experienced players a chance to gain experience but at no time did we taunt or tease another player or team to just make them look badly.

The DNC is in town this week.  I don’t happen to vote for this team, but I’m not looking to try to make them look bad (as if I could).  I will admit, I’m not following the ongoings of what is happening – I have a lot of other things on my plate, but that said, I do care about what happens to our country…and I don’t like having to sift through all the untruths, or half-truths that continue to be spewed from both sides of the aisle.  I’m just an ordinary person, trying to make a living (and unfortunately that’s not being going so well for me the past 4 years).  On top of that we are also dealing with major health issues.  Are we unique?  No, all of us have “stuff” going on in our lives; it is really more about how we choose to handle it.

This morning for reasons I don’t know, the issue of abortion settled in my mind.  The only reason I bring this to light is not to be judgmental, I have my own opinion which may differ from yours, but I will say that I can agree to disagree if we must.  I am friends with a few women who have had abortions and they have spoken with me about their regret in having had one, I have not heard from any that offer the other view, but that might be because they just haven’t shared it.  From those I have heard from,  I have heard their shame and I am not, repeat NOT, making this about judging them, they did what they did, when they did for reasons they felt they had to.  But, they have shared with me that if they knew then, how they felt now...  This led to the question burning in my mind as I thought about this, this morning was….for any of us living and breathing and reading this…..what if your mother had decided for whatever reason to have aborted you.  How would you feel?  Well, I guess you wouldn’t feel, because you wouldn’t have existed.  End of story, end of my comment other than to say, think about it!  There is no comment or retort, no yeah buts.  If your mother choose to abort you, you would not be here to utter your opinion on anything!  No one can tell you what to do with your own body...but again, that isn't the real issue, because there is always some way to get done what will get done.  I understand the issue is that why should anyone have to suffer the back alley days....but again, my question is....what if your mom might have aborted you?  What would the world look like if you had not been born?  Does your life have meaning, purpose?  When did it take on its meaning/purpose?  And on the other end of the spectrum...at what point does one's life no longer have purpose that we should decide that it is ok to let them die?  Thank goodness, I'm not God, I can't make those decisions!

I’m sure that I have ruffled a few feathers, but my point is to look at an issue and bring it down to the level on which WE exist, not leave it up there bandied about by the politicians.  Are we capable of making decisions?  We supposedly elect people because they voice our truths. Really?!  Unfortunately the elections look more like childish tauntings, which I can remember as a kid growing up were hurtful.  Do you remember ever being talked about behind your back?  I was it was hurtful.  Did someone ever say something unkind about you because they felt badly about themselves and needed to feel superior?  I was it was hurtful.  Did I do it to someone else?  Yes, and I’m ashamed to have done so, because I realize (d) how hurtful it was.  All this fingerpointing and name calling does nothing to get the issues out in the open and cleared up, it only makes us more confused, which ultimately leads to apathy.  Apathy means you just give up and don’t care anymore.  Apathy is the exact desire of this election process…which team gives up first?

Equal rights for all citizens regardless of sex, race, creed.  We have evolved, and that is understood.  Our country should stand firm in its core values and we as citizens need to embrace those values.  Friends of ours just became US citizens.  That has a profound meaning to them, why doesn’t it have the same meaning for us?  I’m not against foreigners coming into our country, but take the right steps and acclimate to our ways.  If you do not wish to do so, why did you come here?  Am I dense?  What am I missing?

I heard Jesse Jackson speak yesterday on a newstalk station.  He was asked how he felt about the abortion issue.  He skirted the question going on about how these great men (most of whom I didn’t know – ok I’m ignorant), but the one I did know Martin Luther King, marched for equal rights.  Duh!  We all know that, or at least I hope so.  MLK gave his life for a cause and one worth fighting for, but unless I missed something, he didn’t do it so that our country could be run over by anyone and everyone wanting to get their own way.  He fought for OUR citizens to be able to enjoy equality.  How does that translate for those who come into our country illegally?  I heard that we are willing to take their money via taxes, well, if we all have to pay taxes, why not them?  But that isn’t the issue.  The issue is that those who come in illegally do nothing to make themselves legit.  Would you hire someone you know who is stealing from you?  Again am I dense?  Maybe our immigratioin department does need an overhaul but the issue is still one where doing an illegal act doesn’t allow for amnesty.  To those who have persevered through the process of becoming citizens, I can only imagine their thoughts.  I’m not saying illegal immigrants are bad people, I don’t know the horrors of the atrocities from which they fled to come here, but there is a process and if the process is ignored, then chaos results. 

We are in the throes of chaos, do we not recognize it, do we just not want to believe it….or has our apathy led to complacency? 

Find the candidate who is most representative about your thoughts at YOUR level.  This isn't about a popularity contest, or which side has the better Hollywood backing.  In fact, actors aren't God's they are humans, just like any other profession (athletes, doctors, lawyers, kitchen designers).   Just because I enjoy someone's ability to perform doesn't mean they get carte blanche to speak for me. 

Do we understand that EGO is an acronym for Edging God Out?  Do you realize that the most feared four letter word should be "Self"? 

Just a couple of thoughts....we can always agree to disagree!

Barb