I am Me

          I had the opportunity and pleasure Friday evening to see the movie "Lincoln" .  I was struck by a key point in the final debate in the House of Representative on the 13th Amendment of what equality meant.  Earlier in the movie Lincoln had set out his version of equality amongst men in by stating Euclid's notion in the teaching of geometry: Things that are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another (Transitive property of equality). That is if a=c and b=c than a=b. For Lincoln, it was a logical argument that if you agreed that a slave was a human being, then they were to be afforded the same rights as every other human being under the constitution and laws of the land. And if they were a human being,no matter the color of their skin, then they were that, a intelligent being, created in the image of God and therefore not to be considered to be property, like animals or other living beings who were placed under the dominion of man by God. (See Genesis 1:28-31.).

It is from this that I pull one of my basic tenants for my existence. We all are equal at birth, but that does not mean that we are all equal through life. We are what we make of ourselves. At birth we are all helpless babies. We need nourishment from our mothers, we need to be clothed and cleaned by others, we will be taught and nurtured by others. We are a helpless baby. As we grow older, we become the accumulation of our life experiences. And because of this, we each become a unique human being, who contributes in our own way to society. Doctors and scientific professionals will tell you that even identical twins are not identical, even thought they come from the same embryo They may have a large number of similarities but their life experiences will not be quite the same and therefore they will not be identical.

Because of this, I am steadfast in the belief that I am unique. I am me and no one else is. No one else has the same set of chromosomes. No one else has had the same exact life experiences that I have. No one else has had the same opportunities to make good and bad decisions, to succeed and to fail. There is no one else exactly like me, and that is a good thing. And because I am unique, how can I say that I am better than someone else. I am not perfect or the best at everything that there is to do in life. In my 56 years, I have not experienced everything that there is to experience in this world. I have not traveled to foreign lands. I have not had every life experience that there is in the world, And I continue to grow everyday. Every day presents new opportunities to learn, new challenges to overcome, new people to meet and new places to experience. I am who I am and should be accepted as a fellow human being by all. And I should be respected as a fellow member of the human race.

This is where I have a problem with our society today. We hear everyday of senseless killings by an ever increasing number of young people. It seems that they have no respect for a human life. Maybe its the video games they play. Maybe its the feeling that they themselves have no value. We as a society need to make a major change in our mind set so that we can bring these children into a world in which they understand that they are a unique and valued member of society have everything to live for.

We have, because of various governmental programs,developed another set of slaves and we should be ashamed of ourselves. There is a growing segment of our society who now depend on governmental programs for their existence. These are people who feel that they are owed. They are not ashamed at being "owned". They do not seek their freedom from these programs, but instead demand that the programs provide more for them. They want to be kept and want their children to be kept, instead of seeking ways to be a full participant in society as a unique individual who brings their own life experiences to the table in an effort to make society better and stronger. They portray themselves as victims and demand society make allowances for them, rather than accepting that they have made themselves what they are by not seeking to get themselves out of their slavery.

Not everyone will succeed in this,life, but at birth, we are all equal. The Declaration of Independence set out that we are all equal and have the same right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. While promising the rights of life and liberty, it does not promise us happiness, only the right to pursue it,and that no other human being or nothing in government should deny us the pursuit of happiness. We as individual human beings should be the only ones who hold us back from such a pursuit.

We have met the enemy....

          After the recent election, the Republican Party needs the take Pogo's quote to heart: "We have met the enemy...and he is us."  As political junkies and strategists pour over the the immense amount of information  we now get about how we voted, it should be obvious the the Grand Old Party is not a grand as it once was, and is getting very old.  Mature (read that 40+ year old) white males are now a very small minority of the voters in this country.  Unless the Republicans face up to the fact that their policies have to be more inclusive, they will be an insignificant minority party very quickly.  But things are not all rosy for the Democrats as the following maps show.

              

    The top map shows the county by county voting for president. It shows red  for a staggering amount of land mass of the country (map from decodedscience.com).  However, the Republicans lost the presidential election in both the popular vote (47% to 50%)  and quite decisively, the electoral college (206 to 332) as shown by the 2nd map (map from freedomslighthouse.net). The Republicans won 24 states and the Democrats won 26. And of the ten "swing" states Republicans were 0 for 10. The House of Representatives stayed solidly in Republican hands, while they had a net loss in the senate and lost control of more governorships and state houses than they won this year. So the Democrats might be feeling confident,  but that top map and the results of the house races should give them pause also.  And they the fact they won 26 states and lost 24 in the Presidential race means they are well short of a mandate themselves.  So we are a divided country and although you only need a plurality to win, you need to form a consensus among everyone in order to rule effectively.
           The parties also need to realize that television does not win elections anymore. Social media and a more personal approach do.  I was struck by this fact:  Following the two nominating conventions, the presidential and vice presidential candidates this year made personal campaign appearances in only ten states before election day.  In 1960, John Kennedy appeared in 49 states (only missing Alaska) and Richard Nixon appeared in all fifty states between their conventions and election day. The electoral college matters, but the president does represent us all.  Campaign like every vote in every state counts and maybe a state you have written off might not be a write off.  Make an appearance, and maybe you pick up enough votes to swing that state to your side. Make an appearance in a state solidly in your corner so that you keep in that way and maybe get some carryover into a state that is not in your column.  Make every state a battle ground state and see how the opposition reacts.  Also those appearances might help state and local candidates in your party, making the party stronger on the whole, which will benefit you and the party for years to come. In essence, the top of the ticket candidates need to be more of a team player, lending their support down the ticket in order to gain the support of everyone on the ticket.
             I really don't want to see the beginnings of the 2016 Presidential race already, but with the appearance of  Republican Sen. Mark Rubio in Iowa this past week , it appears we are off and running.  With both parties looking for fresh blood, hopefully this election cycle will allow both parties to stake new positions and territories which will be more inclusive and lead to a more positive discord as we go along.                  We the voters will have to hold candidates of all parties accountable and responsible to us, because just maybe we have become our worst enemy by not standing up for ourselves in the past and letting party leaders and a select number of special interest groups dictate to us who the candidates will be and what positions they will take and how their campaigns are run.  It looks like we will have a four year period in order to hear each candidate and their stanches on the issues. Let us make use of that time wisely, to poke and prod and not make snap judgments. And to force each candidate to defend and promote themselves rather than run a negative campaign against their opponents. We have the ultimate say in how these campaigns are run by our support ,either with money or time, and eventually at the ballot box.

I Care, but I Don't Worry

    In my previous post, I mentioned my two guiding principles: "I am Third" and "I Care, but I Don't Worry." I explored the first (I am Third) and now I want to expand on "I Care, but I don:t worry."
    "I care, but I don't worry" is a companion to the serenity prayer most of us are familiar with:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; The courage to change the things I can;,
And the wisdom to know the difference." As a long time manager in a variety of businesses, I have had to deal with a wide variety of "crisis" on a regular basis. I have learned that they all can be divided into two categories: Ones that I have direct control over and those that I do not. The ones that I have direct control over tend to be more important and need my attention and energy. Those that don't, I may need to continue to be aware of, but expending my time and energy on is not a wise investment. This doesn't mean I ignore these crisis, but if I can't do anything about them, why worry? So I care about all kinds of things, but if I can't have a direct impact on them,why waste the time and energy worrying about them? I have plenty of other things that I need to be taking care of.

Almost every workplace or family has a "worrywart". They are the "drama" people who are always in turmoil, usually about something that has nothing to do with them. They are always telling you how sad they are about something that has happened to someone else, or may happen,or they think maybe happening. They aren't happy unless they have something to be worried about or fearful of. Have you noticed that most of the time they are not a positive person to be around? And are amazed that you don't share their feelings?

We see this on both extremes of the political spectrum People who are so consumed with one issue or position that they fail to recognize anything else. They try to frame every other issue in terms of their issue or position. Nine times out of ten, the issue they are concerned about has no direct impact on their daily lives or they have no direct control over. A little dose of reality or understanding how to care, but not worry would be beneficial to both them and us.

I don't want to be perceived as putting them down or their causes. Bless them for dedicating their lives to these positions or causes, but they need to understand and appreciate that I and others might not feel as strongly as they do. It's not that I don't care, but I don't let it consume my life. We hear of people becoming very depressed to the point of being suicidal over the recent elections in this country. The next two years or four years may not be what you envisioned or hoped for, but you still have the most say over how your life will be for the coming years. Again, knowing which battles to fight for is important if you really feel you need to change the world.

Admitting that not everyone shares you views is a good starting spot. And then determining and understanding why they hod opposing views is the next step. Any strategist will tell you that unless you fully understand the opposition, you will never have a chance to defeat them. More on that the next time.........

I am Third

       I am very active in my church, Our Lord's Lutheran Church (ELCA) and have a father and sister who are ordained Lutheran pastors.  So church has been a big part of my life.  My Dad has a poster that says "I am Third".  It  has been one of my guiding principles as is this quote: "I care, but I don't worry."  
        The I am Third" quote pertains to making God first in your life, others second, and you third. This is diametrically opposed to what I find in the nation today, where it seems that everyone is putting themselves first and everyone else a distant second. The sense of entitlement or that I am owed is exhibited everyday, and has changed the fabric of American society.  If our expectations are not met, we feel cheated and start looking for some type of re-numeration. A case in point was a story I read this week about a job fair held
by the city of Chicago.  People were angry that they were not offered jobs on the spot. Many said they waited hours only to find that various departments and agencies were advising potential applicants how to apply for available positions instead of actually hiring.  One man was quoted as saying he deserved a Wal-Mart gift card or something  for the time he had spent in line. I have participated in many job fairs during my professional career, and have never hired a new employee at the fair. The fair was a first encounter, a  place to explore opportunities with potential applicants, for them and us as a company to find out something about each other and to see if we might want to pursue further discussions.  Yes, I have left fairs with stacks of resumes and notes, and made contact with individuals immediately after the fair to  make preliminary offers, but I don't remember ever offering anyone a position at a job fair, even when we had openings we needed to fill. Job seekers asked for jobs on a regular basis, but never expected anything more than a chance to get their foot in the door. And many did that by establishing how they could be a asset for our company and what they had to offer to us, not by asking what we had to offer them.
         In his inaugural address in 1961, John F Kennedy, said ask not what your country can do for you, but what can you do for your country. My how have times changed.  With a record high number of people receiving some type of government assistance, we have created generations who now depend on government assistance in order to survive.  And now the business community in following suit. Many companies openly ask for, and expect,  government assistance before expanding or building in new location. I don't remember a single large retail location being built in our area in the past few years without a TIF or tax abatement or some kind of government assistance, all the while businesses keep racking up large profits. States and local communities routinely give these incentives without a second thought with the reasoning that if we don't someone else will and we will loose that investment, jobs, prestige, etc. And now many governments are feeling the pinch, looking to raise income taxes or other fees to make up for revenue shortfalls. Ending loopholes for everyone should be the first place to look. Somewhere in here is an argument for a flat tax structure, but I wouldn't pursue that at this time.
      The axiom, I am third, actually works in that by being unselfish and looking out for and caring for others, you will receive more.  While you are looking out for others, Someone or someones, will be noticing and looking out for you.  What goes around comes around, both good and bad. A change in attitude and some personal accountability will go along way in solving a lot of the problems this country is experiencing at this time.
     

Picking Your Fights

      Apparently we have decided as a society that we must win at all costs, and to admit defeat or making a mistake is not an option.  We see it everyday in politics and in government officials. To admit to being human, of having made a mistake, can lead to instant ridicule and in a sense, harassment, by the media, social media and the general public.
      Right up front, I would like to admit to being a human being, which means I am not perfect. Far from it. I make mistakes every day. And most of my mistakes, I can't hide from. But as one of my favorite teachers taught me,  we don't really learn when we do something right, only when we do something wrong. So I try to use each mistake a learning experience,, so hopefully I don't repeat it again, but I know I have made the same mistake on several occasions. As someone else said, I hope to learn something new everyday, and every day I learn something new is another day I have survived.  If I don't learn something new, then I have died.
       Any military tactician will also tell you that you don't need to win every battle to win a war. Knowing which battles to win is the key, and a strategic retreat can in the long run be the best option. This win at all costs mentality we see in today's politics is not a smart way to wage a war.  Quite often compromise on an issue is the way to start a long term win.  Look at MADD and their efforts to eliminate drunk driving.  When they stated they realized that they could not outlaw drink driving altogether in one fell swoop. But they have reduced drunk driving deaths, increased prison terms and increased the general stigma of being caught driving drunk over the last 30 years by taking little victories on a consistent basis.  When I first started driving, the blood alcohol limit was .16. It was first dropped to .12, then.10, then.08 (and for drivers with a CDL license .04 - which basically outlaws drinking and driving for them only beer would put them over the limit in most cases.).  True, .08 does not keep all drunk drivers off the road. There are some people who won't admit to themselves that they aren't capable of driving as twice that level, but for most of us, we don't want to endanger ourselves or others, our reputations or job, by being caught over the limit. Small victories, knowing when and where to pick their fights, a few setbacks here and there, but they have basically won the war.
      So can we agree that we don't have to dig in for every fight?  Can we agree that to compromise, get a little bit now and then come back at a later date and see if we can agree to make further changes is better for everyone than not taking any action, or a stalemate?  Can we also agree that admitting that we are not right all of the time is a sign of maturity, intelligence and strength rather than a sign of weakness and stupidity? I doubt it. In today's political climate, this is heresy. Too bad. Being afraid to compromise or admit to mistakes because of what the political consequences might be doesn't give us much of a chance to progress and succeed at anything.