I have encountered some real changes in life since retirement and made some myself. I was a staunch Republican, always adhering to the company line for years. The promises and ideals that the Party kept repeating became stale and transparent. Their thousand points of light flickered and vanished as they became millions of elderly uninsured people living in the shadows cast by corporate America. I woke up to see how I had treated people as a businessman, how businesses treat their employees and how our political representatives are little more than emissaries of those same corporations.
I remember coming here from Northern Ireland as a young boy, growing up and seeing Mom and Pop stores, family farms and saw my cousin succeed as an entrepreneur plumber. No he wasn't "Joe the Plumber", he was just Billy. Comparing my cousin with his modern day counterpart, I knew that Joe was full of it and just a shill for the political machine. I don't see those Mom and Pop store anymore and Corporate farms have replaced family farms. Our food contains God knows what chemicals but "its all good" because they say so on TV.
I grew tired of all the lies, the dirty tricks, the slander. I found myself thinking, "gee Nixon is gone but now his style of politics has been made legal!" I am now an independent/Democrat and find myself, many times, without any representation at all as the prevailing politics go either to the extreme right or too far left.
However I do know where my decisions should come from. They should be based on the truths and ideals I was taught as a boy, by my parents and in Sunday school and church. When we look at the millions of uninsured in this country, myself included, and ponder over our decision as to what Health Care plan is right for America, it should not be "what would my Party do" or "what would a businessman do". It always and only should be, "what would Jesus do?" "In so much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." (Matthew 25:40) His word was clear. I guess you could say that I have become more involved in politics but actually I have only started to become more involved in trying to give back and help others as God has helped me throughout my life. That may not be our civic duty but it is clearly our moral duty. I believe it is both if this is truly, "One nation, under God".
To some my posting today may seem somewhat a repeat of my prior posts, however that verse in Matthew rings so true. It is so crystal clear that if there is one chance a passing reader should see it once, twice or maybe even again, their conscience will speak to to them and they will find truth and change their minds.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Thank you for your kind, insightful, and generous post. It has been a change in the last decades, hasn't it? If you haven't read "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, I think you will find it very relevant to what you are saying. I know it has been even more of an eyeopener to me than I had already received. Kathryn Lobert
Well said, sir.
As a left-leaner myself, who is saddened by the lack of resolve and the moral degradation pursued by the current administration, the dilemma is grievous. But it surely doesn't help that the Dems can pretend to be doing the right thing simply by comparing themselves to Reps.
A thoroughly despoiled party on the right and a group of imposters on the left who in reality are the Democratic wing of the Republican party.
"We shall endeavor to persevere."
W. CHurchil
Post a Comment