We've all seen the State of the Union, State of the State, and various other updates by political leaders. But what if we take a moment and look at the State of Politics in our country right now. I'm not in politics and am not a professional political researcher so this is just an ordinary guy's view of several issues going on in the political arena right now and my thoughts on them.
TERM LIMITS
Some people are for term limits, some people are against them. Honestly, I can see it both ways. While the term, "career politician," has almost become derogatory, some people really are good lawmakers and use their influence to accomplish a lot of good. But on the other hand, some people abuse that power and allow themselves to become corrupt and get out of touch with the real world and the very people they were elected to represent. So what should we do?
What if we did what churches have done with deacons and many non-profits do with their boards? You serve one or two terms and then must rotate off for one term prior to being able to rotate or be voted back on. It allows and encourages others to step up and serve during your absence. And it allows for what one person wrote recently, the sharing of new and innovative ideas. I believe that a balance such as this would allow for enough continuity and experience to allow government to function the way it should while allowing newcomers to get elected, voice their opinions, and share ideas on a prominent platform.
LOCAL PARTY ELECTIONS
In the most recently held primary elections on June 12th, residents of Union County were left with a difficult choice. With how the candidates ran based on party, they were essentially left with the choice of voting for their next County Treasurer via the Democratic primary or their next Statehouse Representative via the Republican primary. It became even more complex for residents of Jonesville with their County Council seat on the line in the Democratic primary as well. It's an issue that really should be resolved. Aside from the fact that residents were unable to have a say in one of these offices, let's consider how odd it sounds that your Sheriff or Supervisor should be forced to declare a political party upon their candidacy. Don't the top law enforcement and CEO need to be completely unbiased based on political beliefs. I believe it's this perception of high ranking officials favoring one party over the other that is causing significant turmoil in the FBI and DOJ right now on the national level. Let's fix this locally if we can find a way state legislators.
CORE VALUES
Way too many in politics have become political puppets and are no longer true statesmen. Pop culture tends to talk about what's hot, what's trending, or what's popular today. Statesmen are to have strong, solid, core values which can be seen in their daily actions that define who they are. Politics shouldn't be about today's headlines, it should be about tomorrow's results. It makes me angry to see elected officials (both locally and nationally) make statements or posture a stance on an issue just because it sounds good or will help them get more votes instead of taking a stand for what really needs to be accomplished. Hypocrisy is running rampant right now and I want to see consistency. Any ballplayer will tell you that he can deal with a bad umpire as long as he's consistent. If you want to hold a political office, examine yourself before examining the office. Ask others to examine and critique you. Know yourself, your beliefs, and your vision and then stand for them.
This does not mean that you may never change your mind on an issue. Sometimes we grow personally or learn new information and we do change our stance and our beliefs. This means that we are consistent and true though and that when/if there is a change you tell people about it and explain why. Sometime the "why" matters more than the "what."
RUSSIA & THE 2016 ELECTION
Did Russia attempt to influence America's 2016 presidential election? Probably so. In case you haven't noticed, our entire planet is now extremely connected and we can communicate and transport data and goods faster and more reliably than at any time in history. That being said, did Russia meddle in the election? It's likely. Do I blame them? No. Americans should be concerned who the elected leaders are of countries that we do business with, share information with, and could potentially end up at war with. If the Russians hacked voting machines, they need to be dealt with harshly. But based on the information I've been able to gather thus far, the only thing that can be proven is that they posted "ads" on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites. I wonder how effective that was...maybe tomorrow at work, instead of actually doing work, I should just tweet my boss pictures of myself, my computer, my desk and some really good hashtags to see if that gets me a raise. Sound like an effective plan? I don't think so either.
Since we've mentioned foreign countries and their possible influence on presidential candidates, let's consider a couple things:
1. Did Donald Trump have information, assist with, or know that Russia was attempting to influence the presidential election? I don't know. There's been a year and half investigation by who should be the best of the best that has not proven that. At what point does that investigation stop spending tax payer dollars?
2. Does Hillary Clinton qualify as a valid presidential candidate after confirmed receipts of funds from foreign nations under the umbrella of the Clinton Foundation ($1 Million from Qatar) which went undisclosed during her time as Secretary of State?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Politicians do not have an easy job. They have tons of decisions to make, responsibilities, and requests from numerous voters, businesses, and constituents. I do not envy their position (which is partly why I did not run this year). They also have a responsibility to their family and hopefully to their Lord and Savior. No matter the office, we must remember that these people were willing to put their personal lives out in the open, to put their reputations on the line, and to put themselves on the chopping block in an effort to SERVE. If they have any motivation besides that, then they have no business being in politics. If you've run or are considering running, make sure you're doing it for the right reasons - to make the world a better place by making the area you serve a better place. If it's about money, power, or prestige, I ask that you leave your name off the ballot.
TERM LIMITS
Some people are for term limits, some people are against them. Honestly, I can see it both ways. While the term, "career politician," has almost become derogatory, some people really are good lawmakers and use their influence to accomplish a lot of good. But on the other hand, some people abuse that power and allow themselves to become corrupt and get out of touch with the real world and the very people they were elected to represent. So what should we do?
What if we did what churches have done with deacons and many non-profits do with their boards? You serve one or two terms and then must rotate off for one term prior to being able to rotate or be voted back on. It allows and encourages others to step up and serve during your absence. And it allows for what one person wrote recently, the sharing of new and innovative ideas. I believe that a balance such as this would allow for enough continuity and experience to allow government to function the way it should while allowing newcomers to get elected, voice their opinions, and share ideas on a prominent platform.
LOCAL PARTY ELECTIONS
In the most recently held primary elections on June 12th, residents of Union County were left with a difficult choice. With how the candidates ran based on party, they were essentially left with the choice of voting for their next County Treasurer via the Democratic primary or their next Statehouse Representative via the Republican primary. It became even more complex for residents of Jonesville with their County Council seat on the line in the Democratic primary as well. It's an issue that really should be resolved. Aside from the fact that residents were unable to have a say in one of these offices, let's consider how odd it sounds that your Sheriff or Supervisor should be forced to declare a political party upon their candidacy. Don't the top law enforcement and CEO need to be completely unbiased based on political beliefs. I believe it's this perception of high ranking officials favoring one party over the other that is causing significant turmoil in the FBI and DOJ right now on the national level. Let's fix this locally if we can find a way state legislators.
CORE VALUES
Way too many in politics have become political puppets and are no longer true statesmen. Pop culture tends to talk about what's hot, what's trending, or what's popular today. Statesmen are to have strong, solid, core values which can be seen in their daily actions that define who they are. Politics shouldn't be about today's headlines, it should be about tomorrow's results. It makes me angry to see elected officials (both locally and nationally) make statements or posture a stance on an issue just because it sounds good or will help them get more votes instead of taking a stand for what really needs to be accomplished. Hypocrisy is running rampant right now and I want to see consistency. Any ballplayer will tell you that he can deal with a bad umpire as long as he's consistent. If you want to hold a political office, examine yourself before examining the office. Ask others to examine and critique you. Know yourself, your beliefs, and your vision and then stand for them.
This does not mean that you may never change your mind on an issue. Sometimes we grow personally or learn new information and we do change our stance and our beliefs. This means that we are consistent and true though and that when/if there is a change you tell people about it and explain why. Sometime the "why" matters more than the "what."
RUSSIA & THE 2016 ELECTION
Did Russia attempt to influence America's 2016 presidential election? Probably so. In case you haven't noticed, our entire planet is now extremely connected and we can communicate and transport data and goods faster and more reliably than at any time in history. That being said, did Russia meddle in the election? It's likely. Do I blame them? No. Americans should be concerned who the elected leaders are of countries that we do business with, share information with, and could potentially end up at war with. If the Russians hacked voting machines, they need to be dealt with harshly. But based on the information I've been able to gather thus far, the only thing that can be proven is that they posted "ads" on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites. I wonder how effective that was...maybe tomorrow at work, instead of actually doing work, I should just tweet my boss pictures of myself, my computer, my desk and some really good hashtags to see if that gets me a raise. Sound like an effective plan? I don't think so either.
Since we've mentioned foreign countries and their possible influence on presidential candidates, let's consider a couple things:
1. Did Donald Trump have information, assist with, or know that Russia was attempting to influence the presidential election? I don't know. There's been a year and half investigation by who should be the best of the best that has not proven that. At what point does that investigation stop spending tax payer dollars?
2. Does Hillary Clinton qualify as a valid presidential candidate after confirmed receipts of funds from foreign nations under the umbrella of the Clinton Foundation ($1 Million from Qatar) which went undisclosed during her time as Secretary of State?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Politicians do not have an easy job. They have tons of decisions to make, responsibilities, and requests from numerous voters, businesses, and constituents. I do not envy their position (which is partly why I did not run this year). They also have a responsibility to their family and hopefully to their Lord and Savior. No matter the office, we must remember that these people were willing to put their personal lives out in the open, to put their reputations on the line, and to put themselves on the chopping block in an effort to SERVE. If they have any motivation besides that, then they have no business being in politics. If you've run or are considering running, make sure you're doing it for the right reasons - to make the world a better place by making the area you serve a better place. If it's about money, power, or prestige, I ask that you leave your name off the ballot.
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