Food for Thought

[AMMOCAN]

Recently, I had an epiphany, which may or may not have something to do with becoming older and what I have had to experience/endure over these last couple years, but regardless I would like to share with all of those who read this my thoughts.

Like the majority of those from my generation and those from the generations that followed, I grew up oblivious to the importance that politics and government has on our lives. During my teen years I was exposed to politics and government largely due because of my grandmother Charlsie and my father, which in return I gained respect for politics and government. However, I still didn’t take too much interest or liking to it because to me at the time it seemed like a lot of unnecessarily drama, which still can be viewed that way today, and considering the fact that I wasn’t even old enough to vote yet I like most teenagers was more concerned about living in the moment and living that moment to it’s fullest.

It wasn’t until I was 17 and felt my calling to join the military, when I started to take notice how important it was to voice your opinion and vote as a citizen of the United States on the issues being brought forward. The reason for this wasn’t so much that I was now selflessly devoting myself to protect our freedoms and humanity of the World, but that for the first time in my life I was personally able to see, feel, and understand the affects that a political and governmental decision had not only on myself, but on my family, friends, and fellow Americans. Still, even then the general consensus was that all you had to do in order to do your part, as an American was vote, which I believe is still the perception that most American’s have today. However, over the past four years it has become increasingly clearer that type of marginal investment and activity by Americans isn’t going to cut it in the world we live in today. Americans voted the Obama administration into office on the pretenses of ‘Change and Hope’, and we can all see how well that has worked out. No longer can we as Americans simply vote for what or whom we think will do what we believe needs to be done and then go about our business thinking we did enough/our part. One thing is for certain, we as Americans do need ‘Change and Hope’, but it is us who need to make a change and it is us who need to have hope, and it is only us collectively who can make that happen by being vigilant, responsible, and invested in our families, ourselves, and in our future as a country.

Regardless if you simply define yourself as being a Republican, Democrat, Independent, etc., we are all in the same boat together fighting to stay afloat. Recalling from my child hood and from what my elders were discussing at the time, there use to be a time where there was a clear distinction between political parties and their views for which a citizen could easily align and associate themselves with. However, that is no longer the case, as every political party is now made up with individuals whose views are no longer so straightforward, precise, and clear as they once were. An example of this is if President Reagan, who he himself was a Democrat initially growing up and then later switched to the Republican Party, was alive today would be considered as a Liberal Republican according to the present political view points/standards of today. So, what does this mean? This means, that we as Americans can no longer allow ourselves to be close-minded and to let the designation of a political party divide one another. We must allow ourselves to be open-minded and to come together as a nation. Regardless of your political viewpoint / ideology, when it’s all done and said I can guarantee you that you will find that there are far more greater things that we as Americans can agree on than there is that we can not. So, it is important that we not let the politicians and government officials divide this great nation of ours any further with their own selfish party/class war, and instead work together as Americans to accomplish all the things we agree on and to work out our minute differences.

In order to do this, we have to open our minds, be vigilant, responsible, and invested in our families, ourselves, and in the future of our country. This means no longer can we simply just vote for who we think is the closest to carrying out and ensuring that our own interests and viewpoints will be taken care of and addressed, and then just carry on with our lives feeling we did our part. It is time that we as Americans unite and have an invested eye and hand on those who are appointed into office. We need to ensure that it is a political interest and benefit to do the right thing, and a political non-interest to do the wrong thing. Right now, you have politicians of all political parties who spend most of their time in office working on and figuring out how to stay in office or how to get elected to a different office instead of doing the job they were appointed to do. Why, because we as Americans have allowed it. Right now, we have politicians of all political parties talking about we need to cut this and we need to cut that, which at some point or another are things than can very well affect us or someone we know, but yet not once do any of them mention anything about how much money they can save our country if they themselves were to cut or reform their own wages and benefits. Why, because once again we as Americans have allowed it.

Today, I still view politics/government in the same light, as I did when I was a teenager, in that I don’t like it and I think it is a lot of unnecessary drama. However, unlike when I was a teenager, today I truly see, feel, and believe the importance and affect that politics and our government has on our lives. In saying that, I strongly believe that we as Americans can no longer sit back and watch things unfold as if it is some new reality T.V. series. I think it is every Americans responsibility to actively take part in ensuring that America has a united voice of it’s people, us, as in the United States, United We Stand, keyword being UNITED. It is important more than ever for each and everyone of us to start becoming more involved with the things that have such an enormous affect on our lives because if we continue to just stand by, then we will continue to let ourselves be divided and feel the affects of decisions made by individuals.

I am sure some of you or most all of you have heard about the Occupy “Fill in the Blank” protestors. Whether you are or are not in support of them and what they are doing, there is one thing we can all learn from them and that is the personal investment they are taking and committing to what it is they believe and are in support of. It is that type of spirit, investment, and vigilant activity that formed this great country of ours and it is about time we the people once again stand UNITED and get this country back on track because if we don’t do it then who will? It is clear that those who are currently in office regardless of what political party they are affiliated with are inept to do so and I am not just talking about those in Washington D.C., but throughout this whole country we have individuals in office who are failing us all miserably.

I encourage everyone to find ways to be more involved and to do more than just simply voting in order to make a difference and to voice your opinion as an American. Whether this be by writing to your local, State, or Federal politicians, calling them, going to their office, getting the media involved, starting a blog, actively participating in elections, or running for office yourself, etc. The idea and point is to try and become part of the solution and not the problem. Everyday decisions are being made or NOT being made that have an affect on your life and there is no reason why you or anyone else should feel they have no choice but to sit back and let that happen.

In closing, for someone who doesn’t care much for politics I see it as my American right and duty to ensure that my voice is heard and I wouldn’t refrain from the possibility that one day given the right circumstances, that I myself will run for office.

[sombo]

[AMMOCAN]

Thanx for taking the time to read it.