Doubling Down

Just when you thought you have heard it all, more comes out… and it is not good.  At times it has us all shaking our heads in disbelief that a statement has been made that is as far from the truth as all get out.  And even when confronted with the truth, they insist that what was said is what they are going to stay with.  For some of them there is no walking it back or a change of heart from their earliest opinion.  And even when pressed as time goes by, they become more tenacious, zealous or resolute in their position.  Sadly, this is where much of our 21^st century of politics and civic discourse have come to. 

Today, it appears that more people who are running for some sort of public office are more interested in playing to their base of supporters then trying to appeal to a much boarder base of American voters.  Instead of working on addressing the issues that concern most residents, people would rather “play the game of politics” than finding solutions to everyday problems.   It is no wonder that so many people have lost faith in our modern day political system and with the people who are representing them at various levels of government.  

In some communities, residents are sick and tired of the politics as usual and are looking for candidates who are listening to solve local needs for better jobs, better schools, more health services and economic opportunities.  Local residents are not interested in who gets the credit from working on their problems, they are only interested in knowing that their issues are being worked on.

No matter how any of us see it, cut it or feel about it, each of our communities deserve better support than what they are getting.  Residents who feel that they are locked out of the process must remain actively engaged in holding those in office more accountable.  And as the old saying goes… “If you keep on doing what you are doing, then you will keep on getting what you are getting.”  It’s time for a change and we should learn how to take our stand and demand better.     

Missing The Point?

Nothing is more liberating than learning the truth about something that has been portrayed as something totally different.  It is shocking at first, hard to digest or get your mind wrapped around the idea of what you have learned.  But as time passes and more details emerge, a light of reason appears and what now stand are only the facts and they speak for themselves.  With this “new revelation” of news we see that so many people who once jumped at the chance to react negatively, have now grown silent and faded away.  

    

It is quiet incredible that so many people get caught up in the emotions of an event, that they don’t see or think things through.  This just does not occur at the grass root level of our society, it also occurs at each level of our political system, government and private sector.  This is the inability to “see the forest for the trees.” Sometimes we get too involved in the details of a problem and not able to look at the situation as a whole.  In other words, we are so close to the situation that we can’t see a way out or listen to other ideas.  Remarkably, there is always a need to take a step back and gain some perspective.

Of course there are others who simply do not care about gaining some perspective or involving others in the process to find the best way forward. They are only interested in getting things done their way or the highway.  They work to find ways to circumvent the system, leave others out of the loop or to go at it alone.  Their interest is always a personal agenda and believe they have the right to do what they do.    

But what is so troubling about it all, is the fact that so much is at stake when other lives are affected.  For nothing good can come from decisions done in a vacuum and when there is a disregard of input from other stakeholders. What is needed these days are people with interpersonal skills that not only listen, understand, but also see what is possible.