Hi Whew! Long time to writing on a single subject. Shall we see what happens? Dad
Sour Grapes and Saddle Sores
George Hirst
Civic Loyalties October 29, 2008
Consider this: In order to be loyal Americans, we must behave as responsible citizens who perform civic duties required of us. We consider voting as a privilege, when in reality it is a duty. We fly the flag and display other signs of loyalty; in reality they are signs of obligation. We have rules and obligations on our roads and streets, we keep them at our convenience; when in reality they are intended for the safety and regulation of travel and must be obeyed at all times. I write this on Columbus Day, which is a national holiday. It is my custom to fly the flag on all holidays. Such a practice is a way of showing remembrance of events and persons who are important to our national life.
From the middle of August to now, I have explored, to my notion, the basics of the upcoming election on November Fourth. Actually several times this year I have nagged at the vital need to vote and, to vote at best as each voter understands the issues. Election Day is the matter of individual entering a voting booth and casting a ballot. The prime mover of that event is duty, not obligation. The results of those ballots cast will end in a body of people that will deal with the anger of frustrated citizens, failed plans, and overextended budgets.
The sobering of that moment is that in January, when the elected and/or reelected persons will take over the responsibility of running the nation. The promises those persons made to the voting public supposedly will begin to be used. The vital part of that statement is those persons are not alone, but must find ways to work with bodies of elected officials who made other promises.
The public will have a person who is our president, our representative, our senator, our governor and so forth. We cannot say, I did not vote for that person so I have no responsibility for the way our government is run. We must remember that majority rules and we, the people, elected that person and now must hold that person responsible to carry out the duties and repair the mess and, who will give us the change we all talked about. The change is ours to bring into being.... and yes, we can.
The individual votes that are cast now become the property of the whole. This is why each of us must vote, so that the voice of the people is seen by the elected persons as more than a mandate to keep promises made. This, I believe, is where change finds its meaning, regardless of what has been said by way of changes, the voice of the whole nation must be heard. I know that there is enough anger and frustration among us to bring in a 21st Century United States of America into being wherein wealth is seen as needed to be shared, and those who are poor are respected as persons and should find their best ways to contribute to a new nation. To be blunt, taxes are funds that provide help for all sorts of people, helping the poor, or upgrade and repair the infrastructure, or fund to help with education, or straighten out housing.
One other matter, The differences between Democrat thinking and Republican thinking during this year’s campaign have demonstrated a clear difference, and that is a good thing. When the election is over and the Federal Government settles into the new office holders, political party interests must be put aside, and public concerns need to be given first place. Every one has said, America First, and that must be so. We face big problems, there is no right or wrong but there has to be solutions that are on common ground.
Not only must we bring pressure to bear on the way elected persons who will run the government for the good of all, we, the public, must also understand that a proactive voting public must be involved. November 4th is election day, the next day we spend that energy to bring about the changes we said we needed.
More Sour Grapes and Saddle Sores
Sour Grapes and Saddle Sores
George Hirst
Civic Loyalties October 29, 2008
Consider this: In order to be loyal Americans, we must behave as responsible citizens who perform civic duties required of us. We consider voting as a privilege, when in reality it is a duty. We fly the flag and display other signs of loyalty; in reality they are signs of obligation. We have rules and obligations on our roads and streets, we keep them at our convenience; when in reality they are intended for the safety and regulation of travel and must be obeyed at all times. I write this on Columbus Day, which is a national holiday. It is my custom to fly the flag on all holidays. Such a practice is a way of showing remembrance of events and persons who are important to our national life.
From the middle of August to now, I have explored, to my notion, the basics of the upcoming election on November Fourth. Actually several times this year I have nagged at the vital need to vote and, to vote at best as each voter understands the issues. Election Day is the matter of individual entering a voting booth and casting a ballot. The prime mover of that event is duty, not obligation. The results of those ballots cast will end in a body of people that will deal with the anger of frustrated citizens, failed plans, and overextended budgets.
The sobering of that moment is that in January, when the elected and/or reelected persons will take over the responsibility of running the nation. The promises those persons made to the voting public supposedly will begin to be used. The vital part of that statement is those persons are not alone, but must find ways to work with bodies of elected officials who made other promises.
The public will have a person who is our president, our representative, our senator, our governor and so forth. We cannot say, I did not vote for that person so I have no responsibility for the way our government is run. We must remember that majority rules and we, the people, elected that person and now must hold that person responsible to carry out the duties and repair the mess and, who will give us the change we all talked about. The change is ours to bring into being.... and yes, we can.
The individual votes that are cast now become the property of the whole. This is why each of us must vote, so that the voice of the people is seen by the elected persons as more than a mandate to keep promises made. This, I believe, is where change finds its meaning, regardless of what has been said by way of changes, the voice of the whole nation must be heard. I know that there is enough anger and frustration among us to bring in a 21st Century United States of America into being wherein wealth is seen as needed to be shared, and those who are poor are respected as persons and should find their best ways to contribute to a new nation. To be blunt, taxes are funds that provide help for all sorts of people, helping the poor, or upgrade and repair the infrastructure, or fund to help with education, or straighten out housing.
One other matter, The differences between Democrat thinking and Republican thinking during this year’s campaign have demonstrated a clear difference, and that is a good thing. When the election is over and the Federal Government settles into the new office holders, political party interests must be put aside, and public concerns need to be given first place. Every one has said, America First, and that must be so. We face big problems, there is no right or wrong but there has to be solutions that are on common ground.
Not only must we bring pressure to bear on the way elected persons who will run the government for the good of all, we, the public, must also understand that a proactive voting public must be involved. November 4th is election day, the next day we spend that energy to bring about the changes we said we needed.
More Sour Grapes and Saddle Sores