In an era that has had the tone set by the wrong thing, I've got to have a lot of respect for those that stand up and do the right thing. Let's face it; no one can do the right thing all the time. But, we've really got to hand it to people that do the right thing just because it's the right thing to do. I know to some it might sound like preaching, but I'm no preacher and I'm definately not a saint. Still, I was raised by parents that truly believed that the right thing was always the right thing to do. Sometimes, the right thing is not so black and white as we would like to believe. Sometimes, the grey areas are more right than white, and even sometimes worse than black. Perhaps, the concept that it is hard is what keeps all people from doing what's "right"--afterall, how many times have you heard someone say: "It's a hard line to tow." It really isn't. The "right" thing should be as simple for all of us as rolling out of bed in the morning.
We've watched for years while politicians ramble on about how honest they are; none of us believe it. It's like a joke when any candidate for office says they're honest. In the backs of our minds, no matter who the candidate, we all wonder, "how honest?" The last Presidential election, in my opinion, had the two most honest candidates that we've ever had run in opposition to each other. John McCain pulls no punches when it comes to his opinion. Barack Obama, although I'm not a fan, does believe in what he's saying and believes everything that he's trying to sell is for the long term best. Not sure that President Obama has the understanding that there's a time and place for everything, and although he might have the right ideas, he definately, plans or no plans, has the wrong timing.
Still, as we watch the current election unfold, I'm reminded that even the best intentions go astray. Several years ago, Congress tried to get a bill passed President GW Bush that would suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus for anyone arrested under suspicion of terrorism--including American citizens. (For those of you that need a refresher from high school government class, the Writ of Habeas Corpus says that no one can be detained indefinately and provides a time limit for any detention to be ceased if charges are not brought in front of a judge before the limit expires. Typically, this is around 48 hours.) GW, being someone that was raised his whole life to believe in our rights as Americans, refused to sign the bill and vetoed it. A couple months ago, that same clause was force fed to Congress by Obummer, and it was signed it into law right around Christmas time when none of us, least of all the media, was paying attention. All I could think at the time I read the small misplaced article in the back of a newspaper was, 'So this is how democracy dies.'
So perhaps we overlook our own complacency. Keeping quiet or no action can be worse than doing the wrong thing. The truth is that we've watched politicians give themselves more pork bellies, and never said a word. Those pork belllies are forever--think about it. Would you give up the ability to write as many bounced checks as you like with no penalties, no fees, and no consequences? Would you give up 100% free health insurance with the best doctors in the world? Would you give up huge salaries? Would you give up lifelong dividends? Would you give up "free" vacations on other peoples' backs? (Yes, when I put it that way, I do mean to shock you back to reality.) However, we are the ones that have allowed all this nonsense. We, even if it were our great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, who allowed it initially, we continue to allow it. We don't blink as they increase our taxes. We b*tch at the bar or at the television newscaster from the comfort of our Lazy Boys. But we do nothing. Worse yet, we eventually vote the same morons back into office.
I'm wondering perhaps, what if life began to focus on doing what is right for all instead of what we thought was right for ourselves. Let's face it--how many times can any of us say that we cut someone off in traffic? We do it. We all do it--sometimes because we mean to because we feel we are that much more in a hurry than anyone else, sometimes because we are on the phone or talking to a passenger, or sometimes simply because we aren't that great of a driver that day (or any other day for that matter). It's not the right thing to do, and even the worst offenders know it. But sometimes, we do it anyway. Why? Because we can. We don't choose to hold ourselves in the moment at the higher standard of not cutting someone off. I'm terribly guilty of this for someone that holds myself to a ridiculously high standard the rest of the time.
My Grams used to say I lived in a rose-colored bubble. I suppose. I like to think that everyone truly has the best interests of everyone around them. However, I've been around long enough now to know that is simply naive, perhaps even a little stupid. I've watched people over the years (politicians being the best example) that truly like to talk the talk, but never seem to walk the walk. Newt Gingrich asked his second wife for an open marriage. Do we believe her? Of course we do!! Yet, he toots himself off as the epitome of conservative?!?! No wonder we don't particularly trust conservatives. How is stepping out of his marriage a conservative thing to do? I like to think that if a person can put on the innocent act as Newt is now that they had damn well walk the walk they keeping on talking the talk about. Political debates are no the place for Newt's personal life--although questioning his conservative stance from the point of view of what he asks others to do should be. Flip a coin whether it's appropriate or not. Life is not all black and white.
We talk a lot about wanting people to do the right thing, but seems like very few of us understand that the right thing is for the good of the whole. Perhaps, President Obama does believe that all his wasteful spending on solar companies is for the betterment (I'm pretty sure he does) and looks at the loss of money the cost of trying to improve the environment. But was it for the better of the whole? What is the real issue at hand? He didn't focus on the real issues--the economy, jobs, tax cuts, and pork belly cuts--things that really might have helped. His personal agendas got in the way. So in his case, the right thing from his point of view was still the wrong thing for the times. When we ask our politicians to do the right thing, we have to ask ourselves, when is the last time we did the right thing? The real things are almost always clouded by smoke screens and rhetoric, whether we're listening to the Presidential candidates or the gossip around the neighborhood.
So how do we know and how do we hold anyone accountable for doing the right thing? Perhaps, it's my little rose-colored bubble. I hope it's innate since I know some of us really do try to do the right thing regardless. So, I have to believe that we all know the right thing--even the politicians. It's simply a question of doing it. Of course, that brings us full circle. How do we know they are honest enough to be about the United States of America as a whole--no liberal, no democrat, no conservative, no republican agendas? Well, the political system isn't going to change according to the Supreme Court, so I believe it is up to us to pay attention when we vote and choose the one that we believe will get the job done instead of the one who claims they will. All I can say at that is: Good luck figuring that one out.
