I have had an inclination in the past to let politics get the best of me. I'm very passionate about our country, our planet - our species - and the way we treat each other, and as such I tend to get far too caught up in the moment. The past year or so I've taken a step back away from it all to get more aquainted with my own personal views...trying to live my own life, so to speak.
Our leaders, be they judges, Senators or Mayors have hard jobs - most try to do their best, but some of them are not very good people when you get right down to it...some of them are rather dispicable folks, hungry for power. Others have admirable intentions, but all too soon they all get caught up in the 'reality' of politics...and eventually they let someone down somewhere and it all gets blown out of proportion.
I think a big part of the problem is that people look to politics more and more for their entertainment. Senators are celebrities; people can't wait to turn on their TV to hear how Republican so-and-so slammed Democrat so-and-so. Ooh! Snap! It's pathetic, really. These men and women were elected to do a job - part of which is not to entertain us with popularity contests and witty arguments. Politics has become the new reality TV where the common person tunes in to get their daily dose of drama to fill a void in what is an otherwise uninteresting life. That's a broad generalization, but it's an observation I've made that I feel very comfortable with.
I've come to accept the fact that no elected official is ever going to stand for and represent all of the things that I as an individual want to see. I'm so far left that it's very unlikely that I'll ever exist in a political system I truly enjoy.
I'd love to see taxes high enough to ensure that everyone gets a quality education, with a focus on arts, music and real history as well as math, sports and literature. I believe every citizen should get four years of college - just because they are citizens.
I would like to see universal medical coverage for everyone. I'll take that one step further and say that I'd also like to see all private medical institutions become non-profit organizations so the revenue they do make is all put back into better quality care and facilities.
And by citizens, I don't just mean Americans - I'm talking about the world. I am a global citizen, like all of you.
I think the food industry, water, electricity - all of these should be non-profit. I feel it's unethical to make a profit off of Earth's resources. We all live here - this is our planet - we are natives, with nowhere else to go. This entire world belongs to all of us, and it's shameful to me that we do not do a better job of making sure that all of us benefit equally from the resources that exist on our home - seemingly because we choose not to, not because we are incapable of doing so.
In that respect, I believe this should be a world without political borders. None of us are 'aliens' or 'illegal'. We are human beings, trying to make the best lives we can on the world we come from - the world that rightfully belongs to all of us. No one will ever convince me that we should not be able to go wherever we please, unrestrained.
As far as abortion, ugh, I'm a man and I think that pretty much disqualifies me from the debate. I'm also gay, which distances me even further. But I do have an opinion, and it's simple: If you don't like abortions, then don't have one. Shut up and get your nose and prying eyes out of the personal lives of others. Don't you have issues in your own life and family to deal with?
In the end, it's up to us to make our own lives the best we can. Unfortunately we give our power away to others to make rules and decisions for us, and it's shameful really. Representative government can and should work, but it never will as long as the same people keep representing only themselves over and over and over. Can we get some term limits up in here, please?
All in all I feel President Obama is doing a fine job. Is he doing a great job? I don't think it's possible to a 'great' job as an elected official - but by no means is he doing badly. I'm happy, even satisfied, because he is doing far better than I could under that kind of pressure.
If you're not happy, not satisfied - if you feel you could do a better job, then by all means please do. Go ahead and put your life and your family on the line for something you believe in. Just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. If you're not in politics to make the world a better place, for everyone, equally, then **** off and let those who want to lead the world forward do their job.
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