And Counting
I have removed “Bienvenidos, Mi Casa Es Su Casa” for the season, replacing it with a tin pumpkin, which says welcome; still hanging is the welcome to the garden porcelain sign, which will not come down until the Merry Christmas takes its place on the arbor. Missing, are the campaign placards which announce who I am supporting and plan to vote for, in fact, they are not only missing from my yard, but in general, this seems to be the election where only empty lots are touting prospective candidates.
After the 2008 elections, I remember sitting through several Republican Party meetings, with Kate and Nour, as various local officials tried to rally the troops. Repeatedly, they all spoke of the mid-term elections, as the prize for us to keep our eye on. Lick your wounds and get ready to reemerge more powerful and energized. Okay, it sounded like a plan; but even then I kept wondering who it was that we were going to support?
In Florida, during the last year, we have seen everyone from city officials, to municipal and state wide leaders charged with corruption, which is directly related to their elected offices. Our gubernatorial candidates are both running commercials about how corrupt their opponents are, and about how many criminal charges were filed against the companies which they each ran. Our candidates for the senate include our present governor, who upon realizing he was losing his party’s vote, in the primaries, actually left the party, to become an Independent, completely disregarding the constituency who had put him power with both their hard work and financial contributions – really?
Beside the missing yard signs, my car bears no bumper stickers, except Free Cuba! It gives me no pleasure to state that I have not made a single call, in support of a candidate, nor have I written a check, sported a button, or attended a campaign rally. I do not want this to be my reality, yet, for the first time in my life; I am dreading the thought of stepping into that voting booth.
Perhaps it is excessive coverage which has driven the best and the brightest into other vocations, but is there really no one left who can withstand the scrutiny of the press, and still be a viable candidate for public office? Is there no one who is willing to get involved, without securing a talk show deal? Has altruism not survived into the twenty-first century? What happened to wanting to sit on the school board to ensure that children received the finest education, as opposed to your husband securing land development rights?
I am not opposed to the privilege which power brings. Go ahead, forgo reservations and be seated at the finest table, mix and mingle with movie stars and athletes, tour the world and let royalty entertain you; I can accept it all, as long as you remember that you sought the power to create change for your constituencies, and not to line your pockets.
We should want to make the world a better place, and I still believe that we can, but not without sacrifice. I, like millions of people around the world, sign petitions, march in demonstrations, write my public officials, and occasionally rant a bit because I believe I can make the world a better place if we boycott a nasty company or donate money to a worthy charity, or vote for the right candidate. I want so very much to urge you to action, but I truly feel paralyzed by my current choices. Who shall we support?
I cannot stay home on election day, and neglect to cast a vote; but oh how I wish I were joyfully anticipating the day, as opposed to dreading having to vote for the best of the worst!
Reading the morning headlines, quickly reminds me that the problems facing the United States are not unique to her, they are sadly rather universal. Despite what economist say, we all know that we are living in the midst of a recession, with unprecedented, widespread problems in all aspects of the financial markets. The world needs to get back to work, and it needs leadership which will facilitate the economic recovery which is vital if educational reforms are going to become a reality, if retiring war veterans are going to find jobs and not become a new generation of homeless men and women, if college graduates are going to move out of mom and dad’s house and start their own life, if healthcare is going to be affordable and available, if abandoned buildings are once again going to be occupied by small business, if crime is going to decrease instead of increase, and if empty houses are going to again become homes.
We need motivated leadership which is content to find its laurels in history. Public service should not be about profit and personal gain – we should expect and receive more. The fathers and mothers of the American Revolution had everything to lose. By and large, the majority of the leaders of Independence were people of means, who had achieved a level of comfort and respect, which should have been sufficient to motivate them to maintain the peace and status quo, rather than to risk loss of life and personal fortunes. Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock and all of their fellow revolutionaries, did not go to war in order to improve their financial standing, they ventured forward for the greater good, believing that ideas were worth dying for; and that the quality of life mattered.
I miss voting for Jerry Brown, when he was the young, hip, candidate who was dating Linda Ronstadt, I miss voting for Ronal Reagan, the older Hollywood hero, who had those smiling eyes, adored his wife and scared the bad guys, I miss voting for George W. Bush who was that guy which everyone counted out, yet he managed to marry the amazing Laura, and was not ashamed to profess his faith in God (I remember it being okay for Jimmy Carter to be a Christian, and “remove” alcohol from the White House, but boy did George pay for his faith.)
I miss my signs. I miss being excited about this election, and am instead apprehensive of what it may mean for our future. Undoubtedly, things are not as they should be. We should have individuals running for office which motivate us to not only want to put their name in our yard, but walk the streets of our neighborhood, pushing their agenda, and open our checkbooks to advance a campaign which represents our hopes and dreams!
On election day, I will go vote – I have no other choice, but I will not be wondering about those results, instead I will be thinking about 2012 – hoping that by then, at least one candidate has come forward which I can wholeheartedly support. That is all for now.
