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Jul 30, 2016

Broken



Former President George W. Bush gave a speech at the Dallas police memorial.

A statement he made really stood out to me and resonates with something I've been struggling with internally for several months. Even years. More so now, than ever.


Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions.


I've had this struggle of judging broken people when they're at the worse. When they've hit rock bottom. When they need me [you] the most. 


We also do that as a country here in the United States of America. We judge people when they are completely broken.

The last two weeks, I watched the Republican National Conventional aka the 'RNC' and the Democratic National Convention aka the 'DNC'. 

In my 30ish years of living, this is the first political convention coverage I have watched in full. I don't have any to compare it to. I was never into politics but my interest has increased in the last few years. However, now, as a young adult with a home, a business, a community, a State and a country I love so dearly, I want to be more involved and informed.

After Hillary gave her speech Thursday evening and many late nights staying up to watch the keynote speakers, I woke up yesterday morning after the DNC was over with and thought to myself, okay, now it's time to get back to my regular scheduled programming

But what's regular scheduled programming? The time between Memorial Day, the 4th of July and political conventions? A time where we forget our Patriotism and our civic duties as a United States citizen? Is regular scheduled programming when we temporarily stop caring until we need to again? Is regular scheduled programming the day after the 4th of July when most people take their American flags back down?

Needless to say, like most of the country, I am disappointed in the way both parties turned these conventions into a contest. However, if you talk to someone who has been following politics forever, supposedly it's always been like this. Things just seem exceptionally bad. The name calling. The finger pointing. There are so many issues going on in the world right now and no one is going to be able to fix them over night. I know more about Donald Trump's and Hillary Clinton's skeletons than know about my best friend's or husband's. We dig way too deep into a politician's closet of the past.

The thing is, I don't care about Donald Trump's or Hillary Clinton's skeletons.

We put far too much pressure on our politicians to carry a perfect life.

We put far too much pressure on our politicians to be the one to fix things

Some think our political parties are broken and that they have hit rock bottom. BECAUSE we put so much emphasis on those skeletons.

However, the answer is not to abandon them during a time we are needed the most.

What would you do if your best friend or loved one was putting themselves through something so awful that no matter what you say, you can't get through to them? Do their actions make you feel guilty by association?

Do you just give up?

The answer should be no. We don't give up on people or groups because they're broken.

We must live our lives by example so we can provide a manual to help fix the broken.

My presidential candidate is not perfect. I don't expect them to be. They were once broken as we all have been. I know that if elected, they will continue to learn by example.

My beliefs are not perfect. At one time I thought they were, but as I continue to listen and learn from others, I realize we must meet in the middle. We must compromise.

We all come from many different walks of life. Of course we are going to have opposing views.

But how do we compromise on beliefs that are polar opposite?

[ w e   s i m p l y   c a n 't ]

That question leads me to believe that as a country, we may always be broken. We will never be perfect.

And that's okay.

That means we have 

freedom of speech.

But.

Those on the right have lost their freedom of speech because our beliefs are not always politically correct.

The fact that our nation was founded as 

one nation under GOD

is now considered to not be politically correct. 

What?

So now I have to worry about offending someone with the my American Flag and Christian values.

That, my friends, is what's broken.

"It is from this engagement and deliberation of opinions regarding our political processes that our democracy and freedoms are upheld. While we may not always agree, it is through a healthy exchange of perspectives and experiences that we strengthen our service to the principles that founded our great country." --Mayor Blair Milo, La Porte, Indiana 

Now it's time to go back to our regularly scheduled program. You know, the one scheduled on July 4, 1776.

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