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Posted By: sandre on 2007-10-22
In Reply to: No posts regarding war, poverty, health care.... - Observer
Thank you for the input. Perhaps with your pointing out the errors of our ways, we will be more able to meet your standards of what we should post.
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I appreciate your feedback....sm
I agree with everything you said, except I'm afraid we will be canceling out each other's vote in November! However, the reason you gave is right on and the best one around. You vote you conscience. I wish there were more posters on the board like you, who simply get to the point minus all the vitriolic rhetoric. Bipartisanship begins with respectful disagreements.
With regard to the race issue, don't get too discouraged, regardless of how hopeless things may look. Embracing all fellow Americans and living by example is an excellent start. Try to keep in mind just how far we have come in the past 50 years.
In my lifetime, the N-word was all around everywhere, perfectly acceptable in any setting. Blacks stood at the back of the bus, used separate restrooms and water fountains, were barred from elevators, segregated in restaurants, schools and residence and NEVER shopped anywhere in the white sections of town.
At least these days, the degree of discrimination has been markedly reduced and has sort of become more monolithic. It is constantly changing its face...sometimes against blacks still, other times against immigrants, then gays and the like. The struggle for equality has almost completely eliminated the discrimination against women, with a few notable exceptions, but not so very long ago, that was pretty ugly, too. When the incidents do occur, there are legal remedies in place to allow for legal challenge and, while they do not always succeed, at least there is that avenue.
That may not sound like enough, but the progress has been HUGE, in retrospect. As the saying goes, life is a journey, not a destination. All you can do is all you can do and, when it gets right down to it, we just have to continue to keep our eyes on the prize.
A liffle feedback on
Kaydie, I am going to gently suggest to you that if you realize that much of your fear is rooted in the articles you read, then take a retreat from them temporarily...or at least broaden the scope of your reading to include some different views. That is difficult, I know, but I have found that the more open minded I am, the less fearful I become. I try to put myself in somebody else's shoes and imagine I am them. If I have difficulty with it, I ask them for guidance so I can understand the thought pattern and where they are coming from. It makes for more respectful debate when the occasions arise.
I support Obama. Of course I am concerned about what is going on. There is plenty to be worried about. For that reason I do not "borrow worry" (the way my own father advised)....do not take on or create more worry than is already there. For the things that I consider most important, I research history, current views, pros and cons in policies, etc. I try not to get myself stuck in a particular mind set, but rather leave myself open to change and keep my thinking fluid, so to speak.
Perfect is WAY more than I expect. People make mistakes, especially when they are entering uncharted waters. You know how it goes...if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Insanity if doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. What I see in Obama is the same thought form I have just described. He is open minded, seeks advice from many, entertains all sorts of opposing views, formulates policy decisively and I truly believe he strives for perfection, and is willing to admit mistakes and to be innovative in his approach to things. I also believe this is PRECISELY what our country needs, given the gravity of our circumstances.
Perhaps the most valuable advise your dad gave you was about learning to adapt. I am turning 60 this year. I would not have gotten this far had I not been able to roll with the punches....and there were plenty along the way. For me, the Bush world was a real challenge. I watched the country turn into something that in my whole life I had never seen before. I sincerely hope your experience under Obama will not be as difficult. Learning to adapt under these circumstances builds plenty of character and equips you for all sorts of other challenges you will face along the way with you family life, jobs, social life and the like. One day at a time is a really good place to start.
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