I’m In A Doc Holiday State Of Mind

  You know? The good, Val Kilmer, Doc Holiday, not the lesser Quaid, Holiday.   As long time readers here, may have noticed, I haven’t been around the blogosphere so much lately. Some of the reason is, I have been blessed, to be busy, in my job.

But also because, I have truly become disillusioned with the world of politics. I began this “hobby”,  eleven years ago, and I have been pretty consistent in both my productivity, and my views.

This has found me at odds, with many people of diverse viewpoints and agendas. I have been called a right-wing nut job, and a bleeding heart liberal, sometimes, by the same people. Not because I wander all over the road in my views, but because I do not.  I find this lacking in most people, involved with politics. Either, they are completely uninformed, or their only concern is about winning this race or that race. They don’t care if the win benefits society, only about how it benefits them personally, or a family member, or their businesses.

This is at every level, from the individual voters, voting their own entitlement, be it welfare, or corporate welfare, right up to the highest office.

There is no longer discussions, only debates. There is no longer talks, only negotiations. All that remains, is jostling for position. We have lost our desire for a better way, and traded it for slogans, and broken promises. We no longer care if the idea is a good one, only which party gets credit. Or, whether we hate the idea simply because, the opposition party thought of it. Is that the American way?

Will that make America great? Ever?

So, over eleven years, I have tried to move the needle just a little, but that is for others to judge. Because of my involvement in politics, I have close friends, and people I will never talk to again, sometimes the same people. Funny that? No? Because my livelihood isn’t tied to politics, as it is for many others, I have been free to give my raw, and unvarnished opinions on any number of topics, including politics. I don’t have to alter my views in order to get re-elected, be it the candidate, or their “team”.  Their idea of team, by the way, usually ends when the paths of ideology come to a fork.

They can’t seem, to see the benefits, of finding the best path together, that we are stronger together. Instead this winner takes all mentality, has consumed our political system. The life of this nation, is like a road, forever moving forward ahead of the people. Our Founders set us upon this road, and prayed their “Posterity“, would be able to hold to the road. Knowing we would wander from side to side at times, but always pulling back to the safety of the center.

Today, those in charge, or, who want to be in charge, are constantly pulling hard to the left, or hard to the right. It matters little who wins, because the only thing on the far left, or the far right of the road, are ditches.

This is why it has become impossible to have an honest and open discussion of anything. It is always, “black/white, up/down, yes/no, left/right.” No longer do we attempt to inform, in our give and take, it is about who you align with, and have they said the right things?

This is not news to anyone. This makes it, that much more infuriating. We know this, and we accept it. When, if the people truly wanted change, they would vote in much larger numbers. The laziest, are those who cry about term limits. “Oh I can’t get off the couch right now to go vote, just make term limits and all will be better.”  

That is why I have been writing less and less. I have been over the same ground so many times, with so many different people, and the machine continues to pump out intellectually vacant, political robots, or POLBOTS.

So I have, like Doc Holiday, who accepted the inevitability of his on coming death of tuberculosis, or at the hand of a faster gun. I have accepted, people right now, just don’t care beyond the tip of their political noses. The most active, activist, is more concerned with their personal agenda, rather than the betterment of the nation, as a whole.

In Holiday’s  resignation, he simply sat having a shave on the front porch, waiting for Ringo to come along and say something stupid.

It seems, I too have been sitting on the porch, waiting for some, “Ringo,” to come along and say something stupid.  Over the years I have always stood my ground, I have admitted my changing view-point on single issues, as I have grown and learned. I have, and will always, argue for what I believe, not to be popular, but to, in my hopes, find a better way.

We recently lost one of our original guest, Rick,  both here at Delaware Right, and on my old blog, Politically Frank, has passed away. I have to be honest, I only met Rick once, at the Sussex GOP meeting following the 2010 election, where the more conservative wing of the party walked out, including myself. I know nothing about Rick personally. I know he, like myself, was a regular callers to local talk radio. I know his opinions on politics, opinions I have shared, and those I have disagreed with. Rick and I had seen the days when we were lock-step, and lately we had been on completely different pages because of President Trump. But if he had lived longer, I am almost positive we would have, once again, found common ground.

And while, once in a while our, “discussions”, would devolve into a bit of snarking here and there, for the most part I believe we still respected each other. I will miss our discussions.          Even though, they were circular. You see, I am guilty of that which I complain. I believe I am right, and at times, I refuse to see beyond my being right. The question has to become, not whether I am right, but what is best overall for society?

Ask yourself.