Tag Archives: #politics

Spirituality

The Real McCoy

When someone or something is described as “the real McCoy,” it means the person or the object is genuine. No cheap fakes or counterfeits allowed.

No one knows where the saying comes from. There are three possibilities cited from history. It’s interesting because the saying has been used for decades.

Could you be described this way? If the answer is yes, then you are the real deal. Honesty and integrity are valuable. They are worth more than gold. Being a man or woman who keeps their word seems to be getting rarer and rarer. But we notice when one does.

We just had an election in the United States. Politicians continue stretching the truth to get elected. They spew so much bullshit it’s impossible to keep up with all of it. As I have written before, politicians are not role models.

Speaking the truth is easy. When someone lies they have to remember the lies they told. If you tell the truth you don’t have to concern yourself with what you told others. Liars don’t have the same luxury.

Elections come and go. The politicians seem to hang around like a chronic disease. Many of them should strive to be known as the real McCoy…

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Uncategorized, Spirituality

I Am Not Your Enemy

Election Day is tomorrow, November 3rd. Much of the country will be on edge, waiting to see if their candidate won or lost. Not me. Life will go on no matter who gets elected.

There is political divide in the United States. It seems like it gets worse every year. There are families I know of that cannot discuss politics together. This bothers me. We should be able to have healthy debates about what we believe and why we believe it. Not engaging in dialogue creates more separation.

For as long as I have lived people have argued about politics. And sports. And religion. Most of the discussions were harmless. People could disagree and then go have a drink together. Relationships were maintained. Sometimes they were strengthened.

The ones that bug me the most are the people who throw insults at others because they vote one way or another. They call people names and insult their intelligence. To me, that’s just weak. If all you have are insults and name calling, you have nothing.

We will survive the elections. We will probably thrive. Find something worthwhile to focus your energy on. Leave the bickering to the weak minded…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Wasted Energy

Why do people care so much about who people vote for? This is a personal choice and privilege. People have their reasons to support a candidate whether I agree with them or not. It’s not my business, nor is it yours.

The political season has gone from several months to every day. You go to a concert, it’s there. A talented artist believes their opinion is worth sharing with the audience. What they forget about is that half the audience may support the other side. Without fans the artists don’t have shit.

We have only so much time on this side of eternity. Only God knows our checkout date. But He has given us exactly enough time to accomplish what He created us for. Why don’t we focus our energy on the things that will get us where we are supposed to go? Fighting over a politician, any politician, is wasted energy.

Get outside. Enjoy your family. Take in everything around you. Savor this beautiful life. And when you feel the urge to lash out at someone over their politics, ask yourself why.

Go make your mark on this era you are living in. It won’t last forever, but the legacy you create will…

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Spirituality

The Judge and The Jury

The court of public opinion is alive but I don’t think it’s well. Social media has given everyone a public platform to express themselves, sometimes loudly and rudely. There is a better way.

We are in an era where some people take an opinion and state it as fact. Information comes at us so fast and no one has the time or energy to investigate all of it.

So, where does one go to separate fact from wishful thinking? You can’t trust the media anymore. And it’s futile to ask your friends and acquaintances. They might not know any more than you do. We certainly don’t want to lose friends over this.

It’s important to read history that was written by the people who lived it. Booker T. Washington wrote his autobiography and it’s fascinating. There are many others so take your pick.

Another important consideration is the ability to think critically and objectively. Approach a subject that you might know something about with the attitude that you might be wrong. It’s not a threat to test our beliefs and our convictions. It’s a healthy exercise.

People will judge you when you disagree with them. It doesn’t matter. The judgments come from those who don’t know you. And remember, it’s okay to disagree and engage in healthy conversations. Listen and learn from those who see the world differently…

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Spirituality

Coffee or Tea?

Which do you prefer in the morning, coffee or tea? Personally, I’m a coffee drinker. I love the smell and the taste. Tea is nice, it’s just not for me.

The point of today’s column is, we are all different. We are uniquely created and wired in our own special ways. As long as we are living a moral and ethical life, there is no right or wrong.

Along with our drink preferences, we see the world differently. We combine logic and feelings to create our perceptions. As we learn more in this life, we are able to adapt and evolve. Only the closed-minded are rigid in their beliefs.

The more we engage with our fellow man, the clearer we see the world. People are important. All people. The good in the heart of mankind transcends politics. Yet for some reason, some have decided to draw a line in the sand over political differences. You can miss so much when you do this.

Look for the good in others. You will find what you’re looking for. Every time…

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Spirituality

Information

When we were children, we went to school to learn not only information and knowledge, but how to apply them. We were taught how to think.

The amount of information thrown our way every waking moment is staggering. Who has time for all of it? This is where discernment comes into play. We must decide what is worth our time and what isn’t.

Clickbait enters the picture and we get distracted by it. The puzzling thing to me is, there are legitimate writers and filmmakers who use clickbait to try and draw us in. These people already have a significant following, so I don’t understand why they are lowering their standards.

There are tons of fake memes, too. Their goal is to divide us further. Please skip over them. These people who put out lies are not worth a minute of your time.

We need solid, reliable information to make decisions. Take the time to verify what’s important and relevant. Leave the rest behind…

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Spirituality

We Were Warned

In his 1796 farewell address, President George Washington urged Americans to “actively preserve the constitutional system rather than take it for granted.” President Reagan said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” Voter apathy remains a concern, but there are bright spots.

The United States is in the bottom half of developed countries when it comes to voter turnout. School board elections run around 20% turnout while federal midterms hover around 45%. These numbers are abysmal. What are the reasons?

Trust in government has steadily declined since the 1960’s. Many people believe their votes don’t matter because the same people continue getting elected. It’s important to remember that we the people have a government, not the other way around.

Government is important, but it’s very rarely a solution to the challenges most people face. The politicians want you to think they have the answers, but their track record is horrible. The politicians waste our resources, yet they still want more from us. They haven’t earned our trust because of reckless spending, so they don’t deserve more.

My encouragement to you is to get educated about your candidates. Challenge them on their rhetoric. Then hold them accountable when their actions don’t align with their promises…

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Spirituality

The Middle Ground

It seems like some people have drawn their lines in the sand. For reasons I don’t completely understand, part of the population has decided their politics are the most important thing in their lives. Some people have sacrificed friendships and family over political differences. What happened to the middle ground?

Personally, I have friends all across the political spectrum. Our relationship is based upon our shared values and common interests. We may see the political landscape differently, and that’s okay. We respect each other’s right to vote the way we want.

Some people find joy in hurling insults at people over the internet. That’s weak. If name calling and pejoratives are all you have, then I question what you really believe.

Everyone wants to find purpose in this life. Each of us has been given special talents to accomplish our purpose. Perhaps yelling about political differences makes people feel like they are accomplishing something, and they are! They are driving others away.

Find the middle ground. Connect with other good people. Focusing on one lane of the superhighway might cause you to miss something. And that includes people…

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Spirituality

A House Divided

Abraham Lincoln was giving a speech in 1858 after winning his Senate seat. Lincoln famously said, “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” But Lincoln wasn’t the first person to say it. Old Honest Abe was quoting Jesus.

Jesus was healing people and casting out demons. Some of the scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus of getting his powers from dark forces, specifically Beelzebul. Jesus simply answered their false accusations by asking, “why would Satan work against himself? That a house divided against itself cannot stand.”

If you pay any attention to news media you would think Americans are at each other’s throats. We’re not. Well, some are but they are the minority. Most of us respect the right of others to believe differently. It isn’t a threat.

At the same time, hanging out with only the people who are like-minded is living in an echo chamber. And it’s dangerous. You can become arrogant in your thinking.

We are more than our politics. Way more. Everyone has goals, dreams and desires for their lives. And everyone has struggles. People show up to help when disasters occur. Perhaps this is why they are called acts of God. This is when we see the good in others, which reflects the goodness of our Creator.

We are better together…

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Spirituality

Live Music

There’s nothing like being able to attend a live concert. Music connects us. One of the ways we process our emotions is through great songwriting.

For over twenty years, some performers have been using the stage to share their “great wisdom” about politics they disagree with. I’m not interested. The reason I am there is to get away from the noise of the world for a couple of hours. If I wanted to attend a political rally, I would have chosen that instead.

Entertainment is just that. We want to be entertained. It’s a short vacation from our daily reality. Nowadays it costs a lot of money to attend a concert or sporting event. Keep your unwanted opinions to yourself and just play. Please!

I’ll continue going to live music performances, no doubt. But the political noise should be omitted from the set. I can read and think another time…

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