A wisdom that can only come in the morning dew.
Today I got my wisdom teeth pulled. Gruesome. How ironic, however, that on the day I lose my wisdom teeth I feel as if I have gained more wisdom than ever before. I've felt it building up for quite some time now, my understanding of what exactly drew me to politics in college has tumbled down my brain and slipped past my tongue on numerous occasions, but never was I able to truly understand the purpose.
At times in everyones lives, they partake upon a journey which they know not the reasons for, it just feels right. The entire essence of one's body cries out for such a calling, and it only feels natural to follow it when found, even for reasons unknown. I have been on this path for nearly 2 years now. Slowly, through my days as a freshman at my small liberal arts college, I began to develop an awareness which capitulated me into my sophomore year.
I was a Liberal. Well, I am still quite Liberal, but I don't carry with it the connotation that most do these days and I did then, Democrat. I developed into such a good party man, that in my Sophomore year alone I created our college's first large, and popular, political organization with almost a 50 person membership immediately. We began communicating with local Democratic candidates, and thus ended my Sophomore year, in the turmoil of politics. I was by then the Vice President of our Student Government, and President of our Democratic Organization.
So here I sit, coming upon my Junior year. Slowly through these years, however, I have come to develop certain distates for political parties stemming from my distrust of all organizations whose sole purpose seems to win. Before my eyes I have seen politics develop into something of a better-man-standing competition than what the American political system was truly created to be, a protectorate of the people of the United States of America.
With this deep seated competition comes corruption, and upon thinking this, I am surprised at my own naievity in the past. After all, I was one of those very people who partook in, and indeed enjoyed, the competition. Let me first say, there is nothing wrong with a little fair, honorable competition. However, when the competition comes to the point where parties are pointing across their lines screaming at each other, all the while twisting, bending, or outright lying in the face of the truth, I begin to think on the classic story Lord of the Flies, written by Sir William Gerald Golding. The boys become killers, only to be saved by a civilization ready for war, for killing. Are we no better than children?
Truth, honesty, and honor has seemed to take a backseat to winning these days. Most politicians in high power seem bent upon the domination of their particular party over the Executive, Legislative, and indeed even the Judicial branch. And this is one drove me to my new consciousness. The Judicial Branch, that oh so old institution which was charged to uphold the law (but never has) becomes more and more politicized as the years roll by. Some might even argue that it was used in 2000 as a tool to get George W. Bush into office.
And this scares me, friends. For if those that are charged with protecting us are only concerned with power, what will happen to us, the good people of this great country? Nearly every great ancient civilization fell before its own leaders, whom were consumed with the idea of unlimited power. Rome, France, and Germany to name a few. And this should scare us. It should scare us all to death, for this is not brought on us by a hunger for power towards other nations, but it is a war that is being fought within.
So now I say this: it is time for a calling, a Great Awakening for the people of the United States: if we continue down this path, it will surely lead to decline. Who understood this better than Theodore Roosevelt, a man who believed so deeply in the American legal and political institution that he risked his career, and his life to uphold it. A man who believed not only in these things, but also in the American people.
President Roosevelt brought to America what has not been equalled since. Honesty. And through this honesty, President Roosevelt was able to gain the respect and the admiration of the people of the world, as well as the people of this country.
And so it seems the solution is one of quite obvious origin. It is one we have been preached all our lives, but most of us admittedly have never followed it. The outright honesty and unwavering justice brought out in every action of a person. The respect and rights given to every human being, no matter their origin, is what this country is founded on. It is something that seems so ridiculous, and yet makes so much sense that it baffles the mind. Yet we must see.
And we must begin to make the choice... are we willing to hang each other at the gallows while displaying hatred towards our own brethren, or shall we finally begin to understand, and seek only the just and honorable thing to do not for one person, or one group of persons, but for all people of America? We are all Americans, after all.
I suppose my approach to this article was originally to show you where my Great Awakening came, I am here to spread the word. Yes... this is what I've been attempting to say all these years. Somehow these words stamp themselves on my brain, and indeed on the computer monitor....
Interesting, really.