I don’t know how you feel. It’s still three months from the presidential election (when writing this letter), and I am sick of hearing about it. Personally, I am very conservative and completely support President Bush. But this letter is not about what I believe relative to political philosophies. It is about our responsibility.
When I see what many people, particularly many young people, do to themselves (such as tattoos, body piercings, etc.), I realize that my concept of how to behave, how to treat your own body, and how to think is dramatically different from many others. Naturally I believe in my way of thinking and question some of the more modern fads. I will stop short of making claims and throwing stones because I recognize there is more than one way to view most things.
There is one thing, however, that in my opinion is not debatable. Everybody is responsible for his own actions and intelligently expressing his beliefs. It is not satisfactory to simply sit on the sidelines and accept no responsibility for our actions, or inactions. If we are to live in the freest society in the world, a
One of the great freedoms we have is also one of the easiest to exercise – that is the freedom to vote our conscience. This is not simply a right; it is a responsibility! I do not believe that a responsible
I never cease to be amazed by the number of people who say there is no difference between two candidates. Or they say that it makes no difference for whom they vote because they are all really the same. All of us, including me, may at times wish our elected officials stood up more firmly for what they believe. We get a little disgruntled because politicians are wishy-washy and appear to have little backbone. They often find themselves playing defense rather than offense. They may believe very deeply in ideals that they cannot put themselves totally behind. Politically they have to cater somewhat to the center. While this has some positive aspects, it also can prevent firm stands on what may be important issues.
What do I believe about political ideologies? As a general statement, I believe in people taking responsibility for their own actions; this pertains to both individuals and organizations. It takes people to solve problems. The government cannot solve problems without people being involved. Remember that the money spent by government comes from people, not out of the air. Every time that government spends $1,000,000 it is spending the take-home equivalent of what many people will earn in an entire lifetime. Money represents the sweat and tears of others.
Most of the time solutions to problems rest more on dedication of people than it does money. Government can throw all kinds of money at causes that seem worthwhile, only to see future results not match the desired goals. It is not our government’s responsibility to make us happy or to take care of a citizen’s every need. Many things we desire are not actually necessities of life. I am reminded of how much more we have today than my parents and grandparents had during their adult years. But they survived just fine. In fact I can make a real strong argument that they achieved in spite of the lack of government handouts.
The bottom line is that responsibility starts here and it starts today. All of us should educate ourselves concerning the issues and solution options in our society. Do not expect our government to take care of all of our problems. They require dedicated people.
See you at the polls. But before you go, make certain you know for whom and for what you are going to vote.
