ELECTIONS

                                                         

As the elections are coming upon us, I am appalled by the anger and rancor we are witnessing, not only among the candidates but also amongst the voters. You won’t find me endorsing any candidate for any office and for a couple of good reasons. Probably the best reason is, “Who am I to tell you how to vote.” When I was working my boss called me in the office one day and told me that he didn’t appreciate the political sign that was in my front yard and I should take it down right now. Being a little stubborn, I left it up for a couple of days after that. Then he called me again and told me once more, in no uncertain terms, take it down or find another job. I had a wife and three kids to think about so I reluctantly took it down but I never forgot about that day. My rights as a citizen had been infringed on.

I have family members that are not on the same wavelength as me when it comes to politics. But it will never be an issue with me, because I won’t let it be an issue. My family is too important to me to let that happen. I do think I have an advantage over them, being as old as I am, and having the wisdom I have gained over the years to know what can happen to the best of people, in situations like this.

A while back when congressman Steve Scalise was shot down on a softball field we all saw how political rancor can get out of control. That person had more then one congressman on his list to be shot. I remember the assassinations that took place with President Kennedy and his Brother Robert. The attempt to kill Ronald Regan and the murder of Dr King. There are a lot of mentally deranged people out there capable of this kind of violence and the crass rhetoric of today’s elections only fans the fire.

Political campaigns have become brutal with attacks on peoples records, families and characters. Its not always that truthful and above board to start with and the end result is someone, who apparently can’t win on their own merits and ideas, is trying to make themselves look good, by making someone else look bad. That’s a behavior you had to go back to grade school to find, until lately.

Campaign reform needs to be initiated and soon. Its time to put the gloves back on and clean politics up and while they are at it, it’s time to get the lobbyists out of the campaigns. Ask the politicians, when they are politicking, where they are getting their money from? Then ask them what they will be expected to do for those people if they win and don’t take “nothing” for an answer. We all know better then that.

Were allowing our whole political process to be turned into a war of words and accusations that can ruin people lives forever, all in an effort to win the seats in congress that are supposed to be filled by people, we want to make rules for all of us to live by.