My Political Speech

My fellow citizens:
I address you today, not as a leader, but instead as a servant. This will not be the most eloquent or charismatic speech you have ever read, but I feel that it is necessary to speak candidly to you from my heart. I am merely seeking your consideration, not in regard to me personally, but as to my proposals, challenges, and concepts that I present to you.

I told you that I speak to you as a servant -- I am a servant of Christ and of people. Now, yes, I try to live my life like Christ, but I often find myself unsuccessful. I make mistakes because I am imperfect. But that's what being a Christian is about: trying, trying, and trying again, and living in a state that we know that we are forgiven by God's grace. We as Christians try to better ourselves constantly. We have been instructed to examine ourselves and clean ourselves from the inside, so that we can realize our mistakes, learn from them, and teach others.

Now, I also said that I'm not speaking to you as a leader -- I am not claiming to know everything there is to know about everything. I don't. But I do understand that's we want that from the person we elect to be the leader of our country, because not everyone can do it, and we hope for some intellectual giant and flawless decision-maker to lead us to what is best. Nevertheless, as I proposed before, I only ask that you consider the concepts I present to you.

It must first be noted that we, as Americans, want what is best; I think it is fair to say, generally, that we all are genuinely interested in what is best for all. I use the term "America" not as a piece of land, not as a set of documents, but as a collection of individuals who, throughout history, have yearned for the best and what is right. And Americans are do-ers. When something isn't isn't right, Americans do something about it. I truly believe that at the root of the two dominant political parties lies a genuine interest for the best of everyone. However, I have learned that the two parties differ as to how that is to be achieved.

For instance, at this country's inception, we fled England for reasons including that we didn't want to be told who or what to worship and we didn't appreciate the idea of concrete social classes in which nobody could escape or make of themselves what they wished. So, we did something about it and changed it. Our ancestors set up a system that they believed would truly benefit everyone and to give them the best there was to offer. True, there were flaws in that system that we learned from and adapted to correct, such as slavery. And we did something to correct that problem and eradicate it. We continue to face flaws today 236 years later. And we're still learning and engaging in much discussion as to how to correct the imperfections. That's great news.

So, as to how we all feel that we want what is best, I don't subscribe to the idea that, generally speaking (emphasis added), people want to accumulate all the financial wealth for themselves and purposefully leave others in their dust. Nor do I subscribe to the idea that people, generally speaking, want to strip everything that the single richest man or woman in America has and give it all to the 150,000 poorest people. Give me a little leeway on that. Deep down, I don't believe that we wish ill on someone else, as both of those scenarios depict. However, I do think that we don't want to see people suffering, no matter the circumstance. We don't like seeing disparity and injustice -- and that's the main problem we're trying to solve. And that's something that I see from both political parties. Again, both sides believe in the well-being of all, just disagree as to how to get there.

We disagree on things like "Who should bear the heavier tax burden," and how we can help the economically disadvantaged. We all have our different ideas for those. Here is my first proposal that I would give a left arm to hear from a politician: There would be less of a problem if people willingly gave more. And I'm not exclusively speaking in financial terms. I personally think that this could be a viable solution. Unfortunately, theory differs from reality.

I believe that where our two political parties branch off and differ is directed at how genuine people can be. Again, they differ in what one sees as theory and another sees as potential reality. Let me explain: (First off, please don't take these next statements too personally. They are intended to be very general and may not even apply to you, but please hear me out.)

Those aligned on the left (Democrats/Liberals/other terms) have somewhat lost hope in the benevolence of people. Through my many discussions with others, I have summarized that they believe "benevolence" is a somewhat mythical theory that won't carry the people as far as you can throw them and is therefore not dependable. And it's somewhat true. People certainly don't give as much as they should. And I'll be the first to admit that I should give more, not to say that I don't give my time and money to others. But it's because of this lack of trust that we have come to rely more heavily on the government. They see that the government has a responsibility to provide for and take care of everybody. And so we come to the conclusion that I initially drew here -- that everyone should be taken care of!

Those aligned on the right (Republicans/Conservatives/other labels) still see that folks can and should be benevolent. They believe these things because of what has been done to contribute to their own successes. They want others to thrive as well, and that's where business comes in -- those on the right see the rewards of their hard work, and they genuinely want others and everyone else to experience the same... generally speaking.

But financial security is just one example of how both sides generally want the best for everyone. I personally  want the same, but I don't think that we should have to rely on the government to take care of us. We would all be better off if we had a stronger consideration of others. I can see how we do rely on Uncle Sam. Our trust in the human spirit has been lost, and when something we trust lets us down, it's disappointing. So, we have turned to the government to be the net beneath us.

I know it's somewhat theory to increase reliance on our neighbor, but I know it has worked before. Take the Great Depression. (Now is that time when fact-checkers become busy.) People then lost their trust in third parties, e.g., the stock market, to take care of them. And the government failed them temporarily too. Banks shut down, personal investments literally disappeared, loans were scarcely given, and healthcare was largely unaffordable. So, when America couldn't rely on help from the big wigs and higher-ups, they turned within and next door for help. Farmers lent each other tools and equipment and neighbors gave neighbors coffee and sugar, all the while asking nothing in return, because they knew they could rely on their neighbor to be their spotter in the tough times. I know that my grandparents relied heavily on their friends and neighbors during this time. Both of my grandfathers each grew up on farms with their two parents and ten siblings. "Affordability" was a far-off concept for both families. Daily meals consisted merely of two biscuits and some water. Both of my grandfathers were hard-working men, spending the greater part of 12 to 16 hours per day sweating, bleeding, and working in their teens so that their families could have it easier, both then and in the future. Coupled with new social policies from FDR that folks were largely eager to contribute to, America's benevolence led them to crawling out of its pit of Depression.

I personally believe that "change" is necessary at times. When something's not "broke", don't fix it, but when it is, do something about it. I don't believe, however, in change from the top down; I believe it starts from within and on the personal level. It starts with decision-making -- making the right decisions. And when you don't make a right decision, don't give up hope; make a good decision to get back on your feet and get it together. It's about making the decision to be an influence to someone else. It's about making the decision to pray with your wife and children. It's about making the decision to pass along wholesome values to your children and monitoring their activity to guide them to success and good decisions. It's about making the decisions to forego things that you know are likely to have undesirable consequences. It's about taking responsibility and being accountable for what you can control. It's about making the decision to provide financial assistance to organizations that genuinely provide services that those in poverty truly need, not merely handing out a dollar on the street. It's about making the decision to volunteer your time and energy to the canned food drive to benefit the Tarrant Area Food Bank. It's about making the decision to give some of your clothes away when you have shirts that you've outgrown or never wear anymore, rather than just sitting in your stuffed closet. It's about making the decision to volunteer your time and energy to coach your kid's soccer team and to make an impact on the children -- the future of America. It's about making the decision to visit your next door neighbor who has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for the past three years. It's about making the decision to let the car in the next lane over in front of you, forgiving them for the possible mistake of not seeing the traffic jam ahead. It's about making the decision to forgive others who make mistakes, just like you do. THAT, my friends, is how true "change" comes about. THAT is how you turn America into a better place. And THAT is how you defeat concepts of entitlement, greed, and self-interests. Do something for somebody else and benefit your neighbor.

The second idea I present to you (that actually doesn't fit super-well in the theme of this whole speech, but what the heck) is that the folks who perform the jobs at the foundation of our society need to be compensated more. Again, theory differs from realistically achieving this. But why shouldn't teachers in public schools be provided more financial assistance? Think about where we would be standing without the love and guidance from our teachers. I think I can fairly state that the public school teachers, pre-k through 12th grade, don't go into the field because of the pay. And I suppose the same can be said about our emergency responders and military. They willingly perform their tasks because they understand the need for those roles in society. God bless them! Why aren't they rewarded more? I believe that better compensating and better encouraging and supporting those with these jobs will strengthen our country's foundation. It's about investing in our safety, or education, and our future.

America once again faces an economic depression. Even though it has lasted now close to four years, it's not as serious as the one in the first half of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, Americans are do-ers. Americans are working to do something about it in their different ways. Many blame politicians for not agreeing on a clear plan to turn this around and for keeping us in stalemate. But it's time we put away our fingers and quit playing the blame game, because pointing to the past as a reason for why something wasn't done will not resolve the problem for the future. That's not a plan. That's not going to get us out of the depression. This practice is destructive and only causes pointless disagreements. It's time that we stop being hateful and slanderous on our internet pages and cussing each other out. That doesn't mean that we have to agree with other people, but it's about the way we approach it. It's time that we stop flipping people off on the road. It's time that we stop accusing politicians of lying -- that solves nothing. It's time for CONstruction, rather than DEstruction. As I said before, be responsible for what you can. You may not have a direct say in who sits on the Supreme Court of the United States, but you do have the opportunity to be benevolent to someone on a personal level. Everyone does, no excuses. Give just a little more. It's time that we restore some faith in humanity. Are you building people up or tearing them down? Are you truly benefiting the society in which you live by your every word and action?

I'm aware that this does not solve the entire gamut of issues, but it's certainly a start. I know this is currently theory, but it's only theory if we don't put it into play and apply it. We can make this a reality. Because America is a country of do-ers. God bless you all.