"This above all: to thine own self be true"...William Shakespeare

"To be or not to be: that is the question..."  William Shakespeare

     I didn't watch the Republican convention this week and I doubt I will watch the Democratic convention either.  Give me authenticity. There in lies the question I have, "What is my politics?" Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense in in 1776. He also wrote the Rights of Man, stating, “Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”  I suppose that in my search for political self-discovery, Paine's words mean more to me at this stage in my life than ever.

     My politics are most closely associated with whatever seems fair and just and well, just plain "common!"  I want security.  I want to keep the majority of my hard-earned money but I also understand that I need to pay for the benefits and necessities that historically keep us healthy and safe. I want to see compassion and common sense be a precedent over anger and emotional reactions.  I want to see our leaders speak honestly and truthfully and be well-educated.  I want politics to support education and recognize the importance of the rights of all sexual orientation.  I don't believe I am asking for much.  

     I want stability not just here in the United States but world-wide.  What we turn our backs to will ultimately come right to the front of us.  This has been proven,sadly, in a time when we are supposedly more evolved, more educated and more tolerant.  The recent politics have shown us otherwise. The anger, the lack of focus, the irrational behavior is reticent of our lack of education and our lack of compassion. The more educated we become, the more capable we are of making decisions that reflect common sense and to "do good."

     When I was younger, I didn't pay much attention to politics.  My parents did though and they voted with their conscience.  I didn't agree with them many times but we could debate and we could argue and still feel confident that we were all right with each other.  Love above anything else mattered.  So I wonder...where did lose our ability to reason?  

     Politicians say anything and do anything to get elected.  We know this.  However, we should be able to discern whether their communication is honest and said with some education and experience.  Then there is the heart.  What they say to us matters.  It's what is said from their heart that we buy into and ultimately want to lead us.  But we must remember that elected officials work for US.  They lead us based on what we believe to be the appropriate direction.  This is where the danger is too.  Our beliefs can be dangerous if not made from a place of common sense and again, education.  We need to protect and look out for each other and we do that by voting with as much  reliable information as possible.  

     So the rest of the year should be quite compelling.  I am going to watch carefully.  I am going to do my homework.  Conventions won't sway my vote.  Ultimately, common sense and reliable information will.  When I make up my mind, I hope that I've voted with a sense of responsibility that reflects the best for all of us.  Education is our best ally in the wake of politics. A lack of education is what some politicians are banking on from the public.  Sadly. 

      My vote will matter this year.  It will matter to me as it should for any American who has watched the events of the past year.  We have been exposed to too much tragedy for this presidential election to be "just another election."  Who will win, depends on their true message, not rhetoric.  Leave the "show" for Broadway.  

    

"There can be no healing if there is no change."

"At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love."  -  Martin Luther King, Jr.

     The news of the country has been compelling of late.  Tragedy after tragedy after tragedy has created a whirlpool of opinion and strong emotion.  What I haven't heard from our politicians, presidential "wannabees" and from so many others is the strength that love builds so that we become a nation not built on violence but on the principals of common sense.

   History shows us time and again, that periods of violence brings us to another set of rules for which we try to adhere.  Then we fail.  Why do we fail? We fail because of greed, jealousy and a lack of love. We use people. We turn our backs and ignore the ignorance simply because it's easier. It's 2016, I thought we were better than that.  I thought we had grown up.

    At the heart of this is gun legislation and why we are so stubborn about regulating the very thing that has killed so many Americans in such a short time.  The other piece of the puzzle is the fear and horror witnessed across the world.  Where is the peace?  Where is the relevance of love?  The "Haves" and the "Have Nots" are continuing their battle when the solution is easy.  There is plenty of everything to go around.  Where is the fairness?  Human beings by nature can be swayed and influenced by not only what's true but by what's not true because it is sometimes easier to be angry than to be fair.

     As the news of the country develops, as the world continues to be faced with violence, less violence doesn't seem to make sense but it does.  Why?  Because those who are the most angry and the most violent will grow tired.  Those who love, will grow stronger.  We fail at this when we fail to believe this to be true.

   This week, my husband and I will celebrate eight years of marriage.  It's interesting because in the those years together, I now fully understand that when we look to love, we problem solve.  When we love, we figure out how to overcome our obstacles. No one says this is easy but the outcomes are much more profound and much more satisfying. The reason why most marriages fail is because both parties stop talking.  They feel that either party is no longer listening or caring.  Then the anger perpetuates.  The relationships that last are the ones where the two parties grow old, not tired.  And, if there is love, and there is separation, the love supersedes the past hurts.  It is possible to disagree and do it fairly and justly.  

    In the world today, we are all married.  Relationships matter.  What happens in the world affect us all and it's about time we fully understood that and used the strength of our humanity to stop the violence There has to be discussion and compromise and honesty.  I look at the world and I look at the politics behind recent events and know that had they there been the presence of these things we would have gun control that makes sense.  No one would be hungry or angry or resentful.  We would work towards helping those who suffer from mental illness and despair so that they would not feel compelled to become noticed through their violent acts.  We would not be hurting each other for the sake of our own ills or gains.  

     To put a stop to all violence is altruistic.  Just like the first weeks of marriage, where we promise to "never, ever fight."  Human nature dictates otherwise. The mindful will however, understand the limitations of humanity and embrace it regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation or otherwise.  Be mindful.  It's time.