"We the People" are Children???

Michelle Obama, former First Lady, summed up the current philosophy of the Left (Progressive Liberals) vs. the Right (Conservatives) rather nicely in her comments to a crowd at XXXXX when she referred to the relationship between the U.S. President and the country as being one of "parent vs. child" in nature.  This analogy sums up the basic distinction between "Left" and "Right" these days rather brilliantly, in my humble opinion.  The Left has come to believe --for I don't believe they always felt this way-- that "we the people" are basically stupid and incapable of making important decisions in our own everyday lives.  Contrasting this viewpoint, the Right believes you have the right to make your own choices, sometimes including mistakes, in pursuing your own personal version of "Life, Liberty & Happiness", as long as you don't break the laws we've established in the process of this pursuit.  As such, the Right believes the laws we create should be kept to the minimum needed to "form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."  Where we have provided for the latter with the framework given by our U.S. Constitution.  

Image Source: Library of Congress by way of boweryboyshistory.com

 I don't know about you, but I prefer to live my life as a grown-up, and contrary to popular belief these days being a "rebel" has never meant getting in line and shouting out contrived mantras, in unison, in the absence of any meaningful facts or logical reason.  If you're truly a rebel, then I challenge you to USE YOUR BRAIN, not just your voice.  Dare to do your own legwork in gathering facts to illuminate both sides of truth.  For there are always at least two sides to every truth. Then once you have your facts don't just focus on "what's wrong", focus on detailed solutions for fixing what's wrong.  A true rebel has at least considered the other side of an issue before daring to go in the opposite direction of the traditional or popular opinion.  Rebels seldom follow the herd, Left or Right.  Guess that's why I've settled into being an Independent these days?  Anyway, my point is that only when we are willing to consider another perspective will we be in any position to engage in a dialogue with the potential to advance beyond mere words into timely and meaningful action.  If you "don't like America" --what we stand for or what we've become-- then why not use your brain, not just your voice, in order to be conduits for beginning conversations across American that will engage others in meaningful discussions and debate --actual conversations, not just one-sided shouting matches.  For I have come to believe that only honest conversations can begin to bridge the ever-widening chasms of our nation's divide.  

Honestly, shouting "impeach 45" at the top of your lungs isn't really going to accomplish anything.  Donald J. Trump is our President for the foreseeable future and whether he succeeds or fails has a direct impact on our nation as a whole.  With this in mind, why would you be rooting for our President to fail when his failure most likely will translate into a net loss in the average citizen's bottom line?  If you have a specific issue that's bothering you --aside from "impeach 45"-- research it, talk about it, and then reach out to your elected officials with concrete grievances and potential resolutions.  Only meaningful conversations will finally begin to move our country forward into a position of not only strength, but into a position of long-term sustainability and prosperity for all, not just the privileged elites.  A part of me has come to wonder, of late, if perhaps these very elites want us to be divided and in conflict with one another because this keeps us distracted so that we won't focus on what's really going on behind the scenes by those wielding power.  Some of us seem to have forgotten this, but those politicians working in Washington, D.C.:  they work for us, "We the People."  And it's up to us to hold them accountable and not just at the ballot box.  Why not try writing to your Congressmen and other elected officials or try calling them as well.  Maybe attend a local town halls, or start a petition to address a pressing issue facing your community.  While you're at it, might I suggest a letter/email to your Congressman asking him/her why they are only scheduled to work for another 75 days for remainder of the calendar year?   

So that's my challenge to you, be you Left or Right or in the middle-leaning ideologically speaking: let's get some honest non-bubble (outside of like-minded bubbles of isolation) conversations going across our nation.  I don't want to live in a world where debate/dialogue and well-intentioned dissent --on either side-- have become relics of the non-technologically driven past.  That would be true tyranny.  We gain nothing by shutting down free speech, even speech we do not personally happen to agree with.  The time has come for Americans --most especially those of the millennial generation-- to toughen up!  If you want to make it in the REAL world you have to learn that just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean that they are wrong or intent on harming you.  Learning to "use your words" for the purpose of discussion is one the most useful skills you will ever learn in life.  Dare to step outside your protective bubbles of isolation, you might actually gain some useful new insights.  Let's use our brains, our voices and our technology to prove the progressive Left wrong.  Let's show the progressive Left that we are not children, and more importantly that we will no longer be so easily led.  Let's work together to find solutions and a way forward from new and enlightened perspectives.  Together, I think we can actually work to help make our nation whole once again.  For in the absence of unity, America will never be great again and I suspect those with an eye toward retaining power know this.