We The People?

We celebrate our independence and our freedoms this week with cookouts, parades and fireworks. But, what is it we are truly celebrating?

When I think of our country in current terms, I have emotions that I do not have names for. Somewhere between apathy and anger, I find our current state of political opposition nauseating. It defies all that has made our country great. And if we do not find our way back to civility, I feel we will succumb to more and more acts of terror, violence and inhumane acts against one another.

But, it wasn’t always this way. The current political climate has been slowly simmering for several decades of intolerance. The same intolerance that allowed an evil dictator to extinguish nearly an entire race in 1940’s Europe. And even now, this country grapples with war and aggression against our own people. Racism is as rampant as reverse racism and both seem bound to exterminate the other.

So, how do I know things weren’t always so tense in the country?

It started like this. I stumbled into a temp job working for a Senate campaign back 30 years ago. It was front office work, not hard, a no brainer. I took it while I was looking for another job. It gave me some income while waiting for the “right” job to come along.

At the time, I had no experience whatsoever in politics. I was the usual American who had no idea how a bill becomes a law. I did not remember one single solitary thing from my state history class.

But, it was exciting work, even if it was licking envelopes and answering the phones. We were busy organizing volunteer’s to knock on doors in key neighborhoods, and analyzing demographics in our precincts. We made TV commercials and radio drive time promotions. We hosted and attended meet and greets and we got to know the constituents in our district. We raised money for our campaign. We attended town hall meetings and shook hands with just about everyone.

Fast forward to Election Day, we organized volunteers to work the polls, carry signs and pass out flyers. And, by the time the final vote was tallied, our candidate had won!

Of course, when he took office, all of us who had worked on the campaign were hired for his Senate staff, even though most of us had no idea what we were doing. We were the definition of, “wet behind the ears”. Over the years, I found my initial ignorance toward the legislative process to be no different than the average citizen’s understanding of how the process actually works.

One of the first unwritten rules we all learned was all about seniority. Coming in as a freshman legislator, you are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to just about everything. And we were assigned a small, cramped office in the basement of the Capitol. I learned we were going to need to work hard to get beyond “the new kid” reputation to make a mark as a Statesman. As a newbie, it is difficult to get prestigious committee assignments, as well as having one’s legislation passed without support on both sides.

Soon after, I learned it was all about protocol, and how a bill becomes a law. My job was to answer correspondence from our constituents who live in our district. I well remember a letter we received from a 5th grader asking why, when he visited the capitol, weren’t lawmakers all sitting at their desks listening respectfully to the members at the podium who had the floor. I was so stumped by such a naïve question that it took me most of the day to form a response. But in the end, this is what I came up with.

“When the House/Senate is in session, and members are moving about in the chamber and not sitting at their desks, because members must enlist the help of fellow members to get their measures passed. Just by introducing a bill does not in any way guarantee it’s passage. One must garner the support of both parties to vote a bill out of committee, onto the floor for a vote, and finally members of both the House and Senate must agree on it’s final passage before it then go to the Governor for his signature.”

It was my first lesson in politics right along with that 5th grade student. It was a lesson not only in cooperation, but also compromise, because the context of any bill can differ tremendously between the time it is introduced and the time it passes into law. It all depends on the right language, the proper ideas, the fiscal impact and the ability for a majority of members to agree on its intended purpose. Because of this, our founding fathers create a checks and balances between conservatives and liberals. Cooperation is key. Fighting gets us nothing.

Remember, our nation used to be referred to as Camelot when President Kennedy was in power. Back then, it seemed like the entire country threw itself behind our President and First Lady. Now the right hates the left, and the left hates the right. Moderates have been left out and forgotten. We are so diametrically opposed to each others ideals there’s no middle ground. No way to make any progress that benefits our melting pot of concerned and caring citizens. They deserve representation!

To me, the problem has been simmering for years before our country became divided. Poor against rich, white against black, black against white. Conservative against liberals and vise versa. It used to be there were more moderates in office and in the voting public. Moderate not just in a belief system, but in an understanding that differing opinions must find middle ground to effect any type of lasting change. We knew we had to work together. Fighting, bickering and arguing get us little in the way of momentum moving forward in positive directions.

How do we fix this stand off? We need to remember to listen, not to reply, but to understand. A head of state who inspires greatness, not division. Because isn’t our role to improve our planet and leave the next generation something they can work with?

Let’s all take a deep breath this Fourth of July, and set our sights on listening to one another. Talk, instead of yell, consider and ponder each other’s viewpoints. Politics used to be a win-win for both parties. I am confident we can all find middle ground, but it’s going to take dedication and patience. Because some opinions don’t need a response, they just need a willing ear. No one’s opinion is ever wrong, it’s just an opinion. It’s ok to disagree, but let’s do it with grace, acceptance without political discourse that tears apart our ability to make effective change.