Another Presidential Election is underway, and we as Americans are once again faced with making the choice of who shall take the helm and direct our path to another adventure for four years. In deciding who we choose, we must first figure out which part of the initial process we control our opinions and or choices. Should we be loyal to a particular governing party or to the Merit of a person?
I tend to lean on the Merit of the person. As an independent voter, I made the decision years ago, not to allow any party to control my thinking or my decisions. Why? It is simple, neither show or display my heart and how it feels on many issues or actions. All parties tend to have their good qualities and good people who stand up for them, however, they also have their “dark” sides. Not always in the best interests of the “People”.
Keep in mind, as you read my thoughts, these are my opinions and only based on what I know and have learned. Now, let’s get started on how I process and think about today’s current events.
Growing up, with a Military Father, and a Blue Collar Step-Father it showed me just how different in many ways both were. My biological Father, retired a Lt. Col. of the USAF back in the early 70’s. He had been a major player in the Vietnam War, Korean War, and had flown over 500 missions combined for both. He was an advisor to the Pentagon, and when he was not flying C-130’s in Nam, he accompanied the Medical Examiners while they search and Identified lost soldiers in the fields. Tough job in anyone’s book. Securing Name tags and documenting so they would be counted and not left behind.
My father grew up in an orphanage, along with his 6 brothers and sisters, had to fight and struggle to survive. He managed to earn several degrees from college and had two Master Degrees, before entering into the Naval Academy, where he learned to fly jets. After serving just a few years in the US Navy, he crossed over into the US Air Force. Back in those times you could do that.
To make a long story short, he was very detailed, very precise and expected anyone around him to be just like him. He expect perfection, but he also believed in education and hard work. Because he struggled and worked so hard to get where he was, he never had patience for laziness or lack of interest from those who as he put it only had excuses. And, one of his famous quotes, which I tend to use myself “Excuses only satisfy those who make them.” Lending to his toughness and lack of sympathy for those who refused to do what was needed to excel much less survive. His continued growth in education and ability also lead him to lean towards the Republican Party. Highly decorated and much more smarter than average, my father for awhile shared “the good life” living high on the hog, and surrounded by the Upper Class and Important decision makers. Quite the contrast to where he started in life.
Which as a young woman, I had a tendency growing up to favor the Democratic Party, which use to lead us into huge debates and arguments. However, I did understand it was the Republicans who lead the march for equality and overturned Slavery. As a young girl, it appeared to me the Democrats were more for the working class and the poor. And they also appeared to be more liberal and less bias.
Things and ideas tend to change over the decades and both parties started forming different platforms and beliefs. Becoming totally confused and noticing even the arena of politicians were becoming less about their beliefs and more on discrediting the other parties and candidates. The negativity has taken over and the reasons they should be elected has diminished.
Now, before we move on, let’s talk about my Step-Father, born into an Italian-Spanish family, he was half Spanish, not Hispanic, and half Italian. Father immigrated here from Spain, and his mother was Italian. Blue collar, working class all the way, starting with nothing and built a business as a Professional Painting Contractor. He and my mother met when I was just six years of age, after a very ugly divorce from my father, he was never married before. My mother was now on her third marriage. Moving from Kansas to San Antonio, my Mother and Step-father started a new life, where he did build a very profitable painting business. Knowing how to speak Spanish help my step-father hire and work with Hispanics and I grew to love the culture. The food was a major influence on me, and I learned how to cook all kinds of great dishes and times with them were simple and very enjoyable. The men who worked for him and their families were so loving and affectionate. Also adding to my color-vision about people and not being one bit bias or racists. Growing up in San Antonio, where my mother was from, and why they moved there, I was able to spend more time with my (Maternal) Grandmother and her relatives. This is where my opinions started evolving.
My Grandmother lived in a very dominate Black neighborhood, it was not always like that, when they first moved there, my grandfather had retired from the Army, and had been a Deputy Sheriff for Bexar County then decided to open an Ice House there in their neighborhood, slowly over the years the neighborhood saw a cultural change, the whites were dying off or moving out, and the Black families were moving in.
I loved going to my Grandmother’s house as a child because she had the neatest neighbors. Especially with children my age I could play with, by age 7, my best friend in the whole wide world was a black girl and her family were super and shared so much love for each other and it spread to me and my family, I was at their house more than my own, and loved every minute of it, hated to go home.. My grandfather when he was alive and running the Ice House, all his customers were Black folks and they all loved him. My grandfather was only 5’2″ Italian born and raised and came to this country through Ellis Island, first act of loyalty to the USA was joining the Army and defending her in WWI and II. He was part of the Horse Calvary, and served under Sam Houston, Jr. He was his aid.
Now, getting back to my story. When my grandfather died, over 150 people attended his funeral, and no surprise 90% of them were Black. That says volumes. My Grandfather was a Democrat, my step-father was a Democrat. Are we seeing a trend here yet?
I was influenced growing up by both parties. I feel blessed that had the education of both because then I could decide which party I felt shared more of my opinions and beliefs. As a young person remember I said I tended to sway more towards the Democrats. But as I struggled with hardships, abuse, and watching my world around me fall apart, having to work hard to get an education, and having issues with both sides of my family, I started feeling that neither party shared what I truly was feeling and I felt neither was supporting or helping me.
I tended to look at political parties like a religion. I was raised Roman Catholic, but started when I had control, attending other churches with friends and found I was not happy with any Man-Stated and controlled religion either. Therefore becoming a Non-Denominational follower. Education can tend to change people’s thinking especially if they are very open minded. Which I was. Closed Minded folks just don’t care, they stick with what is comfortable and never step outside the box.
Not me, I loved stepping out and even changing the shape of the box..
Now in reading about both my “Fathers” can you see the differences and understand the following of both parties? Not really hard to figure out for me, The Rich and Well Off conservatives were for the Republicans and the Middle Class Blue collar liberal family were Democrats. In my eyes, no matter what party you were, I did see a large following of Kennedy Supporters, which in all do respect changed the Parties and the climates on both sides.
Growing up Color Blind was all credit to my Mother and her family. There was no bias, no prejudice no bigotry.
I guess they were just so grateful to live in the land of the free, and grew up themselves with out being bias, it was passed on to us kids. Another family I grew very close too, lived close to where we lived in San Antonio, a family of 6 kids, the dad was a plumber, and they were so poor, they would toast bread on the radiators that heated their home. The morning breakfast consisted of Corn meal mash, and toast, if you got eggs that was a huge treat. Big pots of beans would be cooking on the stove and if they were splurging, a ham bone was in there.
Case and point, I loved this family and loved going there all the time when I was not in school or at my Nana’s house. Everyone loved each other and all had their chores and took care of each other. It was an environment I truly admired and envied. In my home all I saw was abuse, to much drinking and wasting what could have been a good life. My Mother and Step-Father would get drunk almost every day and fight all the time, physically and mentally. And when they could not beat on each other, I was the next best thing. My friends always felt sorry for me and gave me refuge when I was lost and alone. They would see my bruises, black eyes, hair missing where it had been pulled out, and so on.. back then there were no child advocates or protection from abusive parents. In fact most people would just take a blind eye, and not want to get involved in any domestic violence situations.
I learned by families like them, how to appreciate the least, and pray for better days ahead. Having faith in what is, and what will be. I would have given anything to have just a small percentage of the love that home shared, verses the hate that surrounded mine.
I guess that is what draws me to make my decisions on who I would want to run my America. I look at the whole person, and what they can offer. I look at past history and what part of that history will play forward when they are in office. I look at truth, and loyalty to our nation. I also have a tendency to get annoyed when I listen to speeches about how they will fix or improve areas that are suffering even though all have had opportunity to correct, fix or change while they served in office prior to the current election.
Does anyone other than myself see a problem here? The Democrats have had one of their own as President for almost 8 years, with a Democratic controlled cabinet, and yet the candidate running now is going to fix all our problems? Why did they not fix the problems when they had the seat in the first place? I find this so true with both parties. The new candidate always comes out swinging and gonna fix everything. The only differences now, they tend to speak more about the deficiencies of those running against them than of their own abilities to show true improvements. Now, I ask you, who do you believe?
Deception and untruths all stem from gossip columns and news journalists. What happen to folks in the news business just reporting the news? Instead we have favortisims and bias all around us. Personal Opinions twisting stories and statements so none of us know what is real and what is truths.
It is not easy to make a choice now. And, it is not what our country was built on. To much hate, to much of taking away what is the foundation of our past, present and future.
Going all the way to removing religion from our schools to removing In God We Trust on our currency. Some things in my book are way to important to just remove and forget. So much of this is what is wrong with America today. It stirs hate and anger, and it should not be the match that strikes the fires. What should strike passion and drive is the ability to continue moving our country forward in being the power for all people who live here, work here and have dedicated their lives to protect it.
And to those who say they will leave or not vote because they are dissatisfied with their choices, then step up and run yourself. I love couch driven politicians. Always bitching and moaning, but never leaving the couch to do anything productive to improve it. Further more, if you do not love this country and appreciate all it has done for mankind, then all I can say is get the hell out.
To many want the opportunity to live here and thrive here, for those who don’t you know where the door is.
On Immigration, I am a true believer in anyone who wants to obey the laws and contribute their share to this great land, they should be allowed to do so, for those who only want to come here for the free ride, or hurt our people or our lands and abuse the system, you are not welcome here.
History was made this time around with a Woman being Nominated by a National Party for President. This will be something to share with our kids and grandkids for ever. I never really thought I would see it in my lifetime so I am so excited to see it happen. Make no mistake however, I am not convinced this particular Woman is the right choice. And because I am a woman does not mean she automatically gets my vote.
Another Historical event came when a Business Mogul decided to take on the political world and run for President and won the Nomination of his Party. Two major events came to pass, and it will truly be interesting to see the results.
Before there were Professional Politicians, these were the types of people who founded the running parties, Business Men, Store owners, Lawyers, Judges, etc. Then Social and Political Science education formed and now we have men and women becoming educated and documented as accredited Political Science Majors. Keeping in mind very few have ever ran a business or managed a company on their own account. Lawyers yes if they built a practice, but dealing with day to day operations of a major business, managing employees, payrolls, insurance, etc. not so much.
So, maybe in the short term, running a business or like our Republican Candidate, several businesses might be a solution to our National Debt and how we allocate our budgets and funding.
There is so much more to running a country than the day to day business side, there is the Humanity side, the Protection of our Land, our People, our needs like Health Care, Veteran Services, Illness and incurable diseases, Education, and the civil liberties we all deserve. Our Military and our First Responders need lots of attention, as do the people they protect and serve.
Equal Rights has not only a moral obligation but should be a decision made not just by Congress but by individual states and governments. This way, you are not disrespecting anyone or their beliefs. Making laws that go against the very grain of Religion, or Moral measures is not the answer. Compromise is.
Humanity first, pattern of life and how some choose to live, as long as it is within Law, should never be discriminated or disrespected.
I am a lover of Humanity, and will never change. I will never vote for anyone who does not share or carry the same beliefs I feel that are fair, unbiased, and for the greater good of this nation. I will not be controlled by negative comments or campaigning. I will base my decision on merits. Coming from both sides of the fence, I think I have a pretty good knowledge of what I want, what I look for, and who shall make the best representative for our Nation. I do my homework, now America it is time you do yours. May the Best Person be elected.
Just do me one favor don’t be a hypercritic and talk about No Walls, No Guns, No Nothing. Without remembering where you will be living and what will be protecting you and your family. If our people outside your walls and security details should not have this form of protection, than neither should you. Think about it..