Reflections and Observations -- A Bright Passage from the Fantasies of Youth
to Illuminations of Advanced Maturity!
This Episode: In the Spirit of Reason, Unity and Forward Progress..!!
In the motion picture, The Two Popes, with its brilliant script (written by Anthony McCarten... that is, many view it as brilliant!), Benedict and Francis engage in a dialogue that every politician should hear and heed! True, while many of the actual discussions between Benedict and Francis have been well documented, the film's dialogue is McCarten's imagined version of a superb effort on the part of the two to come to a kind of compromise, a consensus, a sort of detente!
The point is, if we are open-minded, bright and thoughtful enough as a species to engage in a purposeful dialogue -- "We," meaning politicians and political opposites, republicans, democrats, Greens, Independents... -- we ought to be able to effect consensus that actually benefits the American Citizenry. Oughtn't we??
In the rarefied air, -- or age if one prefers -- of GeezerHood, we like to think that those of us
who have achieved longevity have also achieved a greater degree of wisdom. Whether or not it's true is open to debate. But let's assume, for the sake of this discussion, that indeed it is true. Here's a syllogism presented as specious (superficially plausible!) evidence:
Older People are Wise
Geezers are Older People
Therefore Geezers are Wise!
Now then... My life's partner, SweetHeart, and I have long thought that political opposites can in fact actually agree upon some concepts, and therefore we can, in theory, open a dialogue that quite possibly would NOT lead to violence, fisticuffs or possibly gunplay. SweetHeart and I have canvassed door-to-door for republicans as well as democrats. We even supported a Green Party candidate at some point in our political experience. Though we are more inclined
to embrace progressive points of view and the politicians who espouse them, we view ourselves as Americans first. We were born and christened as American citizens, and not as members of a particular political party. (Though our respective parents may well have believed otherwise!)
The United States of America, or any nation for that matter, can only be defined primarily and essentially as its body politic, its population of human beings. ALL OF US!!! PEOPLE!! True, by extension, we are a nation of living people who embrace a common code of behavior as embodied in our Constitution and Canon of Laws, but the US of A is US, the People -- first and foremost, primarily and essentially!!!
Now that we have that matter cleared up, let's get the major point of this possibly preachy rant... In a somewhat recent conversation with a dear friend who describes and defines herself politically as a Conservative Republican, we came to an important agreement on policy: Let's get big money, big influence, meaning big corporate influence and its large purses and pocketbooks, the hell out of our political landscape!!! When elected officials are bought and paid for like so many male and female prostitutes, we place only blatantly mediocre, ignorant, racist, fear-spreading, fools and demagogues in important
elective offices.
And "Big Money in Politics" -- Getting Rid of That Particular Scourge -- is just one of many issues upon which many thinking political party devotees could actually agree!! And we don't mean those already gridlocked in Congress, but rather ordinary, voting Americans!! It could be a start. If people, American Citizens, are willing to come together in open dialogue to create consensus and purposeful change, wouldn't that help to put a crack, a small fissure, in the outrageous polarization that freezes the political process, a process that could, if thawed, benefit all of us!!
Perhaps, gentle readers, you may be interested in establishing discussion groups in your own backyards, in your own communities, with political party devotees of varying constituencies!? Try starting the process by contacting neighbors, friends, relatives... friends of neighbors, local political organizations, online Neighborhood Discussion forums.... People love to talk and discuss and share their own opinions and points of view, issues, problems...! Astounding revelations may be but an Email or a telephone call away!
In the motion picture, The Two Popes, with its brilliant script (written by Anthony McCarten... that is, many view it as brilliant!), Benedict and Francis engage in a dialogue that every politician should hear and heed! True, while many of the actual discussions between Benedict and Francis have been well documented, the film's dialogue is McCarten's imagined version of a superb effort on the part of the two to come to a kind of compromise, a consensus, a sort of detente!
The point is, if we are open-minded, bright and thoughtful enough as a species to engage in a purposeful dialogue -- "We," meaning politicians and political opposites, republicans, democrats, Greens, Independents... -- we ought to be able to effect consensus that actually benefits the American Citizenry. Oughtn't we??
In the rarefied air, -- or age if one prefers -- of GeezerHood, we like to think that those of us
Older People are Wise
Geezers are Older People
Therefore Geezers are Wise!
Now then... My life's partner, SweetHeart, and I have long thought that political opposites can in fact actually agree upon some concepts, and therefore we can, in theory, open a dialogue that quite possibly would NOT lead to violence, fisticuffs or possibly gunplay. SweetHeart and I have canvassed door-to-door for republicans as well as democrats. We even supported a Green Party candidate at some point in our political experience. Though we are more inclined
The United States of America, or any nation for that matter, can only be defined primarily and essentially as its body politic, its population of human beings. ALL OF US!!! PEOPLE!! True, by extension, we are a nation of living people who embrace a common code of behavior as embodied in our Constitution and Canon of Laws, but the US of A is US, the People -- first and foremost, primarily and essentially!!!
And "Big Money in Politics" -- Getting Rid of That Particular Scourge -- is just one of many issues upon which many thinking political party devotees could actually agree!! And we don't mean those already gridlocked in Congress, but rather ordinary, voting Americans!! It could be a start. If people, American Citizens, are willing to come together in open dialogue to create consensus and purposeful change, wouldn't that help to put a crack, a small fissure, in the outrageous polarization that freezes the political process, a process that could, if thawed, benefit all of us!!
Perhaps, gentle readers, you may be interested in establishing discussion groups in your own backyards, in your own communities, with political party devotees of varying constituencies!? Try starting the process by contacting neighbors, friends, relatives... friends of neighbors, local political organizations, online Neighborhood Discussion forums.... People love to talk and discuss and share their own opinions and points of view, issues, problems...! Astounding revelations may be but an Email or a telephone call away!
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