I have an Art degree, so I must be a liberal Democrat. But I served in the U.S. Marine Corps, which demands right-wing Republican ideals.
I truly despise the two-party system, which essentially creates nothing but division. It would be naive to think that any policy can make everyone happy.
While expanding my education, I had a professor break down policy-setting in a way that resonates with me. His approach was simple. He suggested four parts of equal weight should dictate sustainable policy: Economic (money), Science, Ethics and Law. The main point he made was that our current policies are set based on roughly 90 percent economic, 8 percent existing law, 2 percent Science —with no ethical influence and therefore the policies are unsustainable. This is a critical point because the basis of ethics is moral principle — the difference between right and wrong. I realize that everyone’s opinion of right and wrong varies, but I also know few who think child abuse is acceptable. I will save that for another time.
China is a great example of how letting economics control policy will fail. I anticipated their fall; they have been consuming natural resources at an astonishingly destructive rate. It baffles me because the U.S. has already been down that road and barely survived.
So instead of learning from the United States industrial spike and falter, China goes and hits the turbo button. I almost feel bad that they can’t breathe their air but not really. They were the batch of lemmings that just fell in line and did as they were told. We Americans need to open our eyes and change ourselves before we become a true two-party system — those in charge and those who are controlled.
The two-party system is broken. To suggest that either Republican or Democrat is better for the people of the U.S. is ignorant. We need leaders with no preference other than what is best for the majority.
There are several important issues that people feel very strongly about — gun control, abortion, same-sex marriage, immigration etc. Each one should be addressed on its own, not lumped together because you are on one side of the fence or the other. To me the answers are clear: If your decisions only put your person in danger, so be it. It’s a free country and no one should be able say different.
Now if your actions place others in danger, laws should be in place to thwart those actions. For example, helmet laws — if you want to run the risk of squashing your grape on the highway, more power to you. If you want to go 100 mph into oncoming traffic, you shouldn’t be allowed to ride. I understand there are gray areas, especially when it comes to issues like abortion. I don’t think it should be encouraged as a form of birth control, but those individuals have to live with that decision for the rest of their lives.
I feel like having to pick a side is what turns me off politics so much. There is so little mention of how any candidates really plan to make positive changes. Donald Trump leads in the polls because he is offensive and unapologetic. Maybe he has a point that political correctness has gone too far, but will he look to tip the scales back and realign our economic equality? I doubt it.
As I take the pulse of my fellow Americans, all I hear is anger and an attitude of what difference does it make? I share their disgust but blaming anyone and everyone but yourself is not the answer. If we all take a look at the man in the mirror (as corny as that sounds), we really can change things. It’s just a thought.