Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesdays – Finding the Best Way Forward

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Conservative, Democrat, Global Challenges, Issues, JFK, Liberal, Politics, Republican, SOTU

“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” – John F. Kennedy

Read more at: Brainy Quotes

The President of the United States delivered the State of the Union address last night. 76% of the American people approved of his speech. For those readers who are not from the United States, the State of the Union (SOTU on Twitter) is delivered by the President at the first part of the year, typically at the end of January. This year it was delivered late because of the U.S. Government’s shutdown.

JFK got it right. The only way to make progress in any government is to deliberate, debate, and compromise. Finger pointing, name calling, and all the rest will never deliver the results any country on the globe wishes to make to improve the lives of its citizens. The only way forward is to engage each other in dialogue, working through the issues, weighing what’s right or wrong, and pushing legislation forward that serves the people of the nation(s) it is being created for.

We all have our political slants. We all have a vision of where our respective countries need to move forward. It is so easy to get aligned with one side of the political spectrum and attack the other side. If you find yourself getting too stressed out when watching the news or a political talk show, take stock of yourself. The news outlets of today are designed to stress you out. The news is designed to frighten, create conflicts out of nothing, and support one side or another. If you find yourself in this situation, simply walk away. Take a break from it. That being said, be tolerant and educate yourself.

Read the legislation that is in consideration. Listen and read about these issues from a variety of sources. You’ll have a well-rounded view about what is about to take place and truly understand the issue. Understand both sides of an issue, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. If you can do that, you will be in the unique position of understanding why your position works because you can argue the other side’s views as good or better than they can.

There are many issues we all face in the years to come. The challenges of Global Warming, Terrorism, Poverty, Disease, Technology, and Human Trafficking. These challenges will be met and beaten by an educated citizenry who elect people who are truly deserving of the political posts they are running for.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Happy Martin Luther King Day!

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Amendments, change, Constitution, JFK, Martin Luther King, MLK, Rights

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history. Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s day. It marks this day to celebrate the work of MLK during his lifetime—to get our government to do the right thing—offer the freedom to people of all color. Today is a testament to his work.

The idea of America is a unique one. Our form of government is like no other. This “grand experiment” began with many challenges, the first of which required a constitution. If you’ve ever read the Federalist papers, you’ll see the challenges our young nation faced at its beginning.

Slavery existed when our nation formed. It was an abhorrent practice, but one that was accepted across the globe as “normal”. Nations benefited by free labor and the slaves suffered horribly in our country and others.

Today, slavery is non-existent in most of the free world. America took a long time to rid itself of the inequalities that plagued many of color for centuries. Are we there yet? Well, sort of. I think many people have more opportunity today than they did when voting, college, and other “white” privileges were off-limits to these people. Being relegated to the back of a bus, a drinking fountain, a certain part of a restaurant, or even a job are all realities of a very dark past.

America changed. It adapted. It altered the way people are treated. America didn’t volunteer to do this. It was forced by individuals like MLK, JFK, Lyndon Johnson, and many others. The change was not easy, however. It required new laws, debate, argument, protest, and all the rest.

As our society evolves from one generation to the next, we are seeing that there are even more changes required to truly offer a non-discriminatory and inclusive society to all Americans. The changes required will cause even more new laws, debate, argument, and protest. Will we get there? Yes. America always has. We will get there because as our society evolves, the changes will come. They will come through a new Martin Luther King, Jr., a new JFK, a new Lyndon Johnson, a new Malcolm X, or a new Cesar Chavez. They will come because this is America, and this is what we do.

Social change forces change. It always does; it always has. For those that do not want to change, the revolution of ideas that will come forth will be a hard pill to swallow. This is not unlike the changes the country had to accept when schools were desegregated, new populations of people were granted the right to vote, the right to own property, and many other rights that are on the books today.

Is America perfect? No. But its founders were brilliant men that were knowledgeable enough to realize that our country would evolve, both to the world and to the needs of its citizenry. Subsequently, these men constructed the Constitution to allow for these unforeseen changes. The Constitution could be amended, and so it has.

Martin Luther King, Jr. served as a catalyst for change in this country, along with many others throughout our history. They fought against the odds but stuck with their principles. They were right, and the country would have to change. This is what heroes are made of. Heroes like MLK are once in a generation, but they are there. Some kid in high school will grow up to be the trailblazer for the changes our society will seek.

America is not perfect, but it is the one place in this world that people want to come to. They come here for better living conditions. They come here to provide a better life for their family. They come here because it is a safe place to raise their kids.

Until next week…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Daily Quotes

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Action, Character, Denis Waitley, Garrison Keillor, Gratitude, Integrity, JFK, John F Kennedy

“Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough.” –  Garrison Keillor

I really enjoy this quote because I try to live it every day. Each day we are granted is a blessing. This life is a privilege that should not be wasted.

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” –  Denis Waitley

Yeah! Another great quote about being in a state of happiness, not chasing after it. The moment you or I chase something we begin a meaningless journey like a rodent in an exercise wheel—it runs and runs and never gets where it’s going. Just be happy. It’s that simple.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” –  John F. Kennedy

This quote is one of my favorites from JFK. It literally is all about showing up and doing, being, and acting, not talking, bragging, or pontificating. Actions demonstrate who you really are, not your words, even when you speak them to yourself. There is a center in all of us that will not live with a liar.

I hope everyone has a terrific weekend!

Until tomorrow….