Written November 22nd 2015
So I’m gonna lay it out there for everyone curious just so you know where I stand. Clear as mud, square peg/round hole.
I am not a conservative. I am not a liberal. I am me and I am human. I have seen the worst parts of our social existence and have been there on more people’s worst days than I care to remember. My mentality and perspective of the world is in direct relation to those life experiences.
I support our military. I know them, work with them, and admire them. I believe in the right to own and bear weapons. I love my gay friends and support their right to marry. I believe in a woman’s choice regarding her own body. I also believe in giving life a chance whenever possible. I believe in national security, and feel that we as Americans should support one another whenever possible and especially protect our own every time we possibly can. My career is a testament to that belief. Our grandfathers and grandmothers, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters fought for the title of “American”. They believed in it, and I believe in it. That is individual to us because none other than Americans have that same history. A rag tag group who wanted a better life for themselves and their future generations. I believe that everyone with intentions for prosperity and happiness has a right to take a chance, on the backs of their own labor, at becoming a part of our nation, but I don’t believe in free rides. Earn it.
I believe that everyone is an equal in this world. As such we should all be treated equally. That includes respect, love, compassion and humanitarianism. It also includes the not so easy parts of equality: labor, sweat, and blood when needed. I am a firm believer in individual drive. I believe that you get out what you put in. That is the true pride generator. I believe that you must experience to appreciate. I believe that we are all equally capable of anything in this world, it all just depends on how much you want it. I believe that the world owes you nothing. I believe that life is hard. Family is more important than almost anything, that goes for blood and non-blood. I don’t believe in the government having any more control than is absolutely necessary, and that is based on how many times I have seen them get it wrong. No I don’t want them in control of my healthcare, guns, property, or anything else that I have worked to obtain because they didn’t earn it, I did. Without my elders I would have none of it, not because of money they gave me, but because of pride they taught me. I believe that we control the government, they shouldn’t control us. We are their bosses according to our founding fathers despite what the Trumps and the Clintons would have you believe. Equality is based on respect for one another. If you don’t give respect, then don’t expect it. If you haven’t earned respect, then do something to earn it. I am not as good as my parents or grandparents, but I’ll keep trying. I believe that we all have more in common with one another than we realize, because we are all fighting the same fight in one way or another. Love one another because of that. Quit fighting and looking for reasons to disregard your neighbor because some person in a box has convinced you that your ideology is better than theirs. It isn’t. You are no better than they are and I am no better than you. I don’t go to church. I don’t want dogma dictating my personal way of life in a legislative way. However, I respect your right to believe in your God and as long as that belief is giving you something out of life for the positive, and not causing harm to your fellow man, then I want you to continue your faith. Be the ambassador of that faith that gives your religion a good name in everyone’s eyes.
I am myself and I’m neither a liberal or a conservative. I am an American. So where is my place in the political spectrum? As it stands, I don’t have one. I don’t care. At some point some of you are going to think of me as one or another in a way that possibly makes you think less of me. Make no mistake, your diversity in my eyes is just an example of a human experiencing itself. Believe me though when I say: we all bleed red, and we all cry salt water. Life is short, don’t walk on your neighbor’s back to get a better place in line, because as soon as you do, somebody will be waiting for you to trip and will trample you without a thought.
Go out there and make today better than yesterday. Do it for yourself and in the end you’ll be bringing everyone else to the top with you.
Now that you know where I stand, where do you?