There are many areas of agreement among Americans regardless of party affiliation. Most of us believe that healthcare is due reform in some manner. Most of us believe in smaller government, personal responsibility and defending the constitution. Most of us believe Washington is corrupt and big changes must occur in order to secure our freedoms for generations to come.
See? We can agree. It's the details that trip us up on the journey towards unity.
The thing is we, as Americans, will never ever totally agree on how to proceed. So we engage in compromise. We listen to each other, see that we disagree, and decide for the sake of our mutual love for one another that we will each give and take. You get some. I get some.
Interestingly enough, this lesson starts at home. Anyone who lives with even one other person understands the fine art of you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. I won't always be happy about the way things shake out, but I won't always be miserable either. Same for you. It's this give and take, coupled with respect, that gets us through together, that unites us.
Common sense compromise is what's missing in Washington. We have an administration that delights in expanding new parameters of arrogance and offers a daily dose of disrespect to over half of those with whom they share a home. Barry and Crew have made it abundantly clear what they intend to do: DISREGARD YOUR VOICE. Compromise is not in their vocabulary. Doesn't work for them.
The swiftness of their deceit, their bullying, their pushing forward at all costs has shocked more than those of us on the right. All we have to do to prove that statement is to look at Massachusetts and the Scott Brown win. The right wasn't purely responsible for electing Brown and effectively slamming on the emergency brake of our run-away government. This win took people from all parties. It took folks of all parties, who are gravely concerned about the direction Barry is marching, to change history's course in one election.
It was a joy to witness. It strengthened my faith in America and her people who have said ENOUGH! We raised our collective voices and action against Washington's power grab. We once again took part in a great American tradition: We dumped the figurative tea in the harbor.
I was asked last week why I come here 5 days a week (for almost a year now!) and write about Washington. Truthfully, I get asked that a lot, usually with rolled eyes and a sense of pity that I waste my time blogging. My answer is always the same: Each voice matters.
Each. Voice. Matters.
I was given the response of "What can one person do? We have no power. It doesn't make a difference."
I do not say each voice matters lightly, flippantly, or even as an exaggeration; I believe it to my core. WE DO HAVE POWER. That this person believed they couldn't make a difference is exactly the mindset the left covets. They want you to believe that you don't have any power, that you can't possibly do anything that can make a difference with your voice. That's where they derive their power. That's where they step in and eat your brains. You can't do anything worth anything without them in control. Government knows best.
It's the lie of the ages.
I believe that one voice is compounded by many. I come here 5 days a week and spout off, give Washington the finger, and leave you with links, articles, numbers, videos, and maybe a little laugh now and then, and my bet is you click in, read a bit, learn a new naughty word, then click out. But it doesn't stop there. By your decision to read here or any other blog means you are interested in what is happening. You are talking to folks about politics. You are owning your power to speak and share and hone your beliefs. That is freedom, baby.
Now, what if I didn't write here? You'd get your stuff somewhere else. There'd be one less voice. But one less voice may mean others remain silent. One less voice may mean others believe the lie that they can't do anything about Washington. One less voice decreases the strength of the whole, the power of the whole.
One voice supports another. One voice encourages another. One voice strengthens another. That's what we are witnessing today. Each voice matters. When you talk, someone listens. Not everyone, but someone. Each voice matters. We strengthen one another; we support one another; we encourage one another. EACH. VOICE. MATTERS.
Without the mocked Tea Parties, without the obscure blogs, without the political newbs who fought the establishment and union thugs at the Town Halls, without the dinner table discussions with our children, without the collective raising of our voices, one encouraging the other and other and other until BOOM! a Republican takes The People's Seat in Massachusetts, we wouldn't be on the cusp of taking back our country for those who wish to harm her, to harm you.
Yes, we disagree on many things, but today we are together despite our varying political views to fight for a common goal. How are we getting right what Washington destroys on a daily basis? We understand, some for the first time in their life, that this country, no matter how diverse, no matter how many opinions, no matter how divided, no matter how nasty politics remains, is worth getting right.
To those who ask why I come here, offering all I can in this dog fight for freedom, no matter how small the effect of my words may be, I say again: Every voice matters.
Remaining silent is not an option for me.
You may not want to write a blog, you may not want to call Washington, you may not want to sign a petition, but you can find a way for your voice to be heard. It is a powerful freedom you still enjoy. Use it.
I'll leave you with the ending of the Republican SOTU response:
Our Founders pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to create this nation.
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5 comments:
Well said Patti. I think that there is a lot of room for agreement -- there always has been. The problem, however, is at the fringes -- the surrender or die people who only care about single issues. They don't care about agreement, they want submission.
The problem over the past 10 years or so, has become that the Democrats have been taken over by their fringe. They want the government to force people to accept things that they can't convince people to accept on their own. That's what's bringing out the hate and the angery and the resentment.
andrew: exactly. i agree 100%. time for folks to wakey-wakey. the fringe is just that, fringe. they speak for very few, yet carry louder-than-most voices and threats. time to escort those politically-correct, scare-tactic, wannabe dictators off the property. even dems are feeling it. it's going to be interesting to see how they handle this basic issue eating their party alive.
I've always believed in the power of one (as opposed to the power of The One). When I do my usual thing with political issues, they may win or lose. But every time I've gotten deeply-involved in a campaign or an issue, we've won. That's the power of one. It isn't my personal involvement that does it, it's the fact that if it's that important, there will be lots of other "ones" out there to do the same things. I see a lot of "ones" in New Jersey, Virginia, Massachusetts and throughout the tea party movement. That's how we "ones" effect change.
In the movie A Bug's Life, the ants are oppressed by the grasshoppers because they've been bullied into thinking that they need their protection. The turning point of the movie comes when the ants realize they can stand up to the grashoppers when they work together and overwhelm them by their numbers.
A skit we did in our church comes to mind as well. Imagine fifteen people standing in a line. The first one says, "I'm only one person. What can I do?"
You get the idea when the second person says the line with the first person. When it's repeated fifteen times, you see the power of just one voice.
Great post, Patti, as always!
jenny: thanks so much. really.
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