(no subject)
This is a paper my friend Daniel in my Theatre for Social Change class wrote(we had to write a paper on the presidential debate that took place here to make up for the week of classes we missed!). Just read it:
My Thoughts on the Presidential Debate: My initial reaction is to scream at everyone's opinions. I don't like how everyone almost blindly qualifies a candidate without seriously wrestling with the debates. In the past few days I've been flicked off, told who to vote for, and blatantly disregarded for my political opinions. I bring this up to explain how I see politics: as mere opinions. It's all in who you believe. No candidate have ever lived up to everything they've promised, why should we expect that now. I'm sorry, I think I started this thing off on the wrong foot. Still, I want to keep my feelings in on this, as they are prevalent in how I view this debate. Personally, I am a moderate. I think that going into this last debate I could swing either way. I'm sorry if that makes you cringe, but hey, it's how I feel. I see two candidates who I like very much for some reasons, and who I dislike for others. This is the journey of how I saw my vote being shaped as I watched the debate. In the beginning I kind of knew that I felt bad for Bush, namely because so many people hate him. He was elected to office, and he did his best, and I think he deserves a lot of credit for that. Also, I recognize that my personal biases (I'm from the south, and I'm registered Republican) play a factor in that. I know in the beginning that I can't let the people who support either candidate get to me, because I've seen bad supporters on both sides. So, letting go of the fact that I see a lot of democrats as radicals, and a lot of conservatives as close-minded, I find myself calling myself an undecided moderate. And I tell no one. Well, a few people I trust not to lace into me when I tell them I haven't made up my mind yet know, but for the most part, this is a sore subject for me. Which is interesting, because I'll talk Religion to anyone and everyone, and I feel totally comfortable talking to someone with completely opposite of me in those debates. See, the difference to me is that I can argue philosophy; I can argue morality in religious discussion. That's where my heart is. In politics, you have two guys who do not represent diverse America well, and they bad mouth each other and make empty promises. Not completely, but it's a cornucopia in gray-area, where I like much better to discuss black and white. So, I'm watching the debate, and I focus on the issues. Gay marriage comes up. Both candidates discuss that they are against gay marriage. I agree, because I am too, and I wish they had said what I think about it. I believe that the word "marriage" is a Christian tradition between a man and a woman, and it is. Both presidents agree with that. A civil union, however, is all the government should be worried about. This should be between any two people who want to commit themselves to each other. And, they should all have the same benefits. If either candidate had said that, I would have sided with them, but as it stands, neither of their answers satisfied me. Instead, Bush talked about his amendment, which turned me off to his ideas more. A little later comes Social Security. This is an important issue to me, because I believe that my generation is going to get stuck with the burden of paying down if not off this problem. We will get screwed. Bush attempted a rough outline of his plan. Kerry attacked Bush's plan, and offered none of his own. I don't take much to negative campaigning, so I didn't like that much. Later, came the discussion about Religion and its effects on the candidate's lives. I was impressed that I could find something in both candidates that satisfied me on this issue. It was then that I realized, and I may be the only one in America, but that I'd be happy with both candidates as president. They are moral, respectable, men of principal, and I like that a lot. I'm starting to feel better about this thing by the minute. Then came Affirmative Action. I like this issue because I studied it of a paper, and I really liked Kerry's answer to it. He said that AA is the best thing we've got to date, it's not perfect, but we still need it, especially when women are earning 76 cents on the dollar to every man. That is terrible, and something that we need to and are going to change. Bush gave a similar example, and I give Kerry a slight edge on that. The question about the women in their lives I found to be very interesting. I got from Bush that he loved the question, and that he was extremely happy to talk about his love for his wife. Kerry talked about all the women he could think of, and while I don't think it was insincere, I think it was a little to much like a politician. I gave the slight advantage to Bush for that one. As you can see, after the debate I was a little unsure still. I started again thinking about all the opinionated people who I feel oppress me and my voice, because I don't want to start an argument. I went to the Kerry rally because it was close to where I live and I thought it would be fun. It was! There were lots of people there and it made me feel good to be in such an energetic environment. Then something else occurred to me. All of these people who are so "politically" active, could be doing so many things with their lives. The question kept seeping into my brain, "are politics just lip service?" As a concerned American, is this the best way and the most that I can effect my society? Heck no I thought to myself. It's great to see all of these people charged up over issues, but why do these only come up in election years? What do people do with their time during the off years? Complain? As corny as it may sound, I started thinking about the story about the Little Red Hen, the hen that worked so hard so her kids could eat. Then, there are all of these other people who are there to take the credit, and aren't there to do the work. It's a story that tells you that hard work pays off. How does this pertain to politics? Well, if people's ideas are not just lip service, I think there is more to be done in four years time other than just vote. I work at a church as a youth director, and I get the joy of feeling that I make a difference in peoples lives almost daily. We effect each other so much more than we realize, and that's what so great about the gray-area in our lives. The point is, no candidate has ever gotten all the right answers, because there are none. I think that voting is important, but more important than the opinions are doing things about it in your community. One of my favorite quotes comes from Indra Gandhi (Gandhi's granddaughter) She says, "My grandfather always taught me that there are two kinds of people in the world. Those that do all the work, and those who take all the credit. He told me to be in the first group, there was much less competition." Having opinions is hard work, but making a difference is more important work. I respect both men for their political service, and I think they both represent good values. I have made up my mind on who I am voting for, but that isn't the most important thing I've made up my mind on these few days. Life is all about priorities. So are politics. Two candidates with the same ideas can go about them differently based on what is a priority to them if they are elected. In my life living by example and making a difference are my priorities, and I never have to be ashamed for who I am. I never have to feel uncomfortable for what I believe, and I never have to shy away from argument. For the most part, I think we as humans can agree, we just need to set our priorities in rational ways. I wonder: What if 25,000 people met at Tempe town lake, not to promote Kerry, but to help solve world hunger, or work on recycling? Wouldn't we have a better America regardless of who is in office?
My Thoughts on the Presidential Debate: My initial reaction is to scream at everyone's opinions. I don't like how everyone almost blindly qualifies a candidate without seriously wrestling with the debates. In the past few days I've been flicked off, told who to vote for, and blatantly disregarded for my political opinions. I bring this up to explain how I see politics: as mere opinions. It's all in who you believe. No candidate have ever lived up to everything they've promised, why should we expect that now. I'm sorry, I think I started this thing off on the wrong foot. Still, I want to keep my feelings in on this, as they are prevalent in how I view this debate. Personally, I am a moderate. I think that going into this last debate I could swing either way. I'm sorry if that makes you cringe, but hey, it's how I feel. I see two candidates who I like very much for some reasons, and who I dislike for others. This is the journey of how I saw my vote being shaped as I watched the debate. In the beginning I kind of knew that I felt bad for Bush, namely because so many people hate him. He was elected to office, and he did his best, and I think he deserves a lot of credit for that. Also, I recognize that my personal biases (I'm from the south, and I'm registered Republican) play a factor in that. I know in the beginning that I can't let the people who support either candidate get to me, because I've seen bad supporters on both sides. So, letting go of the fact that I see a lot of democrats as radicals, and a lot of conservatives as close-minded, I find myself calling myself an undecided moderate. And I tell no one. Well, a few people I trust not to lace into me when I tell them I haven't made up my mind yet know, but for the most part, this is a sore subject for me. Which is interesting, because I'll talk Religion to anyone and everyone, and I feel totally comfortable talking to someone with completely opposite of me in those debates. See, the difference to me is that I can argue philosophy; I can argue morality in religious discussion. That's where my heart is. In politics, you have two guys who do not represent diverse America well, and they bad mouth each other and make empty promises. Not completely, but it's a cornucopia in gray-area, where I like much better to discuss black and white. So, I'm watching the debate, and I focus on the issues. Gay marriage comes up. Both candidates discuss that they are against gay marriage. I agree, because I am too, and I wish they had said what I think about it. I believe that the word "marriage" is a Christian tradition between a man and a woman, and it is. Both presidents agree with that. A civil union, however, is all the government should be worried about. This should be between any two people who want to commit themselves to each other. And, they should all have the same benefits. If either candidate had said that, I would have sided with them, but as it stands, neither of their answers satisfied me. Instead, Bush talked about his amendment, which turned me off to his ideas more. A little later comes Social Security. This is an important issue to me, because I believe that my generation is going to get stuck with the burden of paying down if not off this problem. We will get screwed. Bush attempted a rough outline of his plan. Kerry attacked Bush's plan, and offered none of his own. I don't take much to negative campaigning, so I didn't like that much. Later, came the discussion about Religion and its effects on the candidate's lives. I was impressed that I could find something in both candidates that satisfied me on this issue. It was then that I realized, and I may be the only one in America, but that I'd be happy with both candidates as president. They are moral, respectable, men of principal, and I like that a lot. I'm starting to feel better about this thing by the minute. Then came Affirmative Action. I like this issue because I studied it of a paper, and I really liked Kerry's answer to it. He said that AA is the best thing we've got to date, it's not perfect, but we still need it, especially when women are earning 76 cents on the dollar to every man. That is terrible, and something that we need to and are going to change. Bush gave a similar example, and I give Kerry a slight edge on that. The question about the women in their lives I found to be very interesting. I got from Bush that he loved the question, and that he was extremely happy to talk about his love for his wife. Kerry talked about all the women he could think of, and while I don't think it was insincere, I think it was a little to much like a politician. I gave the slight advantage to Bush for that one. As you can see, after the debate I was a little unsure still. I started again thinking about all the opinionated people who I feel oppress me and my voice, because I don't want to start an argument. I went to the Kerry rally because it was close to where I live and I thought it would be fun. It was! There were lots of people there and it made me feel good to be in such an energetic environment. Then something else occurred to me. All of these people who are so "politically" active, could be doing so many things with their lives. The question kept seeping into my brain, "are politics just lip service?" As a concerned American, is this the best way and the most that I can effect my society? Heck no I thought to myself. It's great to see all of these people charged up over issues, but why do these only come up in election years? What do people do with their time during the off years? Complain? As corny as it may sound, I started thinking about the story about the Little Red Hen, the hen that worked so hard so her kids could eat. Then, there are all of these other people who are there to take the credit, and aren't there to do the work. It's a story that tells you that hard work pays off. How does this pertain to politics? Well, if people's ideas are not just lip service, I think there is more to be done in four years time other than just vote. I work at a church as a youth director, and I get the joy of feeling that I make a difference in peoples lives almost daily. We effect each other so much more than we realize, and that's what so great about the gray-area in our lives. The point is, no candidate has ever gotten all the right answers, because there are none. I think that voting is important, but more important than the opinions are doing things about it in your community. One of my favorite quotes comes from Indra Gandhi (Gandhi's granddaughter) She says, "My grandfather always taught me that there are two kinds of people in the world. Those that do all the work, and those who take all the credit. He told me to be in the first group, there was much less competition." Having opinions is hard work, but making a difference is more important work. I respect both men for their political service, and I think they both represent good values. I have made up my mind on who I am voting for, but that isn't the most important thing I've made up my mind on these few days. Life is all about priorities. So are politics. Two candidates with the same ideas can go about them differently based on what is a priority to them if they are elected. In my life living by example and making a difference are my priorities, and I never have to be ashamed for who I am. I never have to feel uncomfortable for what I believe, and I never have to shy away from argument. For the most part, I think we as humans can agree, we just need to set our priorities in rational ways. I wonder: What if 25,000 people met at Tempe town lake, not to promote Kerry, but to help solve world hunger, or work on recycling? Wouldn't we have a better America regardless of who is in office?