Politics And What It Means To You.

- EDITOR'S NOT: Somehow this got deleted today. So, here it is again.

When I was growing up my Grandfather told me there are two things that you don’t argue over, “Religion And Politics”. That really didn’t make sense to me at the time, probably because I was around 10 years old and the only thing’s that I argued over were the injustices of my mother, and the intolerable feelings I had toward my younger sister (a whole different couch blog), not realizing the importance of the people we elect or the pontiffs that get assigned to “oversee” our well being. I always viewed religion and politics as one and the same, and never really gave it a second thought.

My first memory of being political was the ’88 election between Bush Sr., and Michael Dukakis. I remember REALLY liking Dukakis, and I was only 7. I don’t know why. I was one of the first generations raised on the video camera and television and movies always fascinated me, so that probably played a part, especially considering the career path I took. But, as far back as I can remember, I always had an opinion on politics.

My first real foray into politics, and the first time, I believe I voted, was in the 2000 presidential race. I remember thinking that I was going to vote to make a difference. It was a time of weird change for our country, the new millennium, and the world. Well, it happened, the change definitely came, but not a change we expected. We ushered in the new millennium under a veil of fear and uncertainty, then events quickly arose that would magnify those emotions one hundred fold.

A lot has changed over the last 11 years, and I don’t think that anyone can argue that those fears and uncertainty now far outweigh the positives and advances that we envisioned. We are constantly on edge about what to expect or what can happen at any given moment. The media, religion, and the politicians have engrained in our psyche a paranoia that we’ll HAVE to pass universal healthcare just to pay for the psychiatric visits our society will have to endure. Just watching the news is like reading a Dean Koontz novel EVERY DAY. And I know people will say that “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality has been there since the inception, but not to these levels. With the 24-hour news cycle and the Internet, we are just reinforcing those emotions and “letting the concrete cure”, so to speak. It’s a buffet that we have all knowingly, or unknowingly, brought our plate up to feed at.

Now, I might seem like a hypocrite for saying that because of what I have chosen to do with my life. Never in a million years would I think that I would be involved in politics in ANY WAY, but the path set itself up for that happening. All we here at TwentyFiveEight want to be is be good storytellers, but storytelling doesn’t have to be fictional, or happen in the past, a story can be happening right now….and they are. Even as I write this, stories are unfolding all around you. There are people out there fighting for their lives to make a difference. What you have to do is be able to know which stories are important, and which stories are special effects Michael Bay movies (Did I mention I’m a HUGE Michael Bay fan, but I am willing to admit his faults).

The current political climate, especially in NEPA is filled with a who’s who of political veterans. The same ones that claim a change needs to happen, which is kind of counter intuitive because if they get re-elected doesn’t that mean things stay the same? Meanwhile, the people who don’t have the backing of powerful people, or the name recognition to raise funds are being left in the dust and forgotten, without even getting a fighting chance; all things being equal, on any given Sunday ANYONE can win. That idea doesn’t apply to politics, national or local. It’s who has the most money WINS.

We have been fortunate enough to get to know some of these “Great Unknowns” over the last two years and it has served a two-fold effect on us. For one, we have learned how the political system runs; be it good or bad, it just is. The other is, we have learned to hope again, and to believe in something, which in this world, is pretty tough.

Now, come Election Day next week, nobody really knows for sure who will win, and if they do then they’re involved in criminal activity and I’m sure the FBI will find them (word is they’re supposed to be here a while). All joking aside, nobody can definitively make a call. The political forecasters are just like weathermen, it’s the only job you can keep being wrong 90% of the time and still keep it. What does this mean to you? Well, there’s still time. Time to educate yourself on who’s running and why? Most intelligent, sane people don’t run for office because they think it will be fun, they run because they think they can make a difference. They have heard a higher calling than you or I will ever hear, and I commend them for that. But, you and I are voters, and we owe it to ourselves to get educated about who we want to speak for us, and who can do the most selfless job.

I would never presume to tell you who to vote for, but I can tell you who NOT to vote for. Don’t vote for someone because of his or her name, that isn’t good enough. Don’t vote for someone who you don’t think has time to hear your voice. Don’t vote for someone who focuses less time on the challenges, than pointing out the faults in others. Don’t vote for someone whom you didn’t educate yourself on. Don’t vote for someone who talks out of the side of their face. You SHOULD vote for someone whom you think is qualified. You SHOULD vote for someone that puts your needs and concerns first. You SHOULD vote for someone who reflects your values and ideals. And after all that is said and done, YOU SHOULD VOTE!

-Markie