Our Sacred Role in Democracy
Politicians and Financial Leaders Bicker over Wall Street Bailout
Presidential Candidate Suspends Campaign
Congressional Talks on Credit Crisis Breakdown
As recent headlines suggest– this fall, what was to be our rapt attention to America’s quadrennial electoral season has been totally derailed. The usual political banter in urban coffee shops and small town restaurants has almost completely shifted away from evaluation of the candidates (except regarding their media-hyped personalities) and discussions of the party platforms (most people don’t even know what these documents contain). Instead, wealthy investors as well as those living paycheck-to-paycheck are transfixed by the hour-to-hour coverage of our national financial crisis. Money and the curse of its power have consumed us. With unpredictable posturing, media-generated suspense and continuing financial bad news, the whole country has become obsessed with the Reality TV programming of Washington and New York as they reconsider their mortgages and their 401(k) allocation.
Hellooo, America! In just five weeks, as part of the most successful democracy in the world, we will be asked to select the party and individuals to lead our country for the next four years! My informal survey of likely voters reveals that most people don’t even know what core values the Republican and Democratic platforms present nor do they know how each candidate will interpret and manifest those values. Instead, folks know what outfit Sarah Palin wore yesterday, what John McCain’s people say about Barak Obama and whether Congressional staffers smiled or frowned leaving a meeting with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. As of this post, the big news is whether or not the first Presidential debate is on or off or on again.
While I am certainly among those who grieve the results of our recent culture of greed and corruption (the military-industrial profit taking, ridiculous CEO salaries, unbridled risk-taking by financial institutions, manipulation of the markets, sliding standard of living), I also recognize that whatever the reasons for our current crisis, a timely solution rather than finger-pointing is needed. This is certainly not a situation that can be ignored.
Even so, it is also not a situation that should interrupt our Presidential election! First of all, whatever Paulson and Congress decide, in just three and half months, everything could change when a new administration takes over. The Presidency, Vice-Presidency, the Cabinet and many positions in the House and Senate will host new office holders with their own ideas about how to lead this country, and we are the ones to choose who those people will be! Secondly, there are other near crisis issues on our collective table; namely, universal healthcare, environmental and energy solutions, global conflicts, public education, infrastructure reinvestment, science and technology, race and religion and the list goes on.
So, as those committed to the Greater Good, as those who want this nation to be a blessing to its people and as citizens of the world, what should we be doing? Here are some InSpiritry suggestions:
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Get involved. Make your opinions known to your Congressmen and Senators. Call, write, email…and then stop fretting and let the process work.
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Check your own financial situation. Be wise. Be frugal. Make adjustments, then have faith in our leaders.
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Recommit to being an informed voter. Explore the Republican and Democratic platforms. Candidates believe in these documents dealing with a wide range of issues. Compare them to your own values.
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View the media with a grain of salt. Drama makes good programming and advertising dollars. It does not always make rational information.
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Watch the presidential debates (if we have one!) and explore all candidate websites. Be investigative. What do these people stand for politically, spiritually, personally, socially, globally?
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Listen to your heart and examine your own beliefs. Step away from making personality judgments or deciding which candidate is “like” you. Think about who you can trust with your family’s future, who can offer visionary, ethical, open-hearted care of our country and the world.
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V-O-T-E!! Yes, vote. Take that sacred step for freedom. You still have about a week to register, if you are not registered. If you are, make sure you know where to vote and make plans for Election Day.
Around the world, the U.S. agenda is to spread democracy and the values of freedom. Among those essential values is the right to choose our own leaders. Let us speak to each other with the same fervor that we speak abroad. Let’s remind each other that everything we do as a nation pales in comparison to the free and fair election of our leaders. Don’t be distracted. Don’t be dismayed. Don’t be discouraged.
When We Choose Great Leaders, America Can Be a Blessing!
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