Perspectives

While it might be easy to see what I am about
to point to as "political," I would like to
suggest in advance that you consider reading
what I write without a "political" tint.

Often things that appear as political are
instantly polarizing by the perceived label,
and I would dare say/suggest that that may be
part of the problem we face with the world
within the dynamics of "politics." After all,
behind the politics are living, breathing
individuals.

I have been noticing how people are reacting
to some of the things that are coming up in
regard to the Republican candidates. One of
those things was the reaction some had to
Romney offering to bet $10K on a fact that
another candidate disputed. Then there is
Gingrich who tells "black people" to get
work instead of food stamps, and then there
is Santorum who has made comments about gay
marriages as well as statements about those
who have pre-existing medical conditions.

What I find interesting about all of this is
that what they are saying isn't all that
unusual in the weave of life. It just so
happens, though, that because they are
candidates everything they say, do, and
believe is publicly scrutinized.

I am all for people having their varying
opinions, as it is what makes being in a
culture that can freely express itself so
great. However, in the process of expressing
opinions, often things will happen as a
result. Odds are the things that do happen
as a result of one person's choices will
hardly ever impact them or their loved ones.
Or so, it would seem to me, any way.

Why would someone want to encourage something
if it in some way wouldn't be in their favor?

So it might be easy for one who has great
health and great medical coverage to say
that those who aren't well should pay more,
as s/he (as the case may be) will likely
never be in the position to know what it is
like to need coverage, but not be able
to get it.

It might be easy to judge someone who has
millions for making a seemingly small
(relatively) bet because it means he
doesn't recognize the value that money
has to someone who can barely make ends
meet.

The fact is that in both cases, and many
more like them, there are judgments that
come into play that may, or may not, be
fair or accurate in another person's
experience because the circumstances and
relative world are different.

Does it make any of the parties inherently
bad or unrelatable? I'd say likely no
more than an average number of people we
interact with on an average day. There
can be no way that any one person can
relate to every other person in regard to
every thing.

There are many conversations that could
come out of this, but the one that I
would like to focus on is the one that
doesn't require a vote. It is the one
that has us look at others and do our
best to understand how another may be,
and to do the best to help them when
needed...even if it is "just" to understand
how we might do something in a different
way that could create a different, more
productive outcome as a whole. After all,
we may one day be in the shoes of someone
who needs to have some compassion and
understanding and help, too.

This is not to say that people aren't
responsible for themselves, but rather
that if we are going to have a world
that works, it might behoove us to be
a bit more responsible for how the
pieces of our world come together, and
our perceptions, and that might mean
moving out of our own personal, myopic
world - even if just temporarily.

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