Without exception, I have never stayed up to watch election
results. For me, they aren’t
important. I will eat the same
breakfast, drive on the same roads, and reach out to folks to perform whatever
job I find myself doing, regardless of who is in the White House. Certainly, I have watched some people I voted
for win, and I have watched some lose.
Like most Americans, I think that my candidates deserve to win, but I
also know that I hold a biased opinion of what matters. I have personal experiences with exactly one
US President in their residence (it wasn’t a good one), three congressmen (one Democrat and two
Republicans, and I liked all three of them), and ZERO senators. I may have more first-hand experiences than
most, but I am certain that my perspective is incomplete, at best.
Since the last election ended, I have found myself watching
an appalling display of sore losers and failure to be human. I observed an embarrassing dialog of people
who cut and pasted each other’s opinions, such as Yelp reviews of a restaurant.
I appreciate those Americans who are excited to see the USA flex its might and
act like the most powerful country in the world for the first time in a long
time. And the world is bending its knees
in fear, with only its citizens in denial that this is happening. Yet, the same people are also oblivious and are
turning a cheek at evil acts.
Like all elections, some people are depressed as they see
change evoked at near-warp speed by someone they didn’t vote for. They lament,
thinking that it wasn’t the American electorate that made that happen; it was the
act of a single, evil titan.
I don’t care, but it leaves me thinking that I want to say
something to inspire the rest of you who are looking for a pathway forward so
you can wake up, work, and live a productive life that doesn’t include cutting
and pasting some ideology that isn’t really one you will die for. I have yet to meet anyone who is protesting
the death of DEI cuts who is also willing to cease watching competitive sports. The same thing is true when they get a leak
and need a plumber. They aren’t saying
no to the white guy who can be there in an hour to wait for the black guy who
won’t be there until tomorrow. Here are five myths I want to address using
hatchet, axe, and saw that deserve your attention. Call it common sense; don’t call it
political.
Myth 1: Federal Employment represents an
entitlement like the right to vote.
As a former Peace Corps Volunteer, I was considered a part
of the Department of State. There was a
policy while I served that said, “You can’t stay in the Peace Corps for more
than five years. After that, you become
a part of the system. That is bad, so we
are capping your service at 60 months, no matter who you whine to.” That was brilliant, in retrospect. That policy
didn’t start or end with the Peace Corps.
We also have term limits on the president for parallel reasons. There is a strong agreement on both political
sides that we should have a national conversation about term limits for
Senators and Congressmen for the same reasons listed above. It isn’t evil to say, “You have contributed
enough. Priorities change, but you don’t
change like they do.”
For whatever reason, we think there is a reason to abandon
the idea of outliving your effectiveness.
At both the individual level and the department level, usefulness has an
expiration date. As I published
earlier, USAID ran its course of usefulness a very long time ago. It should have been killed 30 years ago. That is NOT a bad thing to pronounce the end
of life of a job or a department. In
fact, it is healthy.
At a recent Returned Peace Corps meeting, I listened to
background whining about people who had lost their jobs as a result of
“tyranny.” I didn’t speak, and I could
only listen as they built a not-so-subtle conclusion that our government
deserved to provide them with jobs. They
were getting fired, even though they felt they did nothing wrong.
They missed the memo. Employment is not an entitlement. It is a privilege. If I had exactly one takeaway from that
meeting, it was the need to remove the mentality that people deserve their jobs. Leaning out places where the government
overspends is a good thing. Sometimes,
you need to throw out an entire bag of apples.
No one is taking the time to realize that this was the most courageous
act of any executive government leader in my lifetime. It wasn’t cruelty; it was reality.
Myth 2: Such and Such is not my president.
For a few election cycles now, I have listened to the
passionate rhetoric of people concluding that who is the current president is
not their president. Bush 1, Bush 2, Obama,
Trump 1, Biden, and Trump 2 are all the subjects who aren’t their
president. That is delusional and
evasive of the fact that the president holds the keys. They can determine what you can and can’t do,
regardless of your opinion. They can
enact foreign policy that inhibits your ability to do business and travel. They can enforce previously lax laws and
change your behavior. They are, in fact,
the president of the United States. Your
fraudulent claims don’t change that.
My suggestion when hearing someone drop the comment that “Trump
isn’t my president” is to remember that in every society, there are “flat
earthers.” Take a pause and realize that
some people disavow the truth and refuse to look at evidence that they know
would mandate a change in position.
Everyone has a flat-earth view of something in their lives.
Suggest an alternative to those who you think might be open
to replacing their hatred with peace; start with some truth. If you hold a US Passport or claim to have US
citizenship, then the person who was elected and sworn in is the only president
of the United States. The loser doesn’t
get the title of “runner-up President of the United States.” The US President represents the United
States in executive matters, can send troops into another country to kill our
enemies, appoint judges, negotiate treaties, and direct the federal government
operations, all while sitting in a highly protected workspace. He can veto Congress and can even pardon
someone, declaring that they are above the law.
He is, in fact, your president. If you are certain that he
isn’t, relocate. Rosie O’Donnell moved
to Ireland. Ellen Degeneres moved to
England. Drop your US passport if you
don’t want what comes with it. A
president comes with your passport. So,
deal with it and move forward. Peace beats tantrums every time.
Myth 3: The best response is negativity.
James 1:20 says the obvious. “The anger of man does not bring about
righteousness that God desires.” Christians of every flavor are coming up with justifications
to exclude this teaching. It is obvious that they intentionally exclude
this from their belief structure. The rest
of us see it as the convenient expulsion of God’s word from their life.
Don’t take the bait.
Be above that. Even if you aren’t
a Christian, no faith recommends slander and defamation to achieve what you
want. Spreading bile—whether it’s X
rants or protest signs—rarely builds anything worth keeping.
I have a personal story to make my point. Obama ran under a promise to remove
government corruption and ridiculous overspending. It hit home.
During his administration, my business came under scrutiny. I spent $70,000 in legal fees only to be
found not guilty. I was mad and hurt,
and I lost a lot of sleep listening to threats about imprisonable consequences
for actions that I never took. I could
not watch the man speak about “reducing governmental waste” without reflecting
on the legal attack I experienced. My
employees experienced pay cuts because of his “reduce government spending” policy,
and I went without a salary despite being the entrepreneur and the one taking
the greatest risk. It's funny how people
forget that Obama had that policy.
When his term in office neared its end, I saw a newspaper
article while in an airport that described the additional national parks that
he signed into law during the end of his term.
I love our national parks, and it filled my heart to know that the land
was being set aside for future generations.
It gave me something positive to reflect upon. And once I did, my mentality changed. My loss remained, but there was also massive
good that came into existence that would outlive my loss.
Myth 4: I am right, and you aren’t.
I feel it is appropriate to share some anecdotal stories
about what NOT to do. They are a microcosm of the problem. This is not about disagreement. It is now dehumanizing each other.
The man who runs our local writer’s guild is an established
instructor at a local college. I love the short stories that he writes and
shares, and he is a funny guy. Some time
back, he shared that he “unfriended” someone, claiming they were a
“Trumper.” There was an additional
commentary: "There is no room in life for people who share that person’s
values.” Later, I read something from
Hamas that used the exact language as they described their passion to eliminate
the Jews. (certainly, though, he is NOT
a part of Hamas!). That sort of negativity does not bode well for
anyone’s soul. It is antithetical to
“love thy neighbor.” You may disagree
with a thought or a position, but to use politics as a justification to cancel
isn’t being a human. It is being
close-minded and fascist.
Don’t get in the “Cut and paste” reply and respond
train. If you are going to add to a
conversation, do that. “My side is
pure. Your side is trash,” is a lazy man’s
thought.
Make your meme. Write
your own story. Be inspiring.
Myth 5: Continual overspending isn’t a big deal if you
are the government.
The Roman Empire fell because of economic decline. Policies
like debt spending created unsustainable inflation, shrank the empire's tax
base, and strained its finances. In the middle of all of that, they experienced
a Barbarian invasion. After Diocletian, the empire split into two factions.
Emperors were assassinated or attempted to be. See a pattern?
We do not need to repeat the past. The US is overspending, and the correction
will hurt. Government job loss is the least of it. To be sustainable, we must
spend less or the same as we take in consistently.
We have a trend of overspending. It is bad that we aren’t
aware of the consequences. We need to be.
What can you do?
Wake up tomorrow, fry your eggs, and do your job well. The
world’s bending knees or crying foul—fine, let it. You don’t need to pick a
team or a hashtag. Call the plumber who shows up, cheer the athlete who wins,
and build something—anything—that outlasts the noise. You’ve seen presidents
come and go, and you’re still here. That’s not apathy; it’s wisdom. Share it by
living it.
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