Rusty’s View

I am just a simple man and don’t generally like to make waves about politics, but, since this is an election year, I have few things I want to get off my chest. I promise you, I don’t do this very often because I really don’t much care for politics or politicians, but I do think I could really go off on a political rant right now. (In fact, I think I will.)

With the coming elections and all of the hype and propaganda that goes along with them I am frustrated by not just a few — but all — politicians. They gripe me with their political one-sidedness and their unwillingness to take the blame for anything. (They never miss a chance to blame the other party for all of the ills that plague our country, though.)

Personally, I miss the politicians of old (some called them ’statesmen’) that actually used to care about America and the people in it. I know, I know, you don’t have to remind me … they had their own agendas and their own pork barrels, but when it came down to it, they cared more about our country than their own party lines and agendas. When it came to choosing between their own agendas and what was best for all of America, they usually chose the bigger picture which included the ‘all’ of us rather than the ‘few’.

I have my own thoughts and feelings about the war in Iraq. Now that I have said that and caused your mind to wonder, I want to make perfectly clear that I have nothing but the highest respect for our military personnel in all branches. They are warriors and heroes and the ones that put themselves in the way of harm that we here at home don’t have to.

Here is my problem with when the politicians begin to talk about such things. They lose site of all but their own sorry selves and say stupid and demeaning things about the war and the warriors. It seems they too easily forget how much harm they bring with the words they use with their ‘politico-speak’ soundbites to those out there in harms way.

I really don’t believe it is good for anyone in our country to criticize our brave soldiers in an open forum to the world with statements that can be propagandized and taken completely out of context. It is much too easy for the politicians to take a party stance and say things that are a result of an emotional response rather than fact based input and regret them later. The problem is they don’t say their apologies in the same public forum they used to spout their emotional rhetoric and, unfortunately, it wouldn’t make any difference anyway, because the previous statements they made are the ones that made the propaganda blogs and websites throughout the world. No attention will be paid to even the most heartfelt apology because it would not fit their cause.

Words are very powerful and can either kill and destroy or uplift and heal. I am so tired of hearing the politicians (and high-ranking officials and soldiers with political agendas) spew out their attention and vote seeking ignorance and think they will not have to answer for the consequences of using their visibility to say what ever they want. The problem as I see it is they don’t think about the big picture. They see things only through their small little tunnel vision and speak without thinking of what effect their words may have on innocent individuals throughout the world. (Believe me, I am not so naive to think that we are a perfect nation but I do believe we are a truly great nation. I also know there isn’t a perfect nation anywhere on this planet.)

Now, don’t misunderstand; I am not saying these people don’t have the right to speak, I am just saying they need to keep tighter lips and work more directly and quietly (possibly even behind the scenes), to make changes rather than flagrantly dragging our nation, our soldiers and our people through the dirt on a global scale simply to express their ‘opinion’ and accomplish nothing more than chaotic responses to their particular emotional outbursts.

In my opinion, the very ones that register their complaints the loudest are the ones that are nothing more than empty cans. They make a lot of noise but are nothing more that clutter on the landscape. They care very little for anyone or anything that does not agree with their own narrow-minded view.

The real people of the United States are the ones that don’t make it on the news with their snippet of an agenda-directed sound bite. The real America holds its tongue and speaks responsibly through its actions and concerns for the nation and the world and by doing good throughout both rather than speaking emotionally to the world seeking only their own glory and aggrandizement.

It is my hope that the people of this nation and the world look out and see the real people of America and not the ones that make the nightly news on a regular basis. Ours is a nation of people that are quietly great and do great things that most news people would look on with a “ho-hum” attitude because what they do is right and good and “not newsworthy”.

The time has come for the self centered politician or person to close his/her mouth and open their eyes to the real people and the real needs of this great nation. We need public servants that really do care for this country and the interests of the people in it, not self-serving politicians that can’t think of anything or anyone but their own self-serving interests.