Local & Long Term

[Ken H]

I've been following an interesting discussion on Facebook about  whether to choose this candidate or that as a way to beat an incumbent, or to stick to principles, even if it means losing... all the while, the first primary (the Iowa Caucus) has just happened, and there are still a full slate of choices beyond who the media says will be the nominee for President.

Let's remember that this is still the Primary season. Time to vote for the candidate who aligns best with your principles, not to try to try to game the system like we have the whole roadmap to the November elections under our control. 

The flip side of that is not to panic if you don't love this or that frontrunner at the moment. I'm amazed how much the media, polling and the Republican spin makes everyone get in a froth about what they *know* will happen in November. Meanwhile a candidate like Santorum goes from 5% to a first place tie in Iowa in 3 weeks. Haven't we learned to be led by principle, not polls, parties or pundits yet??

Now,  step back and ask the broader question: Do we really believe our country gets restored based on the politicians that get elected in November?  

Did that happen two years ago, when a few 'liberty minded' folks won election? Has the federal government cut spending and made any tough choices? Did we in NY have any chance of swaying statewide votes with NYC always going liberal? Is that going to change?

So let's have 2 Seconds of Dr. Brooks thinking here. I'm sure he'd remind us that...

If we want any change in the next 50 years... let us as individuals be decent people to everyone around us, not post stupid things under every opposing idea, spend time with our kids and loving our spouse, building up our community, and working locally with our town for better government.

Let's be teaching people who really know and respect us about the idea that a bigger government chokes us and that 'R' and 'D' are not the answer. Rather than lying to ourselves that a snarky post on some news story will change someone's mind.

There are clear choices we make every day to push things one way or the other. I just saw that the 5¢ a gallon Ethanol subsidy has ended, do we say 'great, I'll pay that to recoup more in saved taxes' or do we complain about a rise in prices. Do we say 'someone should save those Kodak jobs' in Rochester, or let them rightly fail and go into Ch 11? Do we donate to the local volunteer fire company, so that it doesn't have to get taken over as a paid government service? 

Do we return the overpaid change we got at the store, or just be kind to someone, and maybe restore just a little bit of civility to our community? Every day, many choices that have tangible impact.

If everyone lives out their principles locally, that's where it will begin. Not in Washington. And yes, we'll vote and we'll support good ideas and people when we see them.

But when a panic hits this time next year over why nothing is changed, ask yourself, 'Did I do everything I could with my family and community to use this entire year to build us up, so that nothing Washington can do will tear us completely down?'