Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness

Dr. Seuss's dilemma fish. I don't think it's from a book, but it expresses the roiling seas I'm feeling.

I’ve been quite grumpy today. And I am using grumpy quite euphemistically here.

I think it’s because of this election season. To be truthful, and I work deliberately to be intellectually honest, I think this part of the presidential election cycle always throw off my balance. Although within these current throes, it seems qualitatively different.

I don’t remember an election that I so fully did not (1) understand why anyone would vote for one of the candidates, and also did not (2) understand why people who I love would vote for one of the candidates (the one I am not supporting).

The second part there is the root of what troubles me. Not about the people I love, because I love them. Yet I’m struck by how good people support the unsupportable.

I wonder if they think that my choice is deplorable. This wraps me in pretzels and crimps my fine gold chain and makes me feel like the inside out alien pig that was a transporter fail in Galaxy Quest. Ir was gross. It squealed. It exploded.

It makes me ask: If my candidate was as bad as theirs, would I leave my political party behind? Would I accept my candidate’s crimes and misdemeanors because they serve my greater political purpose? Especially if my political goals were tightly aligned with my moral and ethical beliefs?

And, if my answer is “Yes,” and my candidate is an awful human who endangers not only our democracy but also the foundation of our country–these self-evident truths that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness–am I just twisting my core beliefs for greasy political expediency? I use the word greasy on purpose. Yuck.

Last, is my political negative, the ones who I love, asking the same questions about me?

Dear lord, I sure hope so.

7 thoughts on “Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness”

  1. Even from a Canadian perspective, I understand all to well your concerns.

    More even than the candidates, I fear the cultural views of the voters which thier votes represent. What does this mean for the future of America and the continent? What do you think?

    – AP

    Like

    Reply

    1. I think that we have unleashed a latent virus. It will kill us or make us stronger. Need to work on antibodies or an anti-venom. At least it’s out.

      But what about your PM? Getting pushback from conservative interests?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Trudeau is a good man and thus far a fairly good leader. Whatever the conservative voices have done in parliament thus far as pushback on his policies has also had a positive impact on the country, so governmentally were doing pretty good.

        Economically: not so good, but that has been addressed in Trudeau’s plan.

        I think the real test of character for us and many other country will be in how our government reacts to Trumps policies on an international scale. Economically it’s best for us to follow his policies to maintain and grow trade, but whether the Trudeau government decides to humor Trump will truly define whether Trudeau is willing to defend our values on an international scale or not.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. I can’t get any work done this week. Try as I might, I keep going back to see what’s new on WIKILEAKS. My sister is voting based on gender. I wonder what she’d say if I said I could only vote for men. It’s so ridiculous I can’t talk to her right now.

    As a woman I’m voting for Trump. There was a time when I’d only admit it when pressed, but the deluge of corruption, sickness, hubris, and just plain evil (can anyone honestly support a candidate so blatantly bent on war? so insensitive to human suffering in the Middle East and Haiti? and so dismissive of abused women?). It boggles the mind. At this point I’d rather an alpha male over a war mongering and corrupt to the core woman any day of the week.

    So there’s my rant. Now back to watching the Spirit Dinner artist splatter blood.

    Like

    Reply

  4. I guess it all depends on why you choose to support whoever your candidate of choice is. In truth the two evils presented are both deplorable and for different reasons. The ones you love who are supporting the unsupportable, are most likely not asking the same questions about your choice. Asking these questions are rooted in logic, reason and sensibility; whereas supporting the unsupportable is about champion the one being who is pandering to your fear or bias. That will always send us down the rabbit hole…. I hope that wasn’t a rambling response. This election makes me ramble in ridiculousness and disbelief.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Tell the Doc what you think!