as simple as I can put it
By hezamarie on Jun 16, 2008 | In Politics, Education | 5 feedbacks »
I like smart people. Sometimes, I’m even envious of them. You know why? Mostly because I don’t exercise my brain enough and maybe because 99 percent of the time my moments of genius evaporate into the thin air. But that’s me dealing poorly with my own insecurities.
Like I said, I really like smart people and I want them to be in jobs that require superior and incisive intellect.
Don’t you want that too? Do you want, as much as I want, the head of state, head of government, the head of the executive branch, the freakin’ commander-in-chief, the person who makes treaties and appoints federal officers to be SMART?!?
Please say, yes. Pretty, please.
Okay then. Let’s put on our thinking caps..
Hmm, so far, we’re off to a shaky start. What are the causes? Well, maybe some of you have envy issues with smart people too. Personal insecurities have a way of running wild, right? But let’s not let them influence the way our country functions in this world. There are books, gurus and surgeons to alleviate our personal uncertainty.
What else? Blind spite. Ladies. Offering your vote to the other side of the issue spectrum because the female candidate didn’t gain the nomination is irrational. You’re helping to perpetrate chauvinism. Stop tuning the gender peg. You might just achieve the very thing that requires all that energy you wasted jiggling about how great it is to have women in power. Look at Germany’s Angela Merkel. Her approval rating is over 70 percent (or is it 80 percent). How often do you thing she attributes her success to being a girl?
What else? Prejudiced beliefs and ‘black man’ fears. Shame on you. Even if you’d never admit this out loud. I’m shaking my head if this is in any way a factor for you that would cause you to vote the ‘other’ way. So let me challenge you.
Open both of these links and pick five (5) issues you want to see implemented in the next 4 years -or not from either of the candidates and discuss them with yourself and then your wife, brother, or neighbor. Know what is important to you! It’s that simple. You don’t even need to leave your chair to get to know a candidate’s position on whatever. It has never been so easy as it is now to get smart about a candidate. (See. You too can get smart. I can feel your excitement.)
Before your vote comes down to a candidate’s skin color, which candidate you most likely see yourself popping open a brewski with or which candidate’s wife has better hair, look at the issues.
Oh, don’t you cop out either and wantonly vote for the older guy because he’s punched in more political hours. If this guy’s style of doing business is full of what you judge to be oopses and retractions or his work ethic doesn’t correspond to your ideals as a leader, then pick up a few facts to help you decide.
You can’t fain ignorance or not enough time. If you’re reading this crap you have time to open those links and inform yourself. I promise it won’t hurt.
-Let’s get this right this election. It does matter who you vote for and why.
But no matter who you vote for, make sure you vote!
5 comments
I'm a bit more partisan than you, though. I think it matters a LOT who you vote for.
I didn't want this post to be too blatantly partisan. But I know what you mean.
For whatever reason, it's a common belief that smart people have no heart. An intelligent person has no compassion, no understanding of hopes and dreams, no appreciation of things that don't make sense, but are beautiful anyway.
For so many years, the smartest Americans have devoted most of their intelligence to getting a leg up on everyone else. (No coincidence that the documentary on Enron was called The Smartest Guys in the Room) It's given intelligence a bad name. Life became heartless. Smart became synonymous with ruthless.
And as a reaction, many Americans have embraced the illogical and the irrational, in the form of religion. When Americans say they could never elect a non-religious person to public office--and 85% say that--what they really mean, I think, is that they don't want to elect a person who feels no compassion for their pain, nor understands what gives them joy.
No matter who you are, emotional motives drive you more than rational ones. The true leader understands that both elements need to play a role in leadership.
That's intelligence, yes. But it's so much more. It's wisdom
Just be glad you're missing all of the media junk that's all over the TV here!!! :)
I guess I should have clearly defined what 'smart' means to me. It's not about Mensa kids, ginko tablets, and the crooked road to embezzlement. Intelligence and rationality should not be without a number of governing dispositions of character. I'm just tired of us overlooking perpetual ignorance just because it is shrouded under a moral veil.
Hola Amy. Sadly, I didn't escape so easily. *sigh* The Internet leaks American media garbage through my computer and Germany has it's own form.
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