I’m going there…

I recognize this may cost me a few connections on social media… but it is time to say a few things.  I’m going there.

What do you value?

I am both a student and teacher of government and economics. I KNOW the Constitution… all of it. I understand the foundation, evolution and interpretation of the Constitution through the Courts and can name specific laws, events, and court cases that greatly impacted our country. I am a believer in democracy. I am a public school educator. I am the wife of a military veteran. I am a proud American. 

But I do not understand why people think our current government operation is normal or okay. 

I understand the technicalities of both micro and macroeconomics from theory into practice. I see our mixed economy balancing cries for free market and government intervention. I applaud innovation in business and I believe that entrepreneurs and small business define what it means to have free enterprise. 

But, I see financial commitments to bail out banks and industries while an 88 year old former teacher writes a check to the IRS because she did not pay enough taxes on her retirement income from her career in public service. I see my 23 year old son struggle finding a job in a pandemic with looming student loans. I see wealthy politicians make more wealth for themselves and their businesses by capitalizing on information and connections not available to everyone.  I see essential workers risking their health to ensure that we have supplies and food. 

I do not understand economic interest over human well-being.

I am registered to vote as a “decline to state.” I have voted for Republican candidates and I have voted for Democratic candidates. On a political spectrum, I am currently moderate, left leaning.  I used to say I was a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. 

But the political spectrum is so blurred right now that I technically do not fall on a line.

Here are my real thoughts:   I believe we are having a constitutional crisis in the US. I believe our current leaders have skewed values that do not allow our “government” to operate constitutionally. I see this in how Congress acts and how the President reacts. I see this in how the President acts and how people react. I see this in how people act and I react. I do not understand how anyone believes that this current president is good for our country. I really don’t. 

Our president and those working closely with him are not acting like leaders.  They act like bullies, self-preservationists, and corrupt politicians.  I want leaders who operate from core values aligned with the US Constitution, not their own narcissistic and selfish tendencies. I want leaders who are accountable and empathetic, but still strong. I do not see that in this president.

The media is not helping. Depending on the TV channel, the time of day, the fodder (from the President), and the target audience, the constant news cycle feels like a sibling fight, “Yes you did…” “No I didn’t…”  MOM!

I have friends and people I really like personally that I completely disagree with politically but we rarely talk about those differences.

But, I am searching for a way to lean into these conversations. 

Expressing my opinion makes me vulnerable, I recognize that. I have a list in my head of those friends and connections who will applaud these statements and those who will refute, disagree, and delete me. I have selected to scroll by or ignore many perspectives that do not match my own on social media. I recognize many will scroll by this. 

But, I really want to understand different perspectives, read a variety of sources, and have hard conversations. 

So, independent  from candidate names and party lines, I think about values. Can we find common ground on values? I am not asking about just reciting the historical values from our nation’s founding. I am talking about values now, today… about defining what is important. Core operating values. 

I believe we may vary on the path and policies to live those values, but I also believe that identifying values will help us connect, prioritize and make better decisions.

Here are mine:

Health and Well-Being. Individual Freedom. Truth. Equality. Opportunity. Unity.

And you…?