Somersaulting Images

It's struck me how partisan and biased I've become
in the last few months, rooting for President Obama (How I love to write that!). I was chatting with a very balanced friend, detached from most illusions, the other day; I gave a list of the mistakes I saw constantly in The Other Candidate's (TOC's) campaign, from the choice of TOC's Running-mate (TOC'R) on down to the mudslinging innuendos of TOC's illogic, a list which raised the question, "Is he trying to lose the election? He looked so old and bloodless in the second debate!" My friend reminded me that many of the items on my list, if seen by TOC's supporters, would be considered the blessings of his campaign. In truth, the attitude with which we approach an issue or a race determines our opinion of what we allow ourselves to perceive: we need to remember that we're probably seeing only half the picture, while the other half reads, point-by-point, upside-down.

In such a polarized, partisan contest, I've found it clarifying to see the Parties as stick figures, one standing tall, head above its shoulders, and the other upside-down, standing on its head. God knows which one is right-side up, but I'm sure you all know which figure I think has its feet on the ground of reality and its head high up in the mountain-air of its vision.

When I came back from my first trip to Nicaragua, I'd gone inside-out and upside-down, and stayed there long enough to know I'd better be grateful for the privileged life I lead, with so much luck to be born in North America. I found myself universally angry at the manipulation and terror the US exerted there, under the table, in order to protect "its National Security," in the 1980's. I decided I would speak out against the food slavery and control our State Department actively supports in Nicaragua and most of Central America.

It is inspiring to say, "I'm a freedom-fighter, working for Democracy" and getting other sovereign states to toe the line in our national interest, but, in truth, when our sense of supporting "freedom" leads us to enslaving others for our economy, I have to wonder what blowback we thought we'd get? Our "blowback" from ruining Nicaragua for ever, possibly, is that everyone from 18-35 has moved up here, illegally. Since we invaded their sovereign space so significantly in the 1980's, there's absolutely NO compunction to keep the young in Nicaragua from crossing into "our" space and into our opportunities. And, who can blame them?

At any rate, this image of the two stick-figures has helped me to find my way as a man who seeks to act with unity beyond division when I can. I've decided to build unity and healing and binding of our partisan wounds in this country as my first priority. Partisanship will move towards unity, hopefully, whoever wins, but since President Obama is already speaking vocally in that direction, too, I've great hope for the outcome of the somersaulting race, that it will lead us all to work for a more mature and lasting American stance in the world, which makes us adult learners in the statecraft of a world of equal nations.

I'd hate to think that TOC, who's saying "Yes" in his campaign to racial and ethnic and elitist division, would not work to unite this polarized population, if so elected. He's a mostly good man--most Republicans are very good people, including my beloved sister--who has fought the hard fight in Government while most of us have been in denial about most of it for thirty years of work and "Let them do it!"

That can't happen anymore: the majority, I believe, of the American voting public wants to take back the country from supporting only those 400 very rich families that own more than the next 100 million people down the ladder. I'm for a candidate who would bring the ultra-rich into the democratic fold.

Think six-times before you vote in this election.
Repeat after me: "President Obama! President Obama!"

Gobama 2008!
Gracias, CenterDoug