I have always made it a point to stay away from the subject of politics. For me, discussing politics is like getting chewing gum in my hair. Once it’s on my head, it’s almost impossible to get rid of it. But to say that the recent US presidential debate on June 27th was a cataclysmic event would be an understatement. And so this time around, I felt the need to share my modest thoughts.
As I watched the debate unfold, two things became crystal clear within minutes: One candidate was in serious trouble, while the other was the very definition of trouble. As the evening painfully lingered on, a single phrase converged in my mind: The title for this missive.
Conceived by Theodore Roosevelt, the term bully pulpit originally referred to a policy or platform from which a person (presumably a politician) could champion a given agenda. And although the significance of the word bully was far more positive in Teddy’s day, my mind was focused on its current meaning.
Today’s political arena is rife with innuendoes, lies, accusations, name-calling, and downright criminality. And although this type of behavior in politics is not new to this decade or even this century, it has devolved to an embarrassing level of crass stupidity and poisonous partisanship, primarily due to the brazen influx of bullies.
Bullies are typically those who revel in harming or taunting people who cannot defend themselves for whatever reason. In essence, bullies are cowards who will not place themselves in a position to face someone of their own ilk for fear of being bullied, demeaned, or called out for what they are. It’s the survival of the fittest theory applied in the most harmful, discriminatory, and heinous manner.
I’ve dealt with my fair share of bullies as a child and then as an adult. And although I learned over the years how to defend myself from these types of thugs, I realized that that protection was more so for the spiritual and emotional side of me than anything else. As George Washington stated in his first presidential address to Congress: To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.
So here we are, on the cusp of electing the next President of the United States, and we’re faced with a dilemma: Elect a person who has the character, knowledge, and perceptiveness to do the job but lacks the physical strength or mental stamina, or elect a person who has neither the character, knowledge, nor the political savvy to do the job, but has the determination to stay the course – a course that would follow a directive of retribution and divisiveness that would most assuredly change the nation’s substance, strength, and esteem on a global scale.
As a democratic country, the power of the people lies in its right to have representation and the enviable ability to vote as a way of letting the world know the will of the many in one collective voice. Today, we’re living in a very disaffected country. Many people are dissatisfied, and no longer want to support those either in authority or those wishing to possess it. Casting your vote is the way for each individual to express their desire for either a continuation of or change in the status quo. Voting allows your voice to join a collective of over 255 million people eligible to vote. It’s the ultimate power by numbers.
Look, today’s politics are the murkiest they’ve been in recent memory, and the choices we have before us are certainly less than ideal. In this writer’s humble opinion, the two major parties have much to consider regarding their respective candidates before their national conventions. Yet despite all the rudderless arguments, sophomoric insults, and flights of conspiratorial fancy, the people also have a choice to make.
So during this very deterministic election year, you should follow your heart. But keep in mind that following your heart is not the same as following your desires, as being fair and honest is not the same as making everything go your way. Following your heart means pursuing what you believe in your core to be true. A truth that aligns with your beliefs – your choices, and not those of any entity or group. And above all, that the only appropriate way to express your choices is through your vote. The word vote has its foundation in the Latin word votum, which means vow or wish.
Along that vein, when you cast your vote come November, make it a vow. Not to a party or a candidate, but to the people of this country; your neighbors, your coworkers, your friends, your relatives – your own self. Vow to them (and yourself) that your choice is what you believe to be the best course of action for everyone. If making a vow is not your thing, then when casting your vote, make it a wish. A wish to realize an ideal that you believe in; a wish to express your individuality – your voice; not the voice of a party, person, pulpit, or politician. Remember that by conforming with the right to vote, you agree to foster the strength of your nation.
So take a deep breath, turn off the news and social media, and weigh everything that’s in front of you. Once you’ve taken everything into consideration, decide whether you wish to resonate with a collective voice of reason or foster a code of behavior that aims to eventually deprive you of the very power you now possess to make up your own mind.
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