I’ve heard from friends and family that remain distressed about where this country is going and are fearful and disgusted by the results of an election that calls into question how 60 million people could vote for someone that has insulted minorities, the disabled, veterans and has no experience in government, and seemingly no interest in learning…. well… I’m trying to suggest we must give him the benefit of the doubt and allow him to figure out how to establish policy and actually govern.  Its hard to imagine he can, but we must root for him to succeed, it is our countries fate at stake.  When and if he doesn’t and he acts outside of the law and the office, then we impeach…. But until, the office of the president must get our support.  Democracy must be respected, even if we don’t respect some of the people and in this case the person of Donald Trump.  This is what distinguishes us from third world countries where a coup would be the solution.  No we must wait 4 yrs for the process to take its course, unless he departs the pattern sooner thru his own mis-deeds.

If we live by our principles and we support inclusion of all people, and we believe in democracy, and we believe in helping those that have been left behind in the economic recovery for they are too drove this vote for change, then we must be bigger than the few bigots and fascist that so too supported Donald.  For many had legitimate reasons to drive for change.  Its too bad it wasn’t it better candidate, but we must get past this.

We can and should support causes with our time, money and talent that live up to our American ideals, while we pray for the future of our country, and we hold the President, as well as the Congress to hold to American values and principles.

Well the shocking has happened.   We have much to learn about ourselves.  We now must come together in support of the institution of President, and give our President-Elect the space and benefit of doubt to establish his administration and transition from Donald Trump the candidate to Donald Trump the President.  As I’ve said before, I hope… no I expect that he will build a team of smart people and he will find enough humility in himself and respect for the office to actually listen to advice.  He of course realizes that half the country did not vote for him. To be President of all of us, he must reach across the divide to find ways to include all Americans in our future.  To fail in this would mean a failure in delivering on his promise to Make America Great Again.  Give him the benefit of doubt.  Know that he will be held to high expectations in this job by the press, congress and all of us.  He must operate legally and with dignity or risk being fired as prior Presidents Nixon and Clinton experienced through the impeachment process.

However he behaved before, whatever he said before, none of that matters now. What matters now is what he does going forward.   We pray and hope that he rises to the many challenges and becomes a great leader for change and the future of our country.

Saw the movie, Hacksaw Ridge yesterday.  It is an incredible movie.  It’s gory, traumatizing and difficult to watch the effect of brutal war… however throughout the movie we come to understand how one individual’s capacity to love trumps everything around him.  How picking a path of love of family, love of a woman, love of country, love humanity, and love of God, he repeatedly risks everything… and finally he lifts everyone that knows him and is open to him to a higher state of grace.   The remarkable part is that it is a true story.

I have a political thought to share (though you may be tired of the political season) and a philosophical thought to share today, so this is a rare two musings Sunday 🙂 … though you may be too politically worn out to care about philosophical musings… I hope not!

Oh and if you consider this lead-in, then maybe it’s a triple musing day!

Musing 1: A Conservative’s Case for a Hillary Landslide… http://www.mikevargamusings.com/2016/11/06/a-conservatives-…illary-landslide/

Musing 2: Love is… http://www.mikevargamusings.com/2016/11/06/love-is/

 

It may seem counter intuitive, but it is my thinking that a landslide win by Hillary for president has the positive affect of causing a GOP revitalization.   Without a landslide, there will not be enough of a demand for a reunification of the Republican Party.  The splits we witnessed this election season will continue because, each of the elements within the party will see a chance to win and chaos will win the day.   If there is a landslide loss this should force a reevaluation of the reason for losing so much of the country… and thereby force the conversation about a platform that can be a winner.  We need a platform that is dependent on process and principle, rather than personality.

Additionally, for the country a landslide win, would allow Hillary to lead from the middle, where I believe she is most comfortable.  Without it, she would be pulled toward the left by the Sanders socialist progressive movements.  She would seek support of this left wing of the Democratic Party to win the next election, and for that the country will suffer… and the Republican Party will not be able to counter, due to internal fighting.

The country needs both parties to move closer to the middle where most Americans are, and in this rare time, it’s clear that a landslide mandate for the middle is needed.

Love is an emotion – a warm fuzzy emotion… much needed in this world!

Love is love… it doesn’t have end or beginning, it just is, I believe we discover it or we don’t.  It’s in our hearts and minds to be used to express ourselves, whether we connect with others, or not, but always hoping that we find hearts open and with capacity to love in return. It enriches us, making us better people, as we become open to others, thus helping us to grow and learn. It is there as long as we recognize it, take care of it, and most importantly share it!

 

 

Stayed up way too late

Just to root for State

Network schedule bull

More games, all times full

Exciting back-n-forth game

Up, yes!  Then if down it’s a shame

Then with last score to win

Now just hold, don’t let them in

No OT, its past my bedtime

No reviews and zebra dead time

Can barely, hang on and stay awake

Our team must win, so much at stake

At last however the other guys win

A home field loss it’s a terrible sin

Good game, now finally off to bed

Tired, but now lie awake instead!

 

We seldom take a moment to realize what we have at our fingertips.  We have with a flip of switch, light.  We have air kept at our desired temperature, humidity, and even filtered.  We have instant entertainment.  We have refrigeration and instant cooking.  Electricity is tamed and brought to our door (well more like to a side panel) by a massive infrastructure, that is largely taken for granted by us.  Our lives, our world is shaped by an inexpensive luxurious and valuable infrastructure.  This computer I’m typing these words into would not exist without the electric grid, nor would the ubiquitous internet, or for that matter television.   Electric infrastructure converts massive amounts of energy into an alternating current that is safely and effectively delivered to your home, and then to all the wondrous devices that make your day what it is today.  Furthermore, without this electric infrastructure, we would not have the industries that are dependent on electricity to deliver the muscle that powers them.  And for this industry and electricity we owe our living.  We make a wage that is dependent on this infrastructure, and we give a very small portion back to pay for our use of this electric energy.   A couple hundred a month buys an incredible life convenience.

Maybe we should make sure our politicians respect and take care of our electrical infrastructure… for without it our lives could be very difficult and very constrained.

 

This Poem Writes Itself

 

Shuttered and rest easy

No light, no dark, no thought

Feel the light and hear breezy

 

Where are we on this morn

Nowhere, not here nor there

Hear a fair and waking horn

 

In my subconscious streams

In my mindless thoughts

Chasing clouds and dreams

 

In distant words and pages

Stories, poems and books

Literary ideas from the ages

 

Birthing ideas slow and unsure

Toddler learning to walk

No ideas yet fully mature

 

Philosophy and theology

Twisted vines of same genius

Limited by this poor biology

 

A poor poet brings nothing home

The work writes itself

If it is to be alive and be a poem

 

A service of love in time

To let the words out on page, and

Bring it together in fortunate rhyme

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Mr. Bob Dylan – Nobel Prize Winner!!

Much is being made of a song writer winning the Nobel Prize for literature… well in my opinion Mr. Bob Dylan is a poet without compare.  Poems in ancient times were meant to be song or performed, and if Mr. Dylan has this ability to perform his poetry, in my opinion it is no less wonderful poetry.  Poetry should make us think, and feel. We should see depth and define our own meaning to poems.  One of my favorite Dylan poems follows:

My Back Pages

Bob Dylan

 

Crimson flames tied through my ears

Rollin’ high and mighty traps

Pounced with fire on flaming roads

Using ideas as my maps

“We’ll meet on edges, soon,” said I

Proud ’neath heated brow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth

“Rip down all hate,” I screamed

Lies that life is black and white

Spoke from my skull. I dreamed

Romantic facts of musketeers

Foundationed deep, somehow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

Girls’ faces formed the forward path

From phony jealousy

To memorizing politics

Of ancient history

Flung down by corpse evangelists

Unthought of, though, somehow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

 A self-ordained professor’s tongue

Too serious to fool

Spouted out that liberty

Is just equality in school

“Equality,” I spoke the word

As if a wedding vow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand

At the mongrel dogs who teach

Fearing not that I’d become my enemy

In the instant that I preach

My pathway led by confusion boats

Mutiny from stern to bow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

 

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats

Too noble to neglect

Deceived me into thinking

I had something to protect

Good and bad, I define these terms

Quite clear, no doubt, somehow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now