Americans First

Politicians have always sparred with their opponents, yet in the Trump era, have we reached a tipping point?   Due to the politics of character assassination, we are losing the ability to discuss issues and policies. Should we not be Americans first, then Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives?

President Ronald Reagan and Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill came from a different era in politics.  Reagan, a staunch conservative Republican, O’Neill, a life-long liberal Democrat, could not have been more different in their political views.  Reagan often started policy discussions with O’Neill by calling him his friend.  When Reagan won his landslide victory in 1984, O’Neill said that “in my 50 years of public life I’ve never seen a man more popular than you are with the American people.” Most opposition politicians today would rather have their tongues cut out than give President Trump even a veiled compliment. 

To be honest we have to admit that this type of political atmosphere did not start with President Trump.  We saw character assassination happen with President Obama, yet, I think it is honest to say that it has grown to heights never before seen under the Trump administration.  When we start to pick and choose which President, duly elected by the people, we honor and respect, it is a slap in the face of our democratic ideals. Unless we are Americans first, we may no longer be one nation, indivisible with justice for all.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Givers and Takers

In the cartoon Peanuts, Lucy once said to Charlie Brown, “We are put here to serve others. Charlie responded, “Then what are the others here for?” At times life does seem to be unfair. For a season, givers may find themselves surrounded by takers. Givers can feel unjustly used, yet, in the final analysis, takers will never know the fulfillment of giving.

In times of national disaster such as hurricanes and floods, we see a perfect example of givers and takers.  There are people who price gouge to obtain huge profits and those who loot to take what they cannot get lawfully.  Then we see other people who travel thousands of miles at their own expense to help people restore and rebuild their devastated lives. They don’t do it for a pat-on-the-back. The reward of those who serve is inherent in the act of serving.

If we are honest, there are times where we all have felt like Charlie Brown did.  It appears that the users of people and circumstances get all the rewards.  It is easy to start to envy the takers.  Yes, takers do sometimes get the short-term gain, but the givers get a more long-term commodity, feeling good about what they have done. We should feel sorry for those who are so busy getting for themselves, that they never know the joy of giving to others.  The memory of those you have helped lingers on long after the glitter of material things is gone.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.