Tea Party overflow

The influence of what had been deemed a 'protest movement' has made waves in the national body politic.


To ignore the message would be both ill-conceived and ill-advised.

We, the people, are sick of our elected representatives ignoring the voice of ALL whom they are charged to represent.

When an election comes to a conclusion, the person who is duly chosen to represent the people of a particular district, state or even the nation as a whole take the oath of office, it becomes incumbent upon them to represent the viewpoint of EVERYONE in that representative slice of American pie, not just a few random blueberries or red raspberries that make up the whole.

Our Constitutional principles dictate that we are free to pursue happiness, but there are no guarantees to any of us that we will catch it in this lifetime. But does that give a free pass to our elected officials to thwart our every effort to indeed pursue the sometimes elusive banner of happiness that floats somewhere over our outstretched hands? I believe that it does not offer them license to ignore us, who indeed are the 'we the people' of Constitutional fame.

There is truth in the time honored axiom that you can't please everybody. That, by and large, is impossible. Our personal desires run afoul of the desires of our neighbors, friends and family members often enough that we should know and understand that by now.

But knowing that doesn't keep some from believing that they alone have the inviolable right to make the rules the rest of us must quietly endure or be branded as some kind of enemy of the state. To have divergent beliefs shouldn't make us enemies, but often it does.

What should occur is thoughtful dialog that is respectful and open in honestly dealing with the fact that we, all of us, are very different in our approach to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as we define it. What should occur is that we sit down in measured approaches, beginning with checking our ego at the door and seeking for thoughtful and rational compromise.

I don't get everything I want - but neither do you. It's called compromise or détente, for the more sophisticated mind. Détente means that we ease the strained relationship that exists when party considerations and re-election clouds the room to the point that the elected officials charged to represent us can no longer  even see us because of the darkening gloom of partisan wrangling and censure.

Now that we have had the results of the national election cycle and seen that the Tea Party did indeed have a voice and an effect in our choices, it's time to stop patting ourselves on the back if our party won and stop crying foul if our party lost and start acting like grown ups who truly want to make America strong and vibrant.

No one can accomplish everything, but if we are willing to sit down, have a cup of tea or cocoa together, get over our own dadgum selves and start truly working together to hammer out some meaningful changes, some realistic proposals and some by God budget cutting and salary trimming from the top of the executive food chain down to the lowest paid clerk in the government, we can come together as a nation and truly become, once again, the envy of the world.

We have an opportunity.

Our job is to ensure that we, the people, speak eloquently and loudly enough, write enough email, snail mail and make enough phone calls to have our voice be heard by those who are in the D.C. Beltway and in the state and local offices for which they have been selected to serve. And, we must have the courage of our convictions to make them pay politically when they don't listen to us. In other words, throw the bums out when they serve themselves instead of the people whom they swore an oath to represent.

Let's ease the tensions and pray for all of our elected leaders as we would pray for them to do what is right as if they were family. Let's begin by starting a serious dialog that refuses to sanction the opinions of any voices. And let us all be more willing to be a lot more humble, tolerant and open to the fact that being an American means that we are free to act for ourselves and to accept the consequences of those actions - even when they are not the popular choice of the majority.

And, when we are the majority in power in any sense, humility is even more essential. We don't have "bragging rights" when our party wins, instead we have a sacred trust to serve as God would even to all those who did not vote for us - to show them that their concerns still matter and that we are willing to work for EVERYONE, not just the people who contributed loot to a PAC in our honor.

Serving in an elected office of any kind isn't a divine right bestowed upon a 'king', it is a divine privilege appointed for a short time only and it should be taken on with serious gravitas and a meekness that can overcome self and see beyond 'my will be done' to a "Thy will be done" ethic. If we truly seek God's will, then there will be harmony in due time.

God bless America and specifically, God bless our leadership to have the humility and courage to seek HIS will regardless of political expediency or popularity.

Tricks, treats and crackers

It sneaks up on me every year, even though the number date is the same. It doesn't float around like Thanksgiving's date or the day for President's Day.

It's always October 31st.

But there is always the mad rush to buy candy as if we didn't know.

This year we had THREE Trick-or-Treaters.

Woo hoo.

I'm sure most people attend parties at churches, schools or civic organizations. The number has dwindled down so much over the years, I wonder for those who aren't attending those types of events how many of them just turn off the lights and do nothing.

I remember years ago when I was just a kid myself, we ran out of candy because there were so many trick-or-treaters. We took to wrapping up marshmallows to give them. This was in the days before life itself was hermetically sealed to prevent the transmission of a single microbe.

They ate the marshmallows.

These days, you'd be reported to CPS for potentially passing out marshmallows dipped in crystal meth or some such rot.

I've often wondered how many people are reduced to making do for Halloween when the unexpected ghost or goblin stops by and finds them woefully lacking in miniature candy bars or jawbreakers in single serve packaging.

Whenever we go out to restaurants or travel to places requiring an overnight stay in a hotel, I shamelessly keep the packs of crackers, soy sauce, ketchup, etc. or in the case of the hotel, the soaps, toothbrushes, shampoos and various conditioners and lotions in those tiny bottles.

I'm forwarding a proposition that the little beggars get these items in their trick or treat bags.

Can you just imagine the confusion on their faces?

"Trick or treat!" they gleefully or by rote pronounce in the age dependent ritual of begging door to door at night when decent people are watching "Wheel of Fortune".

Imagine little Rochelle's surprise when she dumps her candy bag out to discover an assortment of soaps, shampoos and body wash in her bag? Happy Halloween and take a dang bath, would ya!!

Or the kid who opens up their goodies to find a toothbrush and some saltines from Denny's? Be sure and brush your teeth after you eat your tasty crackers! Nummers!

There are a host of things lying around that could go in the bags.

Let's consider...

Condiment packs. Kids seldom appreciate the multitude of uses for condiment packs. In addition to flavoring otherwise bland food from the various drive-ins of the world. Slip a pack under the edge of your neighbors tire. When they back out, a veritable fountain of ketchup (or whatever) erupts. It's like a condiment filled Vesuvius!

Ketchup is also good for playing dead. Dribble some down the corner of your mouth when you are playing GI's versus the Taliban and when the bad guys show up and kick you to see that you are dead, you can wait till their back is turned and resurrect just in time to mow 'em down with your cap guns.

Then there are those little pouches that come with some boxed lunches from KFC which contain a cleansing handiwipe vaguely scented like lemon pledge. If you have ever had kids, babysat kids or been in close proximity to kids, you know their hands are riddled with germy filth that makes them a worse choice for hanging onto than the average garbage can. And did you know most kids DO NOT wash their hands when they go potty? Just like their parents, I imagine... GROSS!

So when that precious little imp comes up to pat your face with their hands, imagine your relief when you know they have a supply of handiwipes to clean the goobers from their hands before coming in contact with your delicate skin.

Coupons for cough, cold and flu remedies would also be nice since that infusion of chocolate acts like agar in culturing up diseases. Their parents would appreciate it even if the kids didn't.

Of course, there are numerous options, I just mention these few as a guideline.

I do know people who give out spare change. I also know people who just turn out the lights, pretend not to be home and hope and pray they won't be egged by vandals during the night.

Next year, should you find that you are preoccupied with other more pressing issues and if the date sneaks up on you unprepared, don't be shy about giving the little darlings 'optional' treats for the year. It just might save your sanity when Halloween interrupts the second round of Wheel of Fortune.