Curtisofletcher.com four years on

It seems strange to me that tomorrow marks the four year anniversary of this blog. In honor of this auspicious marker and in tribute to the tenacity that it has taken to sustain the effort for four years I’d like to re-post a bit of what I was thinking on election day 2008:

I woke up this morning with the full understanding that today is going to be one of those historic milestone days. We’ll all, no doubt, be glad to be rid of the election campaign messaging whether we’re glad with the outcome of the actual election or not.
It struck me this morning that the overwhelming majority of people I have heard comment on the election “on the street” have all had an underlying theme to their comments…

They’re all voting against something rather than for something.

Most of those I’ve heard in support of Senator Obama have said they’re voting for “change”. One of the major thrusts of his campaign has been that voting for the Republican candidate, no matter who it would have turned out to be, would be a vote for what we have now and thus a vote for “change” is a vote AGAINST what we have now.

In the same way many of the folks I have heard in support of Senator McCain have said that they could never vote in favor of the “socialist agendas” or the “more government” policies of the Dems. Thus, they too are choosing to vote AGAINST something.

Neither conversation have had much to say about what they LIKE about the party or person they’re voting for but a LOT to say about what they DON’T like about the opposition.

Doesn’t this start to feel like our only option is to choose the “lesser of two evils”?

Sure it winds up being painted up much prettier than that but that’s what it boils down to in the end. And, in the end, that is sad.
Sad that there are large numbers of folks voting today to make sure the “other guy” or the “other way of thinking” doesn’t get in.
Sad because it will serve to only further the divide between competing ideologies.
Sad because there will be those who are happy that the others are sad.

If it is true that “a house divided against itself cannot stand” then how much longer have we got as a nation?

No matter what your political persuasion is…
No matter how you voted today…
No matter what your core beliefs…
I like to challenge you to become an agent of change by bringing about reconciliation, community, and relationship.
Cheesy? perhaps…
..perhaps not.

Four years later on I’m not sure we’re doing much better.

Change won’t happen at the political level.

It will only happen at the individual level.

What are YOU doing to help bring about positive change?

How can we each build personal bridges to slow the political rift that is widening in our nation?

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

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