Picasso by Craig Covello

In our attempt to get different perspectives and opinions on the various issues at hand today, occasionally we will publish articles from guest writers. Attached hereto is an article by Craig Covello who is a Republican from Northern California that we felt was worth reading.

Picasso

We are an American family. All 300+ million of us. But something has happened, something profound and disturbing. It is 3AM and I can't sleep thinking about the political events of the past year, past month and even the past week. The President's goal of "radically transforming the United States of America", whether successful or not, comes at a price. The relatively impersonal news and commentary emanating from Washington has become a catalyst which is redefining some very personal relationships in my own life. There have been some casualties. One of my closest friends in the world is no longer my closest friend. Our views have drifted that far apart. My mother-in-law of over 30 years is now a fan of Obama. This is someone who hung a poster of Ronald Reagan in her laundry room back in the 80's. We have much less in common today. She sees the trend of government socialism as beneficial to her grandsons. I see it as a very real threat to the future and freedom of my 2 boys. So what happened? How can family and friends come to such polarized conclusions regarding the direction of this country when they share a relatively common experience?

I can only offer one possible explanation. Picasso. Have you ever looked at a Picasso painting? Really looked at it? Abstract art is difficult to interpret in the context of reality. In the absence of a clear, discernible picture, the mind will strive to make sense of the image based upon personal bias, experience and even mood. For example, consider the painting entitled "Sylvette" . This painting is described as "a 19-year-old woman in bright colours and semi-abstract, geometric forms" I see a police officer sitting at a poker table with someone peering over his shoulder. Crazy, right? But I think we see what we want to see. So it comes as no surprise that when Washington politics becomes increasingly obfuscated and at times contradictory, the harder we try to make sense of it all. The net result-widely different interpretations of the same news.

So what is the answer? In my humble opinion, pitch the Picasso and get a photo representing something we can see clearly.

1. We need to restore some trust in government by letting things settle down. The rules we grew up with are changing at an exponential rate and it is time to stop, take a breath and reassess. I like our great nation, even with some of it's faults. There will be no utopia in America because we as humans are imperfect. It is ridiculous to start over by "radically transforming the United States of America" in an attempt to solve some of our problems. Let's take them on one step at a time. And let's be on guard to watch for anyone, regardless of party, who tries to implement change at a furious pace. Would you buy a car if the deal offered was only good for 5 minutes? The sense of urgency regarding domestic issues is artificial. It is manipulative, divisive and it needs to stop.

2. I say many in Congress have worn out their welcome on both sides of the isle. We need to thoroughly reexamine those running for reelection in 2010. We need to take voting seriously by doing our homework. Are they ineffective or unethical? Do they act contrary to their rhetoric? What is their specific voting record? Do you agree with most of their votes? If not, replace them. The term "Till death do you part" does not apply here. We need to ignore spin, marketing, hype, misdirection and castigation. Stick with the facts of the candidate. The media has done this country an incredible disservice by becoming extensions of partisan public relation offices.

3. Finally, we need to decide who we are and who we want to be, both individually and as a free nation. Do we really need our lives fulfilled on the promises of some public figure who we don't personally know? Most campaigns promise to "give us something" in exchange for our vote. Those promises don't often materialize. However, some of the quid pro quo which is actually delivered often comes at the high cost of personal freedom. Ironically, there are those who could not wait to move away from Mom and Dad when they turned 18, but now have no problem being excessively regulated and restricted by a centralized government when it comes to their own life. The quote from General John Stark on July 31, 1809 got it right. (Go ahead and look it up on Google. It is time for some homework. While you are at it, look up Picasso's Sylvette as well.)

Well, it is now 4AM, but I feel better having written this.