When you saw the title of this column, you probably made an assumption about its subject matter. You were wrong. As a third-party candidate for statewide office, I have become painfully aware of the double standard the media use when covering politics. Only rarely are those of us who represent smaller parties or points of view covered by those who engage in “serious” print or broadcast journalism. Frequently when an esteemed member of the Fourth Estate does lower herself/himself to seek our views, they do so with an aire of “gotcha” in place. For example, one so-called writer, editor, bottle washer and copy-machine-fixer of an online news source sought to get my opinion on one of those “when did you stop beating your wife” questions. It involved a member of our party (Libertarian Party of Ohio, www.LPO.org ) who was heavily involved in a protest outside of a congressman’s home following the passage of the Healthcare Travesty. This particular congressman had been a member of the infamous Stupak coalition of pro-life Democrats, but just like his group leader, had caved and voted for the bill on the fraudulent pretense that the President’s executive Order would trump the legislation. Our member is a candidate for the office that is currently held by the lily-livered, cowardly fraud. Our member and his cohorts staged a protest on the sidewalk outside the home of the aforementioned spineless congresscritter. It was legal. It was a valid expression of the First Amendment.
Would I personally protest at a politician’s home rather than his office? No, I would not, but that does not alter the fact that as long as the protesters obeyed the law and remained on the public sidewalk, and did not harm or threaten the person, the property or the family of the congressperson, then they had every RIGHT to do so. Our party is fundamentally based on three primary principles: smaller, Constitutional government; lower taxes resulting from smaller government; and more personal freedom. The writer wanted me to condemn our member for protesting on the sidewalk near the politician’s home because he believed it was tasteless. Maybe it was tasteless, but the First Amendment does not address the issue of taste…particularly when political speech is involved. So, the writer wishes for me to condemn the protester/member and undermine the principles of my party. That I refused to do so automatically slotted me into the category of tasteless rube with no standards of decency. If those two options are the only ones available, then I plead guilty to the latter.
Having studied the elements of victimology for several decades, I understand that if the media were to treat my party as a bona fide minority (which we are until Election Day), then they would provide every imaginable justification for our shortcomings and failures. Instead of being a pesky afterthought when they seek pithy quotes about important matters, we would be at the top of the Rolodex as a protected political minority. I am not insisting that we be given the same level of deference as Jesse Jackson or Michael Moore. Call me anything you want, O’ all-knowing journalist, just call me. Our voice may be tiny, but it is a voice that represents thousands (maybe even millions) of freedom loving people in the Buckeye state. Keep on doing your tired old sound bites and quotes from the old duopoly, but give the champions of liberty a voice…a chance.
If Affirmative Action were in place for the previously stated conundrum, then we would be the first to be sought when something profound or confrontational was needed for the newscast, the column or the article. Personally, I don’t want the affirmative action remedy. I do not mind going last in the quotation roundup. You see, our adversaries are so predictable and non-committal, that its fun to follow them and kick-up some dust. So, minority rights are fine with me. I don’t require special treatment. I merely want treatment.
Comment or email: earl4sos@gmail.com
Showing posts with label Libertarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Libertarian. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Visions and Schisms
Each of the two Old Parties has migrated from its original purposes and ideals into an enterprise that is filled with fissures. The Democrats were a strong coalition of classic liberals, minority groups and labor. The Republicans historic union of small-government proponents, fiscal conservatives and social conservatives is being challenged by the inclusion of the big-government, aggressive foreign policy neo-conservatives. We Libertarians are somewhat different. Our differences, our disagreements are part and parcel of our foundational make-up. We are fervently united in our passion for smaller, Constitutional government, thereby resulting in lower taxes for all Americans. Smaller government inevitably results in more personal freedom as unconstitutional rules, regulations and petty enforcements are discarded. Where we disagree, sometimes loudly, is on those personal freedom issues. Because we all cherish liberty and freedom, we are willing…and eager…to acknowledge our differences and to ultimately ignore them. Our unified desire for a Constitutional government as envisioned by the Founders overrides the petty, picayune, personal preferences that each of us embraces. We understand that personal non-threatening behavior is an individual choice that is of concern to the individual; his/her loved ones, and her/his Maker. As persons we are not capable of infallible judging or unbiased observing, therefore personal freedom should, indeed must, be a vital component of a nation and a party that cherishes freedom and respects individuals.
In the current political environment, we are witnessing significant citizen discontent. Many traditional Democrats are dismayed by the rapid race of their party toward big government progressivism. Republicans, on the other hand, are frustrated by their party’s willingness to aid and abet the growth of massive, intrusive and restrictive government. Most citizens are alarmed by the huge deficits and unrestrained spending that they witness at all levels of government. “Them natives are restless.” So, one would think that the Libertarian party would be the natural landing place for those citizens who are radically discontented with the present state of affairs. So far, we have not seen a mass exodus to libertarianism or a huge increase in the rolls of the Libertarian Party. Why not?
In my view, there are several elements in play that could account for the lack of a major shift of party preferences. The Democrats have historically favored interventionist government, and thus, may be skeptical of the Libertarian goal of a smaller Constitutional one. Republicans, because of the strength of the social conservatives and neo-cons, are resistant to the personal freedom and limited intervention messages. Finally, I believe the two most glaring reasons for their failure to join the Libertarian cause are that Libertarian candidates, as individuals, have not convinced the voters that they are prepared to govern. Incoherent messages, unpolished deliveries and foundationless stridency do not breed confidence in citizens who may be considering a change from a lifetime of voting behavior. Secondly, many of the discombobulated, discontented, disenfranchised and discouraged voters are not as passionate about smaller, Constitutional government as they profess to be. In their hearts of hearts, they would be content to live with the large over-bloated monstrosity that we now have…just no more. So, they will willingly lap up the protestations of slick career politicians who pledge to halt the march toward tyranny. The voters will believe them because they want to. They will ignore the reams of evidence that illustrate the professional class of politicians thrive in a growing state apparatus. The citizens will be deceived once again because they choose to swallow the deceit. As a Libertarian who burns for a smaller Constitutional government, I fear that the citizens who choose to be fooled again will cause my heart to break and my soul to cry.
Comment or email: earl4sos@gmail.com
In the current political environment, we are witnessing significant citizen discontent. Many traditional Democrats are dismayed by the rapid race of their party toward big government progressivism. Republicans, on the other hand, are frustrated by their party’s willingness to aid and abet the growth of massive, intrusive and restrictive government. Most citizens are alarmed by the huge deficits and unrestrained spending that they witness at all levels of government. “Them natives are restless.” So, one would think that the Libertarian party would be the natural landing place for those citizens who are radically discontented with the present state of affairs. So far, we have not seen a mass exodus to libertarianism or a huge increase in the rolls of the Libertarian Party. Why not?
In my view, there are several elements in play that could account for the lack of a major shift of party preferences. The Democrats have historically favored interventionist government, and thus, may be skeptical of the Libertarian goal of a smaller Constitutional one. Republicans, because of the strength of the social conservatives and neo-cons, are resistant to the personal freedom and limited intervention messages. Finally, I believe the two most glaring reasons for their failure to join the Libertarian cause are that Libertarian candidates, as individuals, have not convinced the voters that they are prepared to govern. Incoherent messages, unpolished deliveries and foundationless stridency do not breed confidence in citizens who may be considering a change from a lifetime of voting behavior. Secondly, many of the discombobulated, discontented, disenfranchised and discouraged voters are not as passionate about smaller, Constitutional government as they profess to be. In their hearts of hearts, they would be content to live with the large over-bloated monstrosity that we now have…just no more. So, they will willingly lap up the protestations of slick career politicians who pledge to halt the march toward tyranny. The voters will believe them because they want to. They will ignore the reams of evidence that illustrate the professional class of politicians thrive in a growing state apparatus. The citizens will be deceived once again because they choose to swallow the deceit. As a Libertarian who burns for a smaller Constitutional government, I fear that the citizens who choose to be fooled again will cause my heart to break and my soul to cry.
Comment or email: earl4sos@gmail.com
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Party 3.0
With the advent of the “Tea Party” movement there is evidence of angst within certain political circles. Recently I have noted conservative bloggers and commentators warning that an effort to form a third party would be disastrous for the Republic. They argue that a movement coalescing into a party as a result of massive discontent with “politics as usual” would inevitably lead to an electoral victory for the progressive statists because the Constitutionalist/ Conservative majority would be divided. Perhaps.
As I approach my sixty-fourth birthday, I can count the scars and see the scorch marks all over my body as a result of my life-long reliance on Republican PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS to do the right thing…respect the limits of the Constitution. To expect ANY professional politician to honor the limits of Constitutional governance is, in my view, misplaced, naïve and stupid. Too often in the past four decades or so, I have witnessed political newcomers rail against the encroachment of big unresponsive government, only to watch them become more comfortable and, in fact, enable the incremental growth of government and its power over us. They transform from hard-charging challengers into defenders of the status quo. Their rhetoric changes from promoting the principle for the reduction of government influence to “I’ve offered amendments to minimize the damage.” They become (literally and figuratively) fat and comfortable as they pursue their lifetime careers from local to state to national arenas while proclaiming their devotion to limited government. They vote to put levies on the ballot so that “the people can get involved,” when in reality they have conspired with their cohorts to increase spending, and they do not have the courage to stop the spending or oppose the levy. The longer they seek office the smaller their reservoir of courage becomes. Their job-preservation instincts overwhelm their notions of servant hood. They plead, they beg, they grovel, and they barter for your votes so that they can “continue the fight for fiscal integrity.” Meanwhile, the budget grows faster than the GDP. Public employee unions become more rigidly embedded in the system. Taxes and fees are necessarily increased to finance the profligacy of our beloved guardians of Constitutional government.
With the socialist/progressive element of American politics, I know what I am getting. They’ll lie and misrepresent their intentions, and distort the outcomes of their ludicrous policies and actions. They’ll promise Nirvana and deliver nothing. They’ll confiscate my property and severely circumscribe my freedom. They’ll demean me, denounce me and, perhaps, destroy me. But I know who they are. I can resist them and fight them for every inch of Liberty’s turf. My “friends,” on the other hand will lull me into subservience with sweet utterances such as “rights, low taxes, common sense, and spending cuts” as they become complicit in the inexorable growth of the big “Nanny” state. It was a Republican who initiated the EPA and OSHA. It was a Republican who enacted wage and price controls. It was a Republican who started the massive federal land grab to set aside millions of acres and remove them from private development. It was a Republican who proposed a massive unfunded expansion of Medicare and increased the federal role in public education. I know who my enemies are, but it’s my friends who have betrayed me…time and time again. Screw it. Screw them. I would rather go down fighting, kicking and screaming…and be right. I will no longer be led and misled by PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS who artfully claim to be my friends. I will be betrayed no more. I am now a Libertarian, and I want my country back!
Comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
As I approach my sixty-fourth birthday, I can count the scars and see the scorch marks all over my body as a result of my life-long reliance on Republican PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS to do the right thing…respect the limits of the Constitution. To expect ANY professional politician to honor the limits of Constitutional governance is, in my view, misplaced, naïve and stupid. Too often in the past four decades or so, I have witnessed political newcomers rail against the encroachment of big unresponsive government, only to watch them become more comfortable and, in fact, enable the incremental growth of government and its power over us. They transform from hard-charging challengers into defenders of the status quo. Their rhetoric changes from promoting the principle for the reduction of government influence to “I’ve offered amendments to minimize the damage.” They become (literally and figuratively) fat and comfortable as they pursue their lifetime careers from local to state to national arenas while proclaiming their devotion to limited government. They vote to put levies on the ballot so that “the people can get involved,” when in reality they have conspired with their cohorts to increase spending, and they do not have the courage to stop the spending or oppose the levy. The longer they seek office the smaller their reservoir of courage becomes. Their job-preservation instincts overwhelm their notions of servant hood. They plead, they beg, they grovel, and they barter for your votes so that they can “continue the fight for fiscal integrity.” Meanwhile, the budget grows faster than the GDP. Public employee unions become more rigidly embedded in the system. Taxes and fees are necessarily increased to finance the profligacy of our beloved guardians of Constitutional government.
With the socialist/progressive element of American politics, I know what I am getting. They’ll lie and misrepresent their intentions, and distort the outcomes of their ludicrous policies and actions. They’ll promise Nirvana and deliver nothing. They’ll confiscate my property and severely circumscribe my freedom. They’ll demean me, denounce me and, perhaps, destroy me. But I know who they are. I can resist them and fight them for every inch of Liberty’s turf. My “friends,” on the other hand will lull me into subservience with sweet utterances such as “rights, low taxes, common sense, and spending cuts” as they become complicit in the inexorable growth of the big “Nanny” state. It was a Republican who initiated the EPA and OSHA. It was a Republican who enacted wage and price controls. It was a Republican who started the massive federal land grab to set aside millions of acres and remove them from private development. It was a Republican who proposed a massive unfunded expansion of Medicare and increased the federal role in public education. I know who my enemies are, but it’s my friends who have betrayed me…time and time again. Screw it. Screw them. I would rather go down fighting, kicking and screaming…and be right. I will no longer be led and misled by PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS who artfully claim to be my friends. I will be betrayed no more. I am now a Libertarian, and I want my country back!
Comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Speaking Personally
There are times that I feel like Sisyphus (no, that’s not a lisper talking about an STD). Oh, by the way, this is going to be a bipolar piece of writing as I attempt to share my thoughts and tag them with parenthetical asides as I meander through the landscape of my once-fertile mind. I am radically ticked off. I look around me as I skim through my daily reading of the news (usually about two to two and a half hours), and I see madness. One would think if you know me or read my work, that I would feel quite at home in the center of madness. That’s not the case, however, because even crazy people sometimes perceive that craziness is nuts. I have a passion for freedom. Throughout my sixty-some years that passion has varied from a tiny ember in my soul to a flaming inferno of frustration. As a child, I would chafe at the rules of my parents. Usually, I recognized the reasoning behind them, but I resisted and resented their application. I know…I know…I know that no one else can look at me and discern exactly what it is that I am thinking at that moment. They may have some sense of my thoughts, but they do NOT know precisely what is fermenting in my conscious self. I knew this at a very early age, therefore, I became starkly aware of my uniqueness…and correspondingly, aware of the unique properties of every person.
As one who struggled to grow up in the Sixties, I went through much of the dissonance associated with one who wants to “find himself” without totally disengaging from the planet. In my moments of self examination I often wondered if those who had preceded me had their own quiet moments of self examination. Perhaps they were too busy scuffling for food and shelter to have the luxury of thoughtful introspection. But then I discovered that the philosophers of the ages gone by had questioned many of the same issues as I…and in most cases had done so more thoroughly and more lucidly than my feeble quest for answers. So, maybe I’m not so unique…which technically speaking, means that I’m not unique, but at this very moment, in this place, under these circumstances…I am unique. (Stupid metaphor coming, ask my daughter about it) Like a snowflake that is unique (I still can’t grasp this concept), I fall into an environment or an age and blend into the snow bank. Is my uniqueness now gone? Or is it merely suppressed by the millions of unique snowflakes clustered around me? Is it possible that underlying the softly falling snow is a cacophony of sub-auditory shouts screaming “Hey, its me, I’m here, hear me, see me!”
To the point: So far this exercise has seemed to be wallowing in self aggrandizement. I suspect, however, that everyone goes through a similar process at some stage in her/his life. If this is in fact true, then the burning yearning for freedom is present in each of us. Some of us hide it in order to be liked. Some of us have it extinguished by others who degrade us or denigrate our dreams. Some resist the efforts to drown the spark and fight back with a vengeance. Here I sit in my mid-sixties on my 5-acre little patch of paradise. I should be relishing my time to write, to garden and to create sawdust in my woodworking shop. Instead, I’m becoming politically active again…against my better judgment. Rather than maximizing my precious moments with my three grandchildren, I engage in a flurry of activity for a cause that seems lost. That little spark is now a conflagration, the lonely snowflake doesn’t want to melt into nothingness.
I am now a Libertarian. Yes, I have joined a band of misfit dope smokers, wild-eyed anarchists, adamant atheists and geeks. I have also united with people from all walks of life and various backgrounds who KNOW that the unrestrained growth of government will dampen the spark of liberty in each of us. They and I know that as government grows larger and more oppressive, it consumes the oxygen of opportunity, the air of dreams, and the hope of freedom. In our historic past when freedom-lovers felt the crush of too much government or restriction, they pulled-up their stakes, loaded their wagons and headed west. There are not too many places for the freedom-lovers to go now, so many of us have come together to take freedom back from the dream stealers. As many of you know, I used to be a Republican…an ardent one. But the party and too many of its representatives have failed. They give lip-service to the basic principles of freedom, then tag along trying to “improve” liberal legislation rather than fighting to defeat it. Too many Republicans have joined the professional political class where holding the job outranks doing what is best for the country and their constituents. So, I’ve attached myself to a motley group of rank amateurs who merely want freedom to thrive.
I am a Christian. A fundamental, evangelical born-again believer in the divinity of Jesus Christ. Some might think that my faith would place me 180 degrees from the political position that I have embraced. Au contraire, dear Reader, three bedrock elements of Biblical Christianity are faith, grace and freedom. Original Christian believers do not want an oppressive overbearing government to dictate the parameters of their belief. Many of the early colonialists migrated to our shores to escape repressive state-supported churches. As long as the state has an interest in religious behavior, then an individual’s practice of faith will be circumscribed or limited. Grace is God’s gift to me as a result of Christ’s going to the cross, taking MY sin with Him into death, and rising to life. As a result of his paying the debt for my deplorable words and deeds, I am free to reconstruct my life, my attitudes, and my priorities without the monumental guilt of my past transgressions. Does Grace suggest that everything I do from now on is guiltless? No, of course not. The gift of grace has made me more cognizant of my weaknesses and my hurtful actions, but grace has freed me from the paralyzing fear of erring or seeking the approval of others. Some place their faith in the government. I know from my experience that their faith has been misplaced. Some place their faith solely in themselves. With all due respect to their intellects and their motives, that’s not enough for me. Through my personal experience, I know how lacking, how fragile and how misplaced it is to trust only in oneself. So give me freedom surrounded by a bunch of headstrong Libertarians, and I will practice my faith without harassment while having ample opportunities to explain it and share during typical Libertarian bull sessions.
This column to some degree has been a cathartic undertaking. On the other hand, it is only a beginning. I don’t know if anyone will read this…or read all of it. Perhaps someone who loves me will read it and call the EMT’s to come and take me away to the funny farm. I suspect that if I were confined by the folks in the white coats that it might be somewhat akin to how our entire country will be sometime in the future. So I’m a born-again, born-again (yes, I meant that twice) Libertarian. I may be crazy and have some loony associates, but our goals are worthy. I’m sure that some people thought that John Hancock or Nathan Hale were crazy. I know they thought that way about Sam Adams and Tom Paine. I joyfully join this ragtag group who truly love this country, but more importantly…love freedom. Freedom works anywhere, anytime. Other generations fought for our freedom (many of them Christians), now we must fight to restore our freedom. Please go to http://www.lp.org/
and http://www.lpo.org/ to get just a tiny taste of freedom.
Please respond or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
As one who struggled to grow up in the Sixties, I went through much of the dissonance associated with one who wants to “find himself” without totally disengaging from the planet. In my moments of self examination I often wondered if those who had preceded me had their own quiet moments of self examination. Perhaps they were too busy scuffling for food and shelter to have the luxury of thoughtful introspection. But then I discovered that the philosophers of the ages gone by had questioned many of the same issues as I…and in most cases had done so more thoroughly and more lucidly than my feeble quest for answers. So, maybe I’m not so unique…which technically speaking, means that I’m not unique, but at this very moment, in this place, under these circumstances…I am unique. (Stupid metaphor coming, ask my daughter about it) Like a snowflake that is unique (I still can’t grasp this concept), I fall into an environment or an age and blend into the snow bank. Is my uniqueness now gone? Or is it merely suppressed by the millions of unique snowflakes clustered around me? Is it possible that underlying the softly falling snow is a cacophony of sub-auditory shouts screaming “Hey, its me, I’m here, hear me, see me!”
To the point: So far this exercise has seemed to be wallowing in self aggrandizement. I suspect, however, that everyone goes through a similar process at some stage in her/his life. If this is in fact true, then the burning yearning for freedom is present in each of us. Some of us hide it in order to be liked. Some of us have it extinguished by others who degrade us or denigrate our dreams. Some resist the efforts to drown the spark and fight back with a vengeance. Here I sit in my mid-sixties on my 5-acre little patch of paradise. I should be relishing my time to write, to garden and to create sawdust in my woodworking shop. Instead, I’m becoming politically active again…against my better judgment. Rather than maximizing my precious moments with my three grandchildren, I engage in a flurry of activity for a cause that seems lost. That little spark is now a conflagration, the lonely snowflake doesn’t want to melt into nothingness.
I am now a Libertarian. Yes, I have joined a band of misfit dope smokers, wild-eyed anarchists, adamant atheists and geeks. I have also united with people from all walks of life and various backgrounds who KNOW that the unrestrained growth of government will dampen the spark of liberty in each of us. They and I know that as government grows larger and more oppressive, it consumes the oxygen of opportunity, the air of dreams, and the hope of freedom. In our historic past when freedom-lovers felt the crush of too much government or restriction, they pulled-up their stakes, loaded their wagons and headed west. There are not too many places for the freedom-lovers to go now, so many of us have come together to take freedom back from the dream stealers. As many of you know, I used to be a Republican…an ardent one. But the party and too many of its representatives have failed. They give lip-service to the basic principles of freedom, then tag along trying to “improve” liberal legislation rather than fighting to defeat it. Too many Republicans have joined the professional political class where holding the job outranks doing what is best for the country and their constituents. So, I’ve attached myself to a motley group of rank amateurs who merely want freedom to thrive.
I am a Christian. A fundamental, evangelical born-again believer in the divinity of Jesus Christ. Some might think that my faith would place me 180 degrees from the political position that I have embraced. Au contraire, dear Reader, three bedrock elements of Biblical Christianity are faith, grace and freedom. Original Christian believers do not want an oppressive overbearing government to dictate the parameters of their belief. Many of the early colonialists migrated to our shores to escape repressive state-supported churches. As long as the state has an interest in religious behavior, then an individual’s practice of faith will be circumscribed or limited. Grace is God’s gift to me as a result of Christ’s going to the cross, taking MY sin with Him into death, and rising to life. As a result of his paying the debt for my deplorable words and deeds, I am free to reconstruct my life, my attitudes, and my priorities without the monumental guilt of my past transgressions. Does Grace suggest that everything I do from now on is guiltless? No, of course not. The gift of grace has made me more cognizant of my weaknesses and my hurtful actions, but grace has freed me from the paralyzing fear of erring or seeking the approval of others. Some place their faith in the government. I know from my experience that their faith has been misplaced. Some place their faith solely in themselves. With all due respect to their intellects and their motives, that’s not enough for me. Through my personal experience, I know how lacking, how fragile and how misplaced it is to trust only in oneself. So give me freedom surrounded by a bunch of headstrong Libertarians, and I will practice my faith without harassment while having ample opportunities to explain it and share during typical Libertarian bull sessions.
This column to some degree has been a cathartic undertaking. On the other hand, it is only a beginning. I don’t know if anyone will read this…or read all of it. Perhaps someone who loves me will read it and call the EMT’s to come and take me away to the funny farm. I suspect that if I were confined by the folks in the white coats that it might be somewhat akin to how our entire country will be sometime in the future. So I’m a born-again, born-again (yes, I meant that twice) Libertarian. I may be crazy and have some loony associates, but our goals are worthy. I’m sure that some people thought that John Hancock or Nathan Hale were crazy. I know they thought that way about Sam Adams and Tom Paine. I joyfully join this ragtag group who truly love this country, but more importantly…love freedom. Freedom works anywhere, anytime. Other generations fought for our freedom (many of them Christians), now we must fight to restore our freedom. Please go to http://www.lp.org/
and http://www.lpo.org/ to get just a tiny taste of freedom.
Please respond or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
A Life's Tale.
This is a story about the lives of four people: Fred, Florence, Farley and Francis. Any resemblance to persons, alive or dead, is purely accidental and coincidental. These four characters lived on the same street in a small village in Middle America. They were of similar ages, incomes and education, but their lifestyles and priorities were different. Those differences are the basis for our story.
Some people thought that Fred was a clever lad, but others found him unexciting and dull. Some people thought that Fred had the potential to do great things, but others believed him to be a heartless stick-in-the-mud who needed constant supervision and guidance. Some thought that Fred was a kind and compassionate soul who would risk all to help others, and the others surmised that Fred’s vision of compassion was much too limited. Some believed that Fred was a solid, reliable member of the village, but others thought that he lacked vision and idealism.
There were some interesting dynamics at work on that pleasant little street in that quiet little village. Some of Fred’s extended family was very close to Farley’s family while some others had developed long-standing relationships with Florence’s kin. At times, during family gatherings, the kith and kin of Fred’s would discuss their preferences for either Farley’s group or Florence’s. Sometimes the discussions would become heated as each member of the family-at-large would defend his or her allegiance to either the Florence or Farley group.
As a child Fred would often play with Farley and his cousins. He would return home after playtime bloodied and broke as Farley and his family would cheat, beg for mercy, and cheat again. Farley’s family was a fun loving bunch who often broke the rules and lacked self discipline. Farley, himself, epitomized the tribe’s culture. Sometimes he extorted Fred’s lunch money when they were at school. He was a habitual liar and frequently cheated in school. Nevertheless Fred would play with him or defend him at school because they had been neighbors for a long time.
When she was a little girl, Florence was very pretty. As she matured, she became beautiful. Fred was enraptured by her bright eyes and her lovely face. In his dreams at night he pictured her as his constant companion in a mystical future. Whenever Fred became discouraged, Florence would say the words that would rekindle his hope. If Fred and Farley had a disagreement, then Florence would soothe Fred by taking his side. Florence always seemed to have just the right words for Fred whenever he faced a vexing problem. As the time for the 8th grade dance drew near, Fred screwed up his courage and asked Florence to be his date. She said yes. Fred was overjoyed, and as the big night drew near, his excitement began to crescendo. Beautifully dressed and coiffed Florence was the epitome of junior high elegance. Fred was in awe of his young date and all her promise. Later that evening Florence excused herself to go to the ladies room as Fred patiently waited at their table. After what seemed to be an inordinate amount of time, Fred began to search for his missing dream date. He saw her (play dramatic organ music here). She was in the cloakroom…passionately embracing Farley. Fred spun around and left the school…running home as the tears cascaded from his eyes. Later that evening Florence stopped by Fred’s house and apologized profusely. He forgave her, but her intermittent infidelities with Farley continued through high school. Finally Fred faced the final reality and moved on without Florence, the girl of his dreams.
Meanwhile, Francis grew through her early years. Her gangly movement freckles and braces all faded away, and a stunning elegant woman appeared. She was confident and self assured, and Fred was astounded when they met while both were home from college. He asked her out. She accepted. Fred discovered that Francis had simple tastes and unbending principles. She encouraged Fred to achieve his full potential. When he was with Francis, Fred felt as if he were complete. She was always loyal…always faithful. They were married…and were fruitful and multiplied. THE END
Endnote: Fiction writers are often asked if their stories are autobiographical. Well, yes this story is conceptually mine, but not in facts or details. Fred represents me and every other citizen of the United States. Farley is the standard bearer for the Democrats, liberals and progressives. Florence is the symbol of the GOP, and Francis is the representative for the Libertarian Party. For me, this has been a life long journey. I’ve had family members who were strident D’s and diehard R’s. For many years I was a Republican…filled with hope and anticipation. Too often, however, I found them in the closet with Farley (the D’s). Now, I’ve joined with Francis. Keep it simple, keep it solid, and follow the principles…works for me.
Your comments are appreciated or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Some people thought that Fred was a clever lad, but others found him unexciting and dull. Some people thought that Fred had the potential to do great things, but others believed him to be a heartless stick-in-the-mud who needed constant supervision and guidance. Some thought that Fred was a kind and compassionate soul who would risk all to help others, and the others surmised that Fred’s vision of compassion was much too limited. Some believed that Fred was a solid, reliable member of the village, but others thought that he lacked vision and idealism.
There were some interesting dynamics at work on that pleasant little street in that quiet little village. Some of Fred’s extended family was very close to Farley’s family while some others had developed long-standing relationships with Florence’s kin. At times, during family gatherings, the kith and kin of Fred’s would discuss their preferences for either Farley’s group or Florence’s. Sometimes the discussions would become heated as each member of the family-at-large would defend his or her allegiance to either the Florence or Farley group.
As a child Fred would often play with Farley and his cousins. He would return home after playtime bloodied and broke as Farley and his family would cheat, beg for mercy, and cheat again. Farley’s family was a fun loving bunch who often broke the rules and lacked self discipline. Farley, himself, epitomized the tribe’s culture. Sometimes he extorted Fred’s lunch money when they were at school. He was a habitual liar and frequently cheated in school. Nevertheless Fred would play with him or defend him at school because they had been neighbors for a long time.
When she was a little girl, Florence was very pretty. As she matured, she became beautiful. Fred was enraptured by her bright eyes and her lovely face. In his dreams at night he pictured her as his constant companion in a mystical future. Whenever Fred became discouraged, Florence would say the words that would rekindle his hope. If Fred and Farley had a disagreement, then Florence would soothe Fred by taking his side. Florence always seemed to have just the right words for Fred whenever he faced a vexing problem. As the time for the 8th grade dance drew near, Fred screwed up his courage and asked Florence to be his date. She said yes. Fred was overjoyed, and as the big night drew near, his excitement began to crescendo. Beautifully dressed and coiffed Florence was the epitome of junior high elegance. Fred was in awe of his young date and all her promise. Later that evening Florence excused herself to go to the ladies room as Fred patiently waited at their table. After what seemed to be an inordinate amount of time, Fred began to search for his missing dream date. He saw her (play dramatic organ music here). She was in the cloakroom…passionately embracing Farley. Fred spun around and left the school…running home as the tears cascaded from his eyes. Later that evening Florence stopped by Fred’s house and apologized profusely. He forgave her, but her intermittent infidelities with Farley continued through high school. Finally Fred faced the final reality and moved on without Florence, the girl of his dreams.
Meanwhile, Francis grew through her early years. Her gangly movement freckles and braces all faded away, and a stunning elegant woman appeared. She was confident and self assured, and Fred was astounded when they met while both were home from college. He asked her out. She accepted. Fred discovered that Francis had simple tastes and unbending principles. She encouraged Fred to achieve his full potential. When he was with Francis, Fred felt as if he were complete. She was always loyal…always faithful. They were married…and were fruitful and multiplied. THE END
Endnote: Fiction writers are often asked if their stories are autobiographical. Well, yes this story is conceptually mine, but not in facts or details. Fred represents me and every other citizen of the United States. Farley is the standard bearer for the Democrats, liberals and progressives. Florence is the symbol of the GOP, and Francis is the representative for the Libertarian Party. For me, this has been a life long journey. I’ve had family members who were strident D’s and diehard R’s. For many years I was a Republican…filled with hope and anticipation. Too often, however, I found them in the closet with Farley (the D’s). Now, I’ve joined with Francis. Keep it simple, keep it solid, and follow the principles…works for me.
Your comments are appreciated or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
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