It's probably obvious, if you are one of the three people who actually reads this blog, that I have been thinking a lot about my dissatisfaction with how the US is governed and what I am going to do about it. I have often been feeling ashamed to live in a country where the leaders are acting aggressively, treating others as if they are not human, well, acting like big ugly bullies. I wonder if I am alone, I wonder if our country is so divided that we share no common values any more, I wonder if there's any hope?
That leads us to today, when the boss read to us the preface to a book she is reading for an MBA class in leadership, Leadership, by Rudolph Guiliani. That's not a book I'd rush out and buy--he seemed to me like a basically good fellow, but perhaps not someone I'd have a lot in common with. But, the preface was really interesting, and from the description, I was surprised to learn how many of the leadership principles he has developed in his life matched the ones I have come up with, though of course we have had very different experiences.
But, the best part came at the very end, when he talks about what it is to be an American.
"We're like a religion, really. A secular religion. We believe in ideas and ideals. We're not one race, we're many; we're not one ethnic group, we're everyone; we don't speak one language, we're all of these people. We're tied together by our belief in political democracy, in religious freedom, in capitalism, a free economy where people make their own choices about the spending of their money. We're tied together because we respect human life, because we respect the rule of law.
"These are the ideas that make us Americans." p. xvii
I thought to myself, "Hey, those sound like ideas nearly all Americans would actually say they agreed with." Really, rich, poor, left, right, whatever--most Americans agree on these core beliefs. But. Who doesn't? Our current political leadership demonstrates practically every day that they do NOT respect human life (for all their braying about stem cell research and the evils of reproductive choice they sure like to send young people off to their deaths and to kill people in nations whose leaders don't toe the line politically). They have been lately brazenly demonstrating that they do not respect the rule of law, too. "Geneva convention? That's for OTHER countries to apply to OUR people, not for us to apply to them!"
Guiliani's assertions helped me pin down exactly what I am so upset about with our head honchos. And reminded me what is good about the country where I was born.
What else?
Not much else. Worrying about the partner's health, but glad he is making positive steps toward helping himself, at last. Surviving a lacrosse meeting with total civility. Playing Bejeweled 2 on the Big Screen of my home computer (ooh, should not have bought that--I'll turn as addicted to a game as one of the kids--those graphics are something else). Thinking a lot about friends, former friends, future friends.
Comments
deb said...
I just bought Bejeweled 2 as well. LOL the kids are addicted to it as well as I am.I agree with your other thoughts as well. I wonder daily would our world is coming too.Deb
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 10:18:00 PM
Suna said...
Thanks, Deb. I want to acknowledge the perspective of reader K, who pointed out to me that her parents both were in the military and she was raised in that culture--and she knows that I would not have wanted her mother to die in the Gulf War or anything. She is correct. I love and value all my friends who were or are in the military--I just don't like the concept much, and more to the point, I don't like what our leaders are doing with our armed forces. There are plenty of defense or public works projects that a well trained and in-shape bunch of ladies and gents could do, and they could be PROUD of those things. Anyway, without being forced to say the mandatory, "I support our troops" cliche, I do want to note that as human beings, I value people who choose militaty careers as the best option for their particular lives and situations.
Thursday, September 21, 2006 2:21:00 PM
knittingwoman said...
i think i'm glad that the online free verrsion of bejeweled 2 doesn't run on my mac. I like that game too:)
Friday, September 22, 2006 4:33:00 PM
Nancy Jo said...
I need to find Bejeweled for some other handheld device, so Patty can have one for herself. She is now attached to it, which leaves me leaving my Palm at home for her rather than keeping it with me so I have all my contacts with me. What is wrong with this picture? And why aren't I just retaining possession of my toy?Sigh. My middle child researched it and said we could get Bejeweled for her old GameBoy Color game (which she doesn't use any more), but I haven't been able to find it. Need to write to her and ask what to do now.Nancy Jo, more interested in the games than the liberal news today, and heading off to church instead of finishing reading everything. Really. I'm not kidding . . .
Sunday, September 24, 2006 9:44:00 AM
Oh yeah, and my work friend did some Korean medicine thing involving little pellets of metal on my finger and now my sinuses finally feel better. I think I will live. I was in awful pain yesterday.
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