The elections are over. The dust is still settling. For some, the GOP’s capture of the House majority was a victory rivaled in few circles. The veil had been lifted. The stock market surged following Election Day as some believed all would soon be right with the world –— a chicken in every pot — every promise except 40 acres and a mule. And it all happened by the end of the week.
Friends, neighbors, fellow citizens, lend me your ears: This is not a major motion picture or even a small screen mini-series with a prescribed amount of time for the ills of the world to be cured. There’s much more going on than just the economy and associated joblessness with more than enough blame to go around.
The issues with the state of our local, state and national economic situations have progressed far beyond the finger pointing stage. Placing blame on someone else for our own sorry state has been going on since the Garden of Eden when Adam blamed Eve for “making” him bite the forbidden fruit. Ever since that time, humans have attempted to make themselves blameless in the eyes of others for the messes to which they most likely contributed if they didn’t manage to goof things up all by themselves.
Though there are times when someone else’s actions create a problem for you to fix, it will take a lot of introspection and personal honesty to bring about the acknowledgement of our part in creating the mess.
Are you one of those who spend countless hours listening to first one and then another “expert” as they comment upon the issues of the day freely pointing fingers at this or the other politician or corporate bad guy as being the culprit for whatever downfall of society is the topic of that segment. If you are seeking validation for your personal opinion concerning big government, failed policies, or the general evil pervading Washington, DC, I can assure you that if you listen long enough or change channels frequently enough, you’ll find someone who agrees with you. You can then pontificate to your friends how you were thinking exactly as the person whose opinion was broadcast nationwide and in sixteen countries through Sky News.
As Teddy Roosevelt would say, “Bully.”
You’ve managed to accomplish what untold millions of sheep have achieved through directing their lives based on what they heard, watched, or read in the media. When was the last time you landed a job, received a paycheck, or affected any real change in your current situation because of something you heard on television? How many hours did you spend before that little nugget of confirmation was tossed your way? Are you one of the many who look at your community, complain about what is or isn’t going on, but go back to the security of your personal cocoon to let the government take care of it for you? When was the last time you involved yourself in what was going on in your town beyond posting a caustic comment under an alias on a blog or making comments to friends you know won’t reveal your true thoughts because it might hurt your business? Why can’t you tell people who you are? Are you afraid your opinion will be discovered incorrect and you’ll never be able to hold up your head at church again?We elect people to run things and then expect them to be us. It’s so much easier to Monday morning quarterback instead of running the play ourselves. When was the last time you offered a suggestion to an elected official? How were you treated as a result? Did they listen and act? Or did you feel like you just got patted on the head and sent to play in the traffic?
None of the situations in Winder, Barrow County, the State of Georgia, or the U.S. of A. are going to be fixed overnight. It’s going to take awhile.
It doesn’t matter who’s to blame. What matters is how it got there, how it’s going to be righted, what’s the plan, and how do we work the plan.
If the right people for the job aren’t in place, get people in there who can do the job. Put your money where your mouth is and be ready to step up yourself, throw your hat into the ring and run for office — local, state or national.
I pray that Tuesday’s “mandate” will bring us some innovative solutions, but if you’re waiting for the Feds to fix your little corner of the world, think again. It starts at home.
Helen Person is a Winder resident and columnist for the Barrow Journal. You can reach her at helenperson@windstream.net.
