Writing Your Own History

History has a way of putting things in perspective that is very hard to achieve in the short term.  An event in your life that seems catastrophic this week pales in comparison to the events over a decade of time.  And no matter how hard you try to manage and control the story, some events will alter your history whether you like it or not.

Take for example my divorce back in the early 90's.  I was devastated.  My whole wonderfully-planned life as I had planned came crashing to a halt when it collided with my husband's newly-planned life.  I described it as the end of a chapter, and yes, still today...almost 20 years later, I still think the "D-word" event represents a chapter in my life story.  Maybe the chapter isn't as lengthy or as meaty as I may have once thought because there are other juicier stories in my personal history story now.

And maybe President Obama will get off his fat, pompous ass and take on the responsibility of a comprehensive immigration program and the American public will understand exactly why Governor Brewer was left with little choice than to try to make things better in Arizona by signing the 1070 bill into law, thus forcing the Federal government to do its job. If he was successful in an election year, history would be kind to him for placing the public good over partisan politics.

History is funny, too, because no matter hard you try to affect what your history, you cannot.  I have tried to paint as nice a picture on the whole divorce topic for a myriad of reasons, but when I am dead and gone, there is little I can do.  The story lies in the facts and the outcomes surrounding the event.  Obama should understand that even as eloquent as he speaks, the actions are really the only things that matter when it comes to history.

So what can you do to affect your history?  I'd say that the best thing to do is to try to always look in the long-term and what the big picture shows and to do what's best in these terms.  Be faithful to yourself and what you believe in, no matter what the consequences.  But, always be willing to listen and learn from others and thus, be able to change your beliefs and who you are inside. 

One can only hope that our poiliticians can be big boys and girls and do the hard things such as comprehensive immigration reform and once and for all have a system that works.  The history books are waiting.............................................

Political Ranting From a Different Perspective

Today, I would like to introduce you to my mystery guest.  The person has a political angle that is always interesting and though-provoking. Because of the high-profile position this person has, their identity must be kept a secret.  And their views may or may not be similar to my own.  But, who wants to read only posts that are exactly like their own all the time?  How can your political mind expand and learn anything that way?  I know you will enjoy this first guest post........

What was Jan thinking?

Unlike most of my Republican friends, I didn’t want Governor Brewer to sign SB 1070, the anti-illegal immigration boogeyman that continues to frighten good citizens everywhere.  Its not that I’m soft on illegal immigration. Rather, I just don’t like to aggravate liberals and do-gooders.  There is nothing more dangerous to the cause of freedom than a do-gooder with a cause.  And SB 1070 has brought them out of the woodwork by the thousands.  Along for the ride of course are the political and economic opportunists who are now taking free shots at Arizona in order to establish their own civil rights bona fides and hopefully steal our All Star and BCS games, not to mention our tourists and convention business.  These political tick birds get to sucker punch us because no matter what the facts are, America loves to have someone to hate on.  And for now at least, that someone is Arizona.

Oh sure, there are people coming to our defense, or trying to.  But too often the voices of our defenders, the ones carefully and adversely selected by the media, have a hillbilly drawl or are wearing a gun or, even worse, are the good sheriff himself – Joe Arpaio.  That guy gets on TV more than a BP exec and is equally unconvincing.  If you had to select a single person to go on national TV and discuss the how and why of SB 1070’s passage, to explain that really, after all, most of what it does is already allowable under Federal law or to admit, as few are willing to do, that its provisions are not as groundbreaking as its critics and supporters allege, or to put in perspective the frustrations of a state long ignored by the Federal government, better a horse tapping out Morse code with its hoof than Joe Arpaio.  Repeating over and over how he is going to keep doing what he’s doing no matter what the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division says is not the best way to convert the masses.

I think Jan should have vetoed the bill.  If only because it was a Pearce Bill.  Who signs anything from Russell Pearce anyway?  She should have vetoed the bill and blamed President Obama for it.  And while she was at it, blamed Janet Napolitano too.  Immigration, after all, is a uniquely Federal responsibility and Obama and Napolitano are uniquely responsible for it.  If the immigration situation in Arizona is in disarray, why should the Governor have to solve the problem?  Given the tremendous amount of national attention that preceded her signing of the measure, a veto would have been equally newsworthy, especially if it were accompanied by a promise to call a special session to re-pass the bill if Washington did not get busy doing its job. 

Giving Obama and Napolitano a specific length of time, such as 60 days, to do their jobs would have allowed Jan to own the political high ground, highlighted Washington’s indifference to our problems and given us an elevated platform from which to demand the same level of border security afforded California and Texas.  Brewer could have used the SB 1070 boogeyman as leverage, while looking like the reasonable and able person she is.  At the end of 60 days, she would either be signing a popular and populist bill or taking credit for securing the border.  Either way, she wins.