I think it’s sad that our politicians have to beg us for money to “win” – the inference being that whoever has the most money wins the election. That just seems like a really dysfunctional way to choose who will run our government. I mean. That doesn’t seem like the way a democratic republic should work, right?

And wouldn’t it be cool if we stripped away labels of “right” and “left” and “Democrat” and “Republican” and actually talked about the issues, as individuals, rather than as members of a “side”? I think we’d find we have more in common than we think.

• I mean, who doesn’t want fair pay? (And if you don’t want fair pay for all, then you wouldn’t be able to hide behind a party, you’d have to actually come out and say, “No, I don’t believe in fair pay for everyone.”)
• And who doesn’t want equal rights for all, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion? (And if you DON’T want equal rights, you couldn’t just say, “I’m a member of the _ party” and spout the party jingle, you’d have to admit, “Nah, I don’t really believe in equal rights. Some people should have more rights than others.”)
• Who DOESN’T believe in honesty and truthfulness and being presented with the facts? (And if you don’t believe in honesty and truthfulness and being presented with the facts, you wouldn’t be able to hide behind some party-mob mentality, you’d have to actually come out, as an individual, and admit that you don’t believe in talking honestly, and with the facts.)
• Who DOESN’T want a clean and safe environment for everyone?
• Who DOESN’T want our children to be safe in our schools?
• Who DOESN’T want those with handicaps to be treated with dignity?
• Who DOESN’T want our younger generation to have the financial ability to buy homes, pay for childcare, afford training and higher education, without becoming financially bankrupt, or in life-long debt?
• Who DOESN’T want a strong Federal Emergency Management Agency to care for victims of hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods?
  -Who DOESN’T want health care to be affordable for everyone?

Anyway.
That’s what’s on my mind this morning.