I see more and more that people "hate" politics (It's the art and science of running a government. Is that what they hate? The way the government is run?).
Wrong call.
I believe that some of this "hating politics" is more of the same smartphone game, just labeled as a different app.
It starts with the pervasive heralding of Thomas Jefferson's letter about separation of church and state. This app is ALL OVER THE PLACE (it must be a free one).
It is now somehow affecting those people who are not even IN a church or working FOR the government. For example, a solid, long-standing organization with "American Revolution" in its title sent out a letter recently telling its members about this tenet of separating church and state. It had been reported erroneously that they were getting rid of any mention of God or Jesus in their membership materials, and they had issued a letter refuting that. In that letter, however, they still wrote it's important to separate religion out. What?
I have YET to figure out in which category this organization would fit. The test is simple - are they church? No. Are they state? No. So why are THEY taking up this banner, which isn't even part of the Constitution in the first place?
You can hate what you want. I won't question your heart. I just don't want people hating politics because it makes them appear above the fray: as if their hearts are separated from their brains. This should not be the newest app out there, based on app 1.0.
Let's get this straight. If you love Thomas Jefferson, I get it (I have a TJ of my own whom I adore). But he truly did just write about separation of church and state, not separation of hearts and brains.
Please do not adopt this as your own banner. Please, pick up a banner, any banner, and be active. If the last ten years have taught us anything, it is that politicians DO have control over our lives, and very dear, monetary control, and so we must exercise our representative right to express our desires!!!!!!!
And I'll give a little. I'll let you hate politics, in one case. Hear me out.
If you do mean, by hating politics, you hate the way the government runs, then try to affect change. Exercise your right to be a part of this government by applying for a job in it, or running for office, or voting, or all three. Better yet, affect more change by becoming a lobbyist. I am not sarcastic here: it is true they hold power. So go where there is power. Or become a lawyer, then judge, and change society from the bench. That looks to me like the easiest route to bigger power. [Religious interlude: I answer to an even higher power, but I don't think even He wants us to roll over and play dead]
But even after all these attempts, if you have tried and tried and tried, and finally, on your death bed, can do no more, you hate it, you can. But then and only then give up!
Don't fall for this "I hate politics" mantra [because my heart is separated from my brain and therefore I am above it all] - affect change within this amorphous mass. I believe that is the most effective, safest, most peaceful way.
If you hate politics, you won't want to be involved. If you aren't involved, you can't affect change, or affect status quo, whichever you prefer.
Some politicians would love that fewer people are involved - from whom they tax and for whom they legislate.
If you are a citizen of the United States, you are part of the government (since a government cannot conduct its business without citizens....)... and because politics is the art and science of that government, you are in it.
You can't hate politics, until you are dead and have no use for it (as you cease to be ruled over by people, and governments on earth).
And you shouldn't stay out of politics, unless you ignore your pay stub.
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P.S. Find the letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists in 1802 here (Library of Congress weblink below). He was adding his own words to the Amendment as an explanation. Taken out of context, it's gone crazy. http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
P.P.S. Incidentally, if you are going to extol this separation idea as a virtue of Thomas Jefferson, can we talk about how he wrote exhaustively about the dangers of a country in debt (yes, even as he died a debtor)? Why do we hear about separation of church and state from his ONE letter and not about getting out of debt from his COUNTLESS letters? Why is that not our rally cry? Surely we can all agree about that? Let's not rob from Peter to pay Paul. Or rob from Hu Jintao to pay America.
Wrong call.
I believe that some of this "hating politics" is more of the same smartphone game, just labeled as a different app.
It starts with the pervasive heralding of Thomas Jefferson's letter about separation of church and state. This app is ALL OVER THE PLACE (it must be a free one).
It is now somehow affecting those people who are not even IN a church or working FOR the government. For example, a solid, long-standing organization with "American Revolution" in its title sent out a letter recently telling its members about this tenet of separating church and state. It had been reported erroneously that they were getting rid of any mention of God or Jesus in their membership materials, and they had issued a letter refuting that. In that letter, however, they still wrote it's important to separate religion out. What?
I have YET to figure out in which category this organization would fit. The test is simple - are they church? No. Are they state? No. So why are THEY taking up this banner, which isn't even part of the Constitution in the first place?
You can hate what you want. I won't question your heart. I just don't want people hating politics because it makes them appear above the fray: as if their hearts are separated from their brains. This should not be the newest app out there, based on app 1.0.
Let's get this straight. If you love Thomas Jefferson, I get it (I have a TJ of my own whom I adore). But he truly did just write about separation of church and state, not separation of hearts and brains.
Please do not adopt this as your own banner. Please, pick up a banner, any banner, and be active. If the last ten years have taught us anything, it is that politicians DO have control over our lives, and very dear, monetary control, and so we must exercise our representative right to express our desires!!!!!!!
And I'll give a little. I'll let you hate politics, in one case. Hear me out.
If you do mean, by hating politics, you hate the way the government runs, then try to affect change. Exercise your right to be a part of this government by applying for a job in it, or running for office, or voting, or all three. Better yet, affect more change by becoming a lobbyist. I am not sarcastic here: it is true they hold power. So go where there is power. Or become a lawyer, then judge, and change society from the bench. That looks to me like the easiest route to bigger power. [Religious interlude: I answer to an even higher power, but I don't think even He wants us to roll over and play dead]
But even after all these attempts, if you have tried and tried and tried, and finally, on your death bed, can do no more, you hate it, you can. But then and only then give up!
Don't fall for this "I hate politics" mantra [because my heart is separated from my brain and therefore I am above it all] - affect change within this amorphous mass. I believe that is the most effective, safest, most peaceful way.
If you hate politics, you won't want to be involved. If you aren't involved, you can't affect change, or affect status quo, whichever you prefer.
Some politicians would love that fewer people are involved - from whom they tax and for whom they legislate.
If you are a citizen of the United States, you are part of the government (since a government cannot conduct its business without citizens....)... and because politics is the art and science of that government, you are in it.
You can't hate politics, until you are dead and have no use for it (as you cease to be ruled over by people, and governments on earth).
And you shouldn't stay out of politics, unless you ignore your pay stub.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P.S. Find the letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists in 1802 here (Library of Congress weblink below). He was adding his own words to the Amendment as an explanation. Taken out of context, it's gone crazy. http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
P.P.S. Incidentally, if you are going to extol this separation idea as a virtue of Thomas Jefferson, can we talk about how he wrote exhaustively about the dangers of a country in debt (yes, even as he died a debtor)? Why do we hear about separation of church and state from his ONE letter and not about getting out of debt from his COUNTLESS letters? Why is that not our rally cry? Surely we can all agree about that? Let's not rob from Peter to pay Paul. Or rob from Hu Jintao to pay America.
