Common Sense

Happy Independence Day! I've never really been all that patriotic...unless you count the Memorial Day Parades I marched in with my piccolo in high school (don't judge). And the fact that I was in three productions of George M! in my 20's. Maybe I am patriotic...a closet patriot!

Anyway, in an effort to understand the movement towards smaller government and going back to the original intent of the founding fathers, I started reading Thomas Paine's Common Sense. I figure, if it can help Stan's cousin Magda on The Golden Girls understand the fundamentals of democracy, then it can certainly help me. And you know what? It has. I don't think I actually expected it to be common sense, but it is one of the most straight forward pieces of non-fiction I have ever read (except for the fact that I have to read everything twice to understand the messed up English from back then).

The part about monarchies and the fact that anyone with that kind of power is bound to misuse it. And the fact that without any question, the throne is passed down to the next generation regardless of qualifications or desire. I totally agree! It made me think about William and Kate. Do they really think they are all that? My gut tells me they understand how ludicrous the whole idea is and when they are the King and Queen, won't make other people stop eating when they are done. I heard that's what happens now when the Queen is done with her meal. Everyone must stop eating. I'd be that person stuffing my face as the servants came to pick up my plate. Kind of like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman at the dinner meeting.

The thing is, this book is making me grateful to be living in a democracy, especially one that has the opportunity to evolve with the times. In my effort to understand people who are calling for a return to the original concepts of the constitution, I can't help but wonder if the authors of our Constitution wanted us to be using the words today without change. Like Dorothy says to Blanche who is wishing to go back to a time when men were more chivalrous, "How far do you want to go back, Blanche? Do you still want to be able to vote?" (see how relevant the girls are even today!)

To me, if you want to fight for some of the original ideals, then you have to fight for all of the original ideals. I can't imagine many Americans publicly calling for a return to slavery or a time when women were considered property. If not, then who gets to choose which ideals are worth revisiting and which ones are not?

The line that sticks out to me is "...in order to form a more perfect union..." To me, that sounds like the founding fathers understood that things might come up that they missed.  I read an article in Time magazine  recently that talked about all of the things Jefferson and Adams couldn't have known about like our ability to fly, to talk to someone on the other side of the planet in real time, to go to the moon, to destroy a whole country by pressing one button, etc. Because of these creations, we must amend the Constitution to protect our liberties and freedoms as well as the welfare of the country as a whole.

So, what I think it comes down to is change. People fear change. I truly thought that President Obama picked the wrong slogan for his 2008 campaign when he said "Change you can believe in". I see people everyday fight change. Even I am reluctant to accept change. You should see me at work. I always thought I was such a team player, but just watch me when someone suggests a change. I'm like, "What?!" (I'm working on that).

The point is, as hard as change is, I feel grateful to live in a country where change is possible. I want to remember this feeling when I am frustrated listening to today's political debates. This is when my gut will come in handy. I am noticing lately that I am less about blindly supporting one side or the other and more about finding the common sense in the arguments. Eliminating the minimum wage to end unemployment? That doesn't make sense to me. Saying marriage equality is going to ruin the sanctity of marriage? That doesn't make sense to me either. Having cable news programs and politicians only speaking to there base instead of taking the risk to have an audience with various perspectives? That definitely doesn't make sense.

My gut tells me that there is common sense to be found in every political debate. That is not to say that there is only one right answer, but to me, it means that everyone involved in the political debate has to be true to the ideals of the Constitution, not necessarily the exact letters of the Constitution. To me, those ideals are that all 'men' are created equal and everyone should have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Okay, so that's from the Declaration of Independence...you get my point.)

What does your gut say?

P.S. I want to acknowledge how difficult it is not to be judgemental when talking about politics. I strongly believe, though, that partisanship, especially today's, only alienates people rather than bringing them together. It becomes about stereotypes rather than human beings. I think that must be a challenge for politicians, being able to stay connected with their constituents while living in a world of privilege.