A Campaign for Change

As some of you may know by now, I have taken a step forward to run as an independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Missouri's 8th Congressional District. This likely comes as a surprise to some, but perhaps not so much to others. I've been thinking about doing this for over a year now, every since I heard Joann Emerson was stepping down from the seat.

I hope the readers of my blog/Facebook posts have always known I believe in separation of church and state. I think I've made that clear in my posts. I believe it not only because of what it means for the kind of diverse country the United States is, but for the protection of the sacredness of our religious freedoms and I believe that is what the founders of this country thought, too.

I likely will take a hiatus from posting on spiritual matters as I move ahead with the campaign, although I might offer something from time to time. This is mainly because my time is going to be taken up with a nine-month whirlwind of activities but also because I do want everyone to know that my spiritual views and my political views might sometimes appear to be on a collision course.

For those who have read my novel, you will know that in it, I promote local solutions for local problems. I absolutely believe we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers and that the most vulnerable among us need the help of those who are able to help, and that ALL of us have something to offer. In the days ahead, some of you might think, as I talk about constitutional over-stepping by Congress and the need for cutting of programs at the federal level, that I am abandoning my spiritual tenets. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am embracing my spiritual beliefs.

My belief in God and the compassion and love Jesus called his followers to have for all those around us, will always inform my decisions, even when it might not seem like it or feel like it, perhaps even to me. But our country has swung too far in a direction which is leading us to a point of decline that none of us can imagine if we don't do something to bring it back the other direction. (However, if I'm being honest, just so you know where I stand, I would never vote to cut SNAP, WIC or housing subsidies, for example, until we get real about cutting CORPORATE WELFARE. This is because I cannot, in good conscience, choose the most powerful over the most vulnerable, children, the elderly and the disabled.)

Our current crop of elected officials -- with maybe a few exceptions -- are merely milking all they can from the system while they can and care very little about the future. If they did care, they would move toward campaign finance reform and taking special interest money out of the political system. And as an independent this is my number one campaign issue: anti-corruption in government.

There are other issues that I know many of you are passionate about, and I have a few issues I'm passionate about, too. Some have already started asking how I feel about certain issues. I don't want to seem as though I'm avoiding giving answers, and I have given a few, but here are my thoughts:

1. See note above regarding my number one issue. Special interest money is wrecking our country and until this issue is addressed, few other matters can change. Money controls every decision made in Washington. You may say, "Well, not literally everything..." To which I say, yes, at some level everything. Because every party politician, every Republican and every Democrat, is at the mercy of his or her party and they do what they're told according to the wishes of those pouring money into their purses.

2. At the heart of the independent movement is a move away from caring about the issues we're TOLD to care about by the politicians who are trying to distract us from the real issue, special interest money. We all have to start thinking for ourselves and caring about this great nation enough to become involved in governing ourselves. I know it takes some work and we're all busy with day-to-day life. I get it. I'm busy, too. I have a family and a job and working on a campaign isn't going to be easy. I'm not trying to put a guilt trip on anyone into being involved in this campaign in a huge way. But at least register to VOTE! And vote for an independent.

3. Just because someone has the good fortune to be elected to office, he or she is not an expert on everything, probably not an expert on much of anything if we're being honest. That's why I feel as though my opinions on issues matter less than the opinions of those in the district who do know what they're talking about. Medical professionals need to be listened to when it comes to healthcare reform. Educators need to be the voice we hear in matters related to education. Bankers -- LOCAL bankers -- need to have input in banking regulations which affect their day-to-day business practices. I want to know what people who know what they're talking about think about the important issues facing our country.

My own beliefs regarding politics have evolved in recent years and are still evolving, honestly. As an independent, I'm not bound by any party's platform. The citizens of the District 8 will help development my policies. There's no way to please everyone, but if we work with our neighbors, rather than against everyone with a differing opinion, I guarantee you we will make progress. The independent movement is the best hope we have!

Christmas in January

The “twelfth day of Christmas” passed on Jan. 5, ending most religious observations of the Christmas season, but Christmas is my topic nonetheless.

The West Plains Christmas parade was postponed from its original date, Dec. 14. The weather had been frightful and a parade that day would not have been delightful, to say the least. Officials with the West Plains Chamber of Commerce, the organization which sponsors the event, made a wise decision, based on safety concerns, to postpone the parade until Jan. 11.

Because many groups and organizations had gone to a great deal of creative effort to build floats with Christmas in mind, the details will remain the same as if the parade was happening during the “official” holiday season. The theme, the categories, the prize money to be awarded and all the good cheer are scheduled to be part of the march down Porter Wagoner Boulevard set for 5 p.m. today.

What seems to have changed, barely two weeks after the celebration of the birth of Jesus, is much of the goodwill in the community. My hope is that everyone is looking forward to the fun and the message of the event, but I’ve had several conversations with those who are less than enthused. A couple of people have been downright hostile toward the idea of a Christmas parade in January. Curious, isn’t? The things we choose to get upset or worked up about.

Because of a variety of reasons, organizers of the parade had little choice but to change the date to this weekend. About the only other option would have been to cancel it, and too many people had worked too hard for that to make much sense. As someone who has organized a few events over the years, I can tell you there’s no way to please everyone, no matter what plans are made. And once plans have to be changed because of circumstances beyond anyone’s control, the proverbial no-win situation is what results.

It’s true that probably just about everyone is disappointed the parade will be after Christmas, no one more so than Chamber of Commerce officials, we can be assured of that. But instead of saying things to make anyone feel bad or suggesting things which simply aren’t possible, I propose we make the best of a less than ideal situation. We may have already put away our Santa hats, but let’s break out our smiles, put on a spirit of compassion and appreciation for all the hard work that goes into putting on a nice event for the community and most of all, remember all that talk back in December about keeping Christmas in our hearts all year long.

When Chamber Director Joanne White provided the reasons for changing the date, she added, “We hope everyone will want to continue spreading the joy of Christmas into January.” I agree. Let’s start with joy in January and carry it all through the year. Jesus isn’t just the reason for the Christmas season. For believers he should be the reason for every season.

A Gift Economy

Yesterday, I posted a video on Facebook about a new way of looking at money. (If you didn't see it and would like to, here's the link: http://www.upworthy.com/theres-a-new-old-way-to-think-about-money-are-you-ready-for-it?g=3&c=ufb1) 

If you think about it, the way our system has become monetized is a relatively recent development, which got going in full swing, especially in rural areas, around the time the railroad "came to town." The way the system is now, and is headed toward more every day, is starting to not work very well. A return to simpler times could provide a way forward.
 
Before there was a way to readily get goods from long distances, people grew/made/did what they needed and grew/made/did extra so they could exchange the excess with neighbors. Farmer John grew more wheat than his family needed. He took it to Jack's mill. Jack ground the wheat and kept some for his fee. By doing that for everyone in the community, Jack had more flour than he needed, so he traded some of it with Sam for pumpkins or whatever.

That way of doing things was not foreign to our country's way of doing business all the way through WWII. For example, many ration books -- which were meant to be used for certain items in short supply -- were exchanged on the black market. Money didn't mean as much when you couldn't buy what you needed and people did what they needed to do to get by.

When those who made it through the war came home, the money started flowing freely and people were buying up a storm and who could blame them? That generation deserved a break. But it had a downside. There were new televisions to watch, why bother to grow a garden? Go the store and buy what was previously grown/made/done and exchanged with neighbors. (That's when the quality of our food supply went downhill, too. Processed junk food sure was convenient and who knew it was bad for you?) The "Leave It to Beaver" (or perhaps "Father Knows Best") way of doing things has persisted for a few decades, but the tide is turning. Money isn't flowing so freely these days. A new economy is already developing. It's referred to in the aforementioned video as a gift economy.

For example, people don't need to come to a print shop to buy business cards. They print them off themselves using home computers. And why does anyone really need a business card? Contact information is readily shared on a little thing called the Internet, which is free (or mostly/can be). Computer software which cost hundreds of dollars a few years back is available as freeware. People are buying fewer and fewer greeting cards, envelopes, postage stamps and just about anything else printed on paper. Anyone can be a journalist/writer/author and they're willing to do it for free via blogs, websites and online books. Some of them are pretty good, too. And who wants to pay $39.95 for new a hardbound book, when it'll be available on Amazon for $3 with free shipping soon enough? Brick and mortar book stores, publishing houses, printing companies, paper mills, etc. All casualties of an economy which is changing.

And that's just in one industry. People are gardening again and exchanging produce, seed and all kinds of things. More and more are living off the grid. Barter is alive and well. Many people in my daughter's generation have embraced this attitude and way of living and are derided for it by some who really don't understand what's happening. Millions of people have figured out what is important and what is not so much. Those who haven't figured it out are likely to get a dose of it soon enough. Might as well figure out how to make the best of it.

Oh, and let's not throw the 's-word' -- socialism -- around. Because this is capitalism at its finest. Private individuals, rather than governments, own property and businesses. The business models just look different, smaller and more practical, than they have in recent years. Our level of success is up to each of us. No one is forced to share, but it's a natural choice to make because it is ultimately in everyone's best interest.
 
As for the notion of "keeping up with Joneses." the Joneses aren't as admired as they were in times passed and there are fewer and fewer of them. Globally the richest 10 percent own 86 percent of the wealth, while the top 1 percent own 46 percent of all global assets. (The numbers are about the same for the U.S.) Fewer and fewer people want to keep up with the Joneses because some of them (not all, of course) aren't very nice people. 

The sense of community, which Christians need to recognize is a New Testament model, is going strong in many circles. Ever-widening circles.