The Dawn Of Understanding

There are a few things in this world that I most unabashedly am. I am conservative. Conservative ideas have always struck me as more productive for society and healthier for the individual. Hard work and self reliance seem to be virtues to me. 

I am jingoistic. I love my country and truly believe that it is the greatest country in the world. From the Pilgrims, four hundred years ago, to Somali refugees today, people who have been oppressed, starved, poverty stricken, or just wanted a better future for their children have come here to become citizens.

I am proud. I believe that, while some accuse my country of being colonialist, no other country in history has done as much to free people around the world and received less for their trouble. After being attacked by Japan in WWII, we defeated them, helped to rebuild them, and protected them through this process. We received nothing for this but their friendship going forward. Germany, Korea, Kuwait, our military was there to do the heavy lifting. They deserve the respect of every American.

One thing that I am not is racist. I grew up in an era where casual racism was the norm. Even as a child, I new it was wrong. As a teenager, I traveled through the South in the fifties. I saw Jim Crow, up close and personal. I didn't like him.

I do not like the policies of Barack Obama. I do not like them because I think they are bad for the country and bad for the American people. It has nothing to do with the color of his skin. Never did. Never will. When he campaigned on "hope and change", without specifics on either the hope or the change, he did not win my interest. When he claimed the "oceans will recede", I felt he was a man that was far to full of his own ego. When he started making appointments, I felt to many of his appointees lacked the real world experience that is needed in government. Nothing that I have seen since he was elected has caused me to question my initial feelings.

But yesterday, I walked into the living room where Barack Obama was on the TV, just starting a speech. I sat and watched for a little while. I had a revelation. I try to stay reasonably well informed. I get my news from various sources, to get the facts rather than opinion. I sat watching while he tried to spin the conversation away from Obamacare and onto income inequality. He explained how hard he works and the evil Republicans are the ones responsible for all the failures of the past five years.

I knew that he was dishing out a pile of self-serving bull, but he came off as so sincere that even I wanted to believe him. Now I think that I understand how those that accept news from comedy shows and left leaning sources offer him their support. It was a scary moment because I realize in most elections around 45% support one side and around 45% support the other. It is that last 10% of the most under informed voters that decide elections. These are generally the last people that you want deciding the fate of  our nation.