This Post Is Number 100 Among The Articles That Have Been Posted To This Blog Since Its Inception In October 2014. I Wanted It To Be Different And, Thereby, Special So I Decided To Express My Thoughts About Politicians Rather Than To Write An Article On The Usual Day By Day Political Stories That They Generate By What They Do And Say Simply Because They Are Who They Are; Politicians. Following Is That Article.

I am captivated by politics and I admire those who are willing to dedicate their lives to serving their country and its citizenry. But sometimes, especially with what has been happening lately in the political world in our country, the United States of America, I cannot help but to wonder whether if one is a politician for an extended period of time they are introduced to a surreal world that exists on a parallel to the real world.

I wonder if they become so attuned to what it takes to survive as a politician that they begin to lose contact with the real world and become so engrossed in this surreal world that they become lost and many of them cannot find their way back to the real world. Instead, they do what appears to be a confusing, un-choreographed dance among various constituents – like the flying insects that you see on a sunny day dancing outside of your window constantly changing direction indiscriminately in an effort to avoid being consumed by the dragonfly, while trying to assure that they will continue to exist; in other words, continue to be reelected and keep their job.

I do not believe that all of these politicians are doing this with malice. It is just that they have been politicians for so long that they are no longer able to determine the difference between the real world and the surreal world of politics. The fact of the matter is that playing politics has become so much a part of their life that, like a virus, it has invaded parts of their being that they never intended for it to become a part of. Nevertheless, it has affected their thinking and rendered them out of control.

As a result, they are unable to return to the real world unless they are willing to dispense with the playing of politics and to do this is all but impossible for many of them. This surreal world of politics has become their real world. They cannot rid themselves of it because to them it is the only world that exists. And because the real world and this surreal world exist on parallel planes, short of a miracle, they may never find their way back to the real world.

This line of thinking by me may sound strange to many readers of this blog, especially to those who do not follow politics closely. Even those who do track politics and politicians closely might have to strain to see my perspective. I can understand that. I only found myself thinking about it because of my frustration with the way that our politicians deal with America’s everyday problems and how often the media mentions how politicians must consider the political implications of a circumstance before they respond to situations that impact on their constituents.

Why should they have to consider the political implications if they want to do what is best for their country? The first and most obvious reason that pops into my mind is so that they will stand the best chance possible to be reelected. But if they are unwilling to do those things that are in our best interest and the best interest of America in order to position themselves to be reelected, why should we reelect them?

To me this is a classic catch 22. But to politicians, what appears to some to be an apparent no-win situation is simply a dark cloud with a silver lining. And somehow they are usually able to manipulate that cloud until they find the hidden zipper that when unzipped releases all of the goodies that typically tend to get them reelected.   As simplistic as it might sound, politicians should be doing those things that place America and its citizens ahead of their political ambitions without first performing a litmus test to determine how their decisions will impact upon their chances to be reelected. It is likely that I feel this way because I do follow politics closely and have come to believe that dedicated politicians realize that they are in place first and foremost to do whatever is in the best interest of America and its citizens.

I am not unaware that politicians are regularly verbally assaulted and abused by constituents who are on opposite sides of various issues so have different interests and expectations. But this comes with a politician’s job and is a part of any political territory. A polished and well-schooled politician will be able to handle this and still do their job. They will be able to absorb the knee-jerk emotional reactions of their constituents and still make meaningful and reasonable decisions based on the information that they are privy to. They will make these decisions in the best interest of their constituents and America and they will make them without placing their political ambitions ahead of America and her citizens.

While reflecting on these various issues that sometimes divide us, I could not help but to reflect on Senator Bernie Sanders and a situation that he was recently faced with when he was confronted by Black Lives Matter protesters. Senator Sanders was extremely frustrated with having to try to speak over the chanting of these protesters who disagreed with him and, as a result, cancelled a meeting that he had scheduled with them following his speech. There is an old saying that ‘if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.’ My thoughts are that because Senator Sanders is not accustomed to being in the kitchen of presidential candidate politics, he is not accustomed to that level of heat.

Now that he is running for President of the United States of America, he must get accustomed to the heat in that kitchen if he intends to survive. Personally, I think that Senator Sanders believes that all Americans should be treated equally. I like him as a candidate and understand that he is approaching equal treatment from the standpoint of economics, which I see as a reasonable approach although I think that that equal treatment goes beyond economics. Evidently, the people from Black Lives Matter have taken a broader view of how equal treatment should be achieved and have taken issue with Senator Sander’s economic approach to achieve equality for all people.

To Senator Sanders I say, don’t be a quitter, rid yourself of your frustrations and keep pressing forward. Although you might not agree with those from Black Lives Matter or with their approach to resolving the problem, try to see things from their perspective and make sure that they understand yours. You are among those who are in a unique position to have a major impact on what the ultimate outcome of this controversy will be so make your unique position count; don’t throw it away.

Senator Sanders is an example of only one among many politicians who can make a major difference in how we conduct ourselves and move forward as a country. He has proven by his actions that he is a man of principle and is not trapped in this surreal political world. But those politicians who are stuck in that surreal world and have chosen to play politics and pander rather than govern are not going to change the way that they conduct themselves unless we as American voters show them by way of our votes that we expect more of them than we are receiving now.

We must show them that they are not in charge but we are! We must show them that they are in office because of the will of a majority of the American people and not because of a few billionaires and millionaires! Let’s exercise our right to the franchise and show politicians and their billionaire and millionaire friends that their money is not king and that it does not rule!

Since there are many important decisions now pending that we must make as a country we should do everything that we can do as voters to assure that our politicians make those decisions based on all information available to them and on solid standards; not on their personal political ambitions. The best way to assure that we have politicians in place that will do this is for us to vote so let’s be sure to do that. And always remember, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis