It's Time to Eat Our Pudding

Well, today is the day.  Donald J Trump officially becomes Mr. President.  I didn't vote for him.  I still think he's a blowhard and a pig.  BUT!  I have also been somewhat reassured by his choices to fill cabinet positions.  Many of them appear to be exactly what I think their agencies need.  The proof will be in the eating of the pudding, but there's room for me to hope.

Funny word that is though.  Hope.  What our now former president ran on.  I didn't see much manifestation of the hope paying off (except for gay people who are now rightly allowed to marry thanks, in part, to President Obama’s Supreme Court picks).  At the beginning of his first term I was in a similar situation I am in now.  I wasn't thrilled with the new guy, but at least he wasn't Hillary Clinton.  I was open to seeing what he had in mind for the country.  Of course that openness evaporated after I realized he intended to insult those who disagreed with him at every turn and then proceeded to do the absolute opposite of what I thought was the right thing.  That pudding was pretty bitter.

Fast forward eight years and I'm in the same boat.  Don't love the new guy but at least he isn't Hillary Clinton.  Once again, I'm open to letting Trump do his thing before I really decide if I love him or hate him.  Early indications are promising.  I hope this is a tasty pudding.

Carlyle W. Begay Switch from a D to an R Today

Wow.  This is powerful stuff.  I went to high school with many Navajo friends who had to leave their homes for a better education.  I hope they will share their thoughts on this.  I'm very interested in their opinions.

  

Carlyle W Begay (R) AZ.

Greg Gutfeld and The Guy from Footloose

Courage is speaking up AND listening.

I love this quote.  So many of us are convinced we are right we don't even pretend to listen to any other ideas.  It's like going to a restaurant and ordering with out even looking at the menu.  They might have the most delicious version of your favorite dish but you'd never know.  Good ideas often come from the most unexpected places.  It's always smart to listen.

Let's Talk About Actually Solving Problems

This is a small part of a Facebook exchange I had with a friend this morning.  I decided I like it so much I want to share it here.

Also, as part of the same conversation I shared this link.  It's what clued me in to the good work many organizations are doing.  Please don't wait for our bickering politicians to help.  YOU can help right now.  It might seem like donating a few dollars is the easy way out, and it should just be a beginning to what we do for these people, but even a few bucks makes a big difference!  Don't sit in your comfortable house and complain about the situation.  Take some action, even if it's just to share this article.  

Click Here to Read The Article

Ronald Reagan's Idealistic Pragmatism

Want to know why I think Reagan was so beloved? He was an ideologue who was also a pragmatist. Some say he talked the talk but didn't walk the walk but I look at it differently. Even though his administration wasn't by the books a government shrinking wonder, he steered us in that direction as well as he could in the circumstances he had to work with. Reagan inherited a terrible economy and a dicey world security scene but he didnt start blaming others (aside from a few jibes at President Carter) but he got to work. He sat down with the very liberal and stubborn Tip O'Neill and found areas of agreement, ways they could improve our laws. He sat down with the Russians and did the same. He worked to roll back regulations and give people room to improve their own lives because he knew that was the best course and he wanted us to know that, too. His idealistic words also inspired generations to look at government differently. It is up to us to continue his work. We won't get there perfectly, but we can make improvements and strive for progress just as he did. In America, anything is possible.

We Just Disagree... But We Can Still Be Respectful

One thing that has been driving me bananas for pretty much forever, is the demonization of those who have a different point of view.  Just this morning President Obama was making fun of the Republican presidential candidates and some GOP governors (as well as democrat governors) who are calling for a halt to our acceptance of refugees from Syria.  Instead of laying out his case for why we should agree with him, the president belittled and smeared those who are afraid.  Now, I have tremendous sympathy for the real refugees.  They are fleeing true evil.  I want to help them.  I want them to be safe and rebuild their lives.  However, I'm also a realist.  I see how simple it is for terrorists to cloak themselves in refugee status.  I want us to slow down and take a good, close look at the whole situation before we make any moves; especially before we bring thousands of people we cannot properly identify into our country.  But, rather than bolstering my sympathies, President Obama made fun of my fears.  He made clear that he doesn't want to be my representative because I don't see things exactly his way.  He made me more anti-refugee than I am inclined to be. I am tired of this attitude.  I am ready for a president who wants to represent me and every other American, whether we belong to the same party or not.  I want a president who, even if he sees things a completely different way, does not denigrate his opposition.  I'm tired of feeling bullied by my president.