For nearly 4 1/2 hours this past Saturday, Beaver Stadium in Central PA was the White House, save for a few maize and blue shirts scattered around. With nearly 107,000 rapid fans strong plus countless people watching from their living rooms, a football game between two iconic college football programs held everyone captive. In the coming years, everyone who watched the game will swear that they were in attendance. The players, if they had differences, settled everything on the field and not in the papers or on Twitter.
As the clock struck zero ending the 4th quarter ending the game in a tie, the Michigan cheerleading coach turned to me and said, "it is a shame that someone will lose." The goal of a sporting event is to compete against yourself and/or your opponent. If we didn't compete to win, why would we compete at all? Because, we wouldn't improve. Winning makes us want to keep winning. Losing makes us want to win.
No one in Washington, DC these days wants to lose -- anything. Power. Control. You name it. The only improvement they seek is in the number of elections that they could win. If your party wins elections, then you assume power and all is well with the world. When will the party elite's understand that they will only truly win when they first improve their relationships with their constituents - whether they agree with them or not?
Hey local GOP. Maybe instead of telling people to get off welfare, maybe you should first start showing love to
those less fortunate. How? Why not start by building relationships with them by opening up free counseling centers to teach them how to apply for a job or to how keep a checkbook or a setting up a location that offers reduced day care. How about educating the poor on the importance of self-worth and independence from government as opposed to dependence on it. After a solid relationship is built, who knows, you may have a new Republican on your hands. If not, you still win by getting a family off of welfare.
People holding public office must learn to get out of their comfort zones and meet their constituents where they are and not where politicians want them to be. While you may believe that this line of thinking is naïve, well, maybe you're right considering today's political climate. However, yelling, taunting, writing letters to the editor in response to attacks, only works to incite the masses.
If I were a holder of a political office, I would strive to hold as many public forums, town hall meetings and/or conference constituent calls that I could in order to understand the thoughts, issues and dreams of the people that voted me into office. It's better to discuss issues face-to-face instead of hiding behind an op-ed, or an email.
Building authentic, time-tested relationships first would be my goal. Sure, I may decide to vote for legislation that may differ from some folks; however, those who opposed me know that I will listen when another issue
comes up. And maybe. Just maybe. I may see their side on the second issue.
Spread love. Build relationships. In the end, everyone wins.
As the clock struck zero ending the 4th quarter ending the game in a tie, the Michigan cheerleading coach turned to me and said, "it is a shame that someone will lose." The goal of a sporting event is to compete against yourself and/or your opponent. If we didn't compete to win, why would we compete at all? Because, we wouldn't improve. Winning makes us want to keep winning. Losing makes us want to win.
No one in Washington, DC these days wants to lose -- anything. Power. Control. You name it. The only improvement they seek is in the number of elections that they could win. If your party wins elections, then you assume power and all is well with the world. When will the party elite's understand that they will only truly win when they first improve their relationships with their constituents - whether they agree with them or not?
Hey local GOP. Maybe instead of telling people to get off welfare, maybe you should first start showing love to
those less fortunate. How? Why not start by building relationships with them by opening up free counseling centers to teach them how to apply for a job or to how keep a checkbook or a setting up a location that offers reduced day care. How about educating the poor on the importance of self-worth and independence from government as opposed to dependence on it. After a solid relationship is built, who knows, you may have a new Republican on your hands. If not, you still win by getting a family off of welfare.
People holding public office must learn to get out of their comfort zones and meet their constituents where they are and not where politicians want them to be. While you may believe that this line of thinking is naïve, well, maybe you're right considering today's political climate. However, yelling, taunting, writing letters to the editor in response to attacks, only works to incite the masses.
If I were a holder of a political office, I would strive to hold as many public forums, town hall meetings and/or conference constituent calls that I could in order to understand the thoughts, issues and dreams of the people that voted me into office. It's better to discuss issues face-to-face instead of hiding behind an op-ed, or an email.
Building authentic, time-tested relationships first would be my goal. Sure, I may decide to vote for legislation that may differ from some folks; however, those who opposed me know that I will listen when another issue
comes up. And maybe. Just maybe. I may see their side on the second issue.
Spread love. Build relationships. In the end, everyone wins.
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