Our country has been through a lot in recent years. We’ve endured a world-wide pandemic which killed millions across the globe. Hurricanes have ravaged the coasts, and wreaked havoc far inland as well. Our service men and women overseas have been in harm’s way, and continue as such, while they support our friends and allies at war. We’re perilously close to being involved in both the deadly conflicts ongoing in Israel and Ukraine. Inflation, and the cost of living in general, is still high. We struggle with the moral choices and cultural changes that press upon us as individuals and citizens, like abortion, civil rights, and immigration. Our people struggle to make a living and enjoy their lives amidst a tumultuous sea of confusing choices and problems. On top of all of this, the choices we have in electing our top leaders seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel. We, the People, are tired.
As I write this on the Saturday night before election day, I realize that you, like myself, have fretted and worried over our Presidential Election. By the time you read this, we’ll have a new top Executive. There’s also the possibility that the results will be hotly contested by either, or both, sides. There’s even a chance that the race will end up being settled in the House of Representatives, in the case of a tie. Unlikely, but possible. The most frightening alternative would be accusations of massive voter fraud that results in riots, social upheaval and even military intervention. Whew! Yes, it’s all possible. Unlikely, but possible. We Americans have, in the past, thought ourselves immune to the common problem that has existed in the world for centuries: contested elections that results a power struggle for the reins of government. Frightening, indeed.
I’d like to remind you that, even through our nation’s wars, our politician’s greed and incompetence, the failure of bad policies, the wrong choices of our leaders, and racist and sexist attitudes that lie in the wake of our history, we will be okay, no matter who is President come November 5th. How do I know this? Because America’s government isn’t what makes this country great. It’s not the President who rules over the Executive Branch of our government who really runs this country. It’s not even our Congress, who are elected to represent us that gives me reassurance that we will endure these things. No, it’s my Fellow Americans that gives me that hope. My neighbors and friends. Citizens that want nothing more than to be at peace with each other, at home and abroad, that makes this country truly great. We the People. We are America. Not the President. Anyone who sits at that desk in the Oval Office does so at our discretion, not with power over us, but with conditional permission to be our voice. We reserve the right to veto that office in a myriad of ways, not the least of which is by voting. We can vote you in, and we can vote you out. We’ll not endure a king. We’ll not suffer a fool. We’ll keep, and take seriously, our inalienable rights. Remember that, when you disagree with those folks in the office of our top executive. This country has stood for over two centuries on the principles that has made her great. We never stopped being a great nation. We don’t need any President, or any Political Party, to make us great again. We never stopped. Let’s all take that to heart. God bless Y’all. And God bless the United States of America.
Rolling Stones 