LGBTQ+?

“Straight?”

Women?

Men?

Believers in God?

Scientists?

Atheists?

People of Color?

Undocumented Immigrants?

Native Born Citizens?

Racists?

Scientists say that we are all one, the human race. A doctor can see anybody on the planet, no matter where they were born, what skin color, what religion they believe in, or who they love. It’s hard to tell a lot of these differences without getting to know them, as they are mostly mental or emotional. However, we can tell immediately whether they are human or not.

One could go on about the things that are ‘divisive.’ What is the one thing they all want, that we all want?

We already know this: LOVE!

No matter which of the above categories we might identify with, we all want to be loved and we want everyone to love us and accept us unconditionally. We all want to be one big happy family. We do not want ‘fake love’ or lip service, we want people to honestly and sincerely love us, respect us, and give us unconditional positive regard, no matter what our flaws.

The Great Teachers

That is what the great spiritual teachers teach: Love your neighbors as yourself. Treat others as you want to be treated. If there is to be a ‘we,’ (not us vs them) we must find a way to acknowledge the Oneness aspect of life, otherwise there will continue to be complete separation and competitive chaos, everybody for themselves, us against them.

It’s hard to find the inclusive kind of love in the political world; it’s all about competition, dog eat dog, whatever it takes to ‘win.’ We have to find a reason why we should vote for one person and not another. Yet, when one side wins, they want the people they just destroyed emotionally to be happy and work in unity with them. The also don’t want them coming back again to defeat them in the next election!

Politicians often divide to conquer:

An irony of politics is, that to ‘get love or votes,’ politicians feel like they must appeal to common insecurities, even if they must lie and cheat to do it. They tell them they are victims and being taken advantage of and they are the ones to make things right. Some politicians say this even if they cannot or do not intend to, once they are in office. In politics, it is always about “Us vs. Them.” One side gets elected and gets the office, the other goes home with nothing. They do whatever is necessary to win.

The main issues below are things people want… to avoid, things that are endemic to this temporary world of life and death, sickness and not enough to go around.

1. Fear

Some candidates, if not most these days, use fear as a method of justifying and soliciting votes. If they can identify an enemy out to get them, they present themselves as the savior who will vanquish these enemies and make the world a better place. It doesn’t matter if the “other guys” are not really enemies or if it is really possible or even wise to do anything. It is the perception that only needs to last as long as the election.

2. greed

Another way to get elected is to cater to jealousy and greed. We all want love and respect and we all want stuff. We often want what others have, be it love or stuff. We can work for it or we can expect others to give it to us ‘because we deserve it and they love us.’ Feelings like anger and greed can ride pretty high and people do and say things that do not promote love and unity.

The concept of “equity” is popular, the idea that all people should get the same amount of stuff, no matter if they didn’t work for it or deserve it. Greed drives some people to work hard to earn things, but it also drives others to steal things or get politicians to steal them for the voters. Many people fall prey to the idea that they deserve the same things that others have and will vote for candidates who promise to get things for them!

3. Tribalism

Many people don’t pay much attention to politics and assume that their side is always telling them the truth. It is the feeling that ‘we’ are the good guys and ‘they’ are not. Condemning other people as being in the wrong party, the wrong team is a common tactic. When once politicians had similar goals but just different ideas on how to get them done. Sometimes it is merely competition to get things done that both sides agree on.

However, it is not good when one side demonizes those who don’t agree with them and resort to negative and inflammatory rhetoric. It is really hard to get along with someone who is spitting in your face, calling you unspeakable names like racist, homophobe, xenophobe, misogynist, or whatever when you are not those things. It is one thing to point out the legitimate mistakes and faults of another person, but they really should be true and not just made up.

4. Lust for Power

Politics attracts some people: those who just want power, sex and money and will do anything to get it and keep it. Some will stop at nothing to get elected, doing whatever it takes, “by any means necessary.” Lying, cheating, bribery and even murder are all justified in some minds as acceptable means of rigging elections and preventing politicians from being accountable for their actions. Searching for the misuse of power and the many ways of acquiring it are found on websites, movies and books. It is not a secret and it goes on in the open in many areas.

The means for consolidating power, getting in power and maintaining it are pretty much in unprecedented ways. Some politicians ignore the laws and reinterpret them in their favor. They concoct novel interpretations of words and social theory to gain influence over others. The tech giants, rich people who want to stay rich, the military, government employees, and politicians (and their parties) are all working together to control all aspects of life, from birth to death, including the food supply, jobs, health care, transportation, communication, entertainment and education. Computerized databases now enable control and the ability to attack opponents on a scale unheard of in human history.

Nobler Instincts

We all want honest politicians who will serve our interests. We want them to uphold our laws, to right wrongs and to manage the necessary levers of government fairly. We want them to have a moral compass grounded in a belief in God and a belief that we should be guided by this “Higher Power.” It helps hold back the baser instincts we have mentioned.

US politicians take an oath on a bible to be impeccable in upholding the rule of law, not opinions that benefit one side and not the other. (see next paragraph) Often those who seek power would not get in based on their real beliefs and motivations, so they have to give lip service to noble ideas, only to violate them once in office. Many websites and books detail the promises many politicians made before they were elected, only to “change their minds” once they were in.

It is difficult to tell who will actually do what they promised and who will just take advantage of their chances to accept bribes for “pay to play,” use insider information to make “wise” investments and generally get richer and richer while in office.

What DO people want?

We want people to live up to their oath of office:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.” – US Senate.gov

We do not want to compromise on any of this. It is incredibly divisive and corrosive when politicians evade or ignore their oath, knowing that others are doing it and that they probably will get away with it.

Many people want their tribe to win. It is all about how one defines their tribe, their version of “who we are.” Good politicians see it more about us as Americans than just the Democrats or the Republicans, the Conservatives against the Socialists.

An enlightened politician remembers that no one should compromise on 1) Love of God and 2) Loving our neighbors as ourselves. This Golden Rule encapsulates wisdom throughout the ages and considers human nature. The only certain thing is death. It happens whether or not you believe in God. Heaven or Hell. It happens to EVERYONE, regardless of politics. We must take into consideration our fate after this temporary existence times out.

The F-Word

If we are not perfect and no one is, we all want others to forgive us our faults and give us a second chance. Forgiveness is the ultimate ‘f-word.’ When politicians criticize their opposition and the other side, they often embroider and exaggerate to try to justify their hatred and demonization. No love leads to no forgiveness.

Politicians become statesmen when they realize that not everybody is perfect and no one is all bad. The most productive practice of forgiveness is a kind of ‘overlooking the bad stuff and focusing on the love within the ‘other.’ ‘ We keep forgiving until ‘they’ become one of ‘us,’ finding common ground, something that all can agree on. If a politician doesn’t know what to do or how to forgive, they must seek the guidance of the Higher Power.

We want people to practice forgiveness because it fosters peace, tolerance and love. Peace, tolerance and love lead to getting along better, respect and help each other out when things go awry.

But most of all, we, as One, want to go Home to Love, Peace and Joy. When that happens, everything thing that isn’t Love, Peace and Joy disappears!