Gather round moderates, centrists, what-have-yous. There's a little story I know and I'd like to share. I heard it back when I was going to the University of Missouri-Columbia. Don't know if it's true or not, and I may get some details mixed up along the way, but it goes a little something like this...
The story starts out with a test. A final actually. I think it was a philosophy class. Maybe an ethics course? I heard the professor was one of those people who didn't like doing things the normal way. One year he made everybody write a short story for their final. Another year, they had to draw a comic. The year I'm talking about presented a new and equally interesting challenge. Sure, some would say it was a little less creative than previous years, but it was certainly no less daunting. See, the final consisted of only one question: What's the bravest thing you've ever done?
Everybody knew what kind of shenanigans this professor pulled, but how do you study for a final you can't really study for? The question threw a lot of those in the room. Many set out to explain their bravest act and tie it back into what they learned over the semester. Others simply explained their acts and left it at that. However, one student had an act that bested all others. So he or she (I'm not sure
which) wrote down one word on the sheet of paper and turned it in.
Eventually the teacher graded the tests, and the curve was pretty much what you'd expect. I think I even heard that he graded his final a lot easier than the rest of the tests he gave that year because it asked so much from his students. However, there was only one A+ that year. I imagine you've already guessed which test got it.
So then, what was the word? Well, I'm not giving it to you that easy.
You see, first you're going to have to hear about my frustrations right now with politics. Basically, I see a political system in our country today that doesn't award bravery. Lots of polls, lots of safety, lots of couching. And it's very clear there aren't a lot of original thinkers. After all, we're a two party country. Not much room for ideas that fall outside of party ideology.
The power brokers have a strangle hold on the ways and means to shift policy and opinion, and they're not letting go anytime soon. The culture of corruption in our halls of government isn't betrayed solely by the whispers of Abramoff. No, we see corruption every single day when we're fed the same tired ideas, but with new, shiny wrappers on them.
I want to see new thinkers, fresh ideas, a more honest approach to fixing this country's problems. I want to see the people running the government who'd get an A+ on a test that asked, "What's the bravest thing you've ever done?"; because there answer would be simply "This." They'd turn their test in and walk out of the classroom. And yes, that was the word. Just "This."
Something tells me that those who would be so brave and so bold are going to emerge out of movements like Unity08. Now more than ever we need people who aren't afraid to tell their party that they're tired of the bankrupt ideas and corrupt logic that drives each party further and further into intellectually dishonest places.
Yes, we deserve better. That's right, I'm talking about you and me and the guy down the street and the woman up the block. But we can't just sit back and wish a better country into existence. We have to be citizens who demand better. We must ask for real answers and clear, concise logic.
But most importantly, we must always ask for "This."
