The Babysitter Dilemma
What to do? You want to go out, can't find a sitter, and suddenly the fourteen year old playing the Xbox is up for consideration.
But oh, the dilemma - is the Xboxer mature enough, at fourteen, to responsibly do the job? Or will you come home to find the oven on fire, the youngsters the fourteen year old was charged with watching running amuck, and the newly appointed babysitter oblivious to it all, still playing the damned Xbox?
What to do, what to do...
In a very real sense, this same dilemma is one we voters face when electing anyone to public office. From dogcather to President, we have to hope the person we vote for will do the job responsibly, especially if the person we vote for wins.
Therein lies the rub, of course. And in the end, it seems to me, performance by politicians comes down to simple maturity; the maturity which holding office, necessitates.
And just like the babysitter, politcians are not "given" power. When they take office, they do not "have" power. There is no mechanism I know of which makes Our power, their personal property.
They only wield it on the People's behalf.
It is a subtle difference, to be sure, but nonetheless, it is vitally important.
When politicians extend beyond their personal reach, when they exercise power not granted their office, when they carve for themselves using their office for personal gain, it seems to indicate, at least to me, a basic lack of maturity.
Our elected officials must have the maturity to understand they are not given power and they do not have power; these imply a level of ownerhip which, simply put, does not exist.
POLITICIANS MERELY WIELD POWER. IT IS NOT THEIRS, THEY DO NO OWN IT, AND THEY CANNOT KEEP IT, FOR IT BELONGS EXCLUSIVELY TO US.
And that is the problem I am having with politicans of every stripe these days. They seem to have a sense of entitlement permeating their space, as if the power they wield is their's, by right. There is an air of smug resentment towards the general public about them, evident in their public interactions - Oakland's mayor comes to mind as a recent example, as do the Republican Presidential candidates.
Hopefully we will stop giving individuals who clearly lack the maturity to wield power as the tool it is intended to be, access to Our power...hopefully we will lose our desperation for a babysitter, any babysitter! - and start to seek out people of maturity and deep, meaningful honor...no more popularity contests, no more mindless competition devoid of true substance...can't...stand...anymore...
Gods, I am so sick and tired of pompous, self-important, over-inflated, utterly dishonest assholes pretending they understand the difference...for all we seem to do anymore, is clean up after them...and pay...and pay...and pay...
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