By: Steve Trubilla
Well, the elections are over; did you win?
If your answer is yes, even if we are not of the same mind on things, let me join with your many friends and admirers to say congratulations.
I have already seen and heard the snide gloating comments by those that are doing what I will call cackling at the expense of others.
Of course it comes as no surprise that those doing this are entertaining themselves. It is what they do; the election, for a time, gave them a stage. I have learned it is best to just ignore them.
Some would say pray for them, and I guess that is what should be doing. I will put it on the bottom of my "to-do" list.
I would also like to thank and congratulate those that did not win. Few will take on great challenges. Those that do, win or lose, stand on equal ground in terms of the respect they earn and deserve for stepping forward.
Everyone loves a winner, or so it is said. Few remember the person that comes in second. Losing does not make you a loser. Sometimes how you win makes you a loser.
For many, winning is not the only thing, it is everything. They will do whatever it takes to cross the finish line first. To me they start out as losers.
I have been repeatedly told, as it relates to such things, particularly politics, I am too idealistic or naïve. That in the "real world" it is just plain how things are done. The good guys rarely win and I should put down my rose-colored glasses.
Well, if winning was the only thing, then I guess they are right, but to me it is not.
It comes down to what you believe to be the right and wrong of things. Is it right to lie, cheat, and steal to get what you want?
This is not a hard question; yes or no works. Most people I know consider those that do these things, at best scoundrels, not leaders or statesmen.
Now if you subscribe to the end justifies the means, and dance around with rationales like, "well what I did was not illegal," or that is "what everyone else does," you can blur the lines. You may convince some people, and maybe even a majority, for a while, there is nothing wrong with the way you conduct yourself.
Caution: If is this is your game plan; you may be one headline away from disaster.
This brings to mind the quip: "You can put lipstick on a pig." In the end it is just a pig with lipstick.
For most kissing the pig will not lead to a happy experience. If you keep at it long enough it will probably really irritate the pig.
Now hold on, I said most people, and who you are kissing is your business. I have nothing against people that like pigs. In fact I enjoy a good ham sandwich or a pork chop from time to time.
I am not out here hating on people that like kissing pigs. So don't go turning me in to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Pigs. Yes indeed, there is such a group; http://video.pork.org/video/ethical-treatment-of-pigs
Everyone has a group these days.
Over time, I think it has been proven those without ethics, can and do obtain what they want at the expense of others. Also proven is those that do this will inevitably bring others down with them. It is simply a matter of time.
When it happens, they are deservedly left alone. It is a birds-of-a-feather thing, and their supporters have all flown off.
When it plays out, words like honor, loyalty, and integrity are tested. It is then that the question of winners and losers is really answered.
As a culture, if we are going to endure, we must learn. It is not the winning that holds true value, it is the honesty of people, and purity of the contest. Without this, the contest is a fraud.
The elections we just experienced were more than a race for elected office. It was a test of character that displayed true personal values.
An unintended consequence of it all was a window opened to who many people really are, and not just the candidates.
Before the election did you know many friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even family who would lie about one another, call each other terrible names, and mislead others? That elected officials would do all manner of things to manipulate people or even pay people to do it?
Have you been wearing rose-colored glasses? Who do you really know, and will they be there when you need them?
As I watched it all play out, I was left wondering who the true winners and losers have been.
That question still remains.