What is your vision?

“Where there is no vision, the people
perish.” Proverbs 29:18

We have a
year until the 2012 elections. The 2011 local and issue elections are less than
two weeks from now. Issues, candidates, parties and interested groups will all be
vying for your money, your time and your support. If you are a regular reader
of this column, you know that I believe principle, character and integrity are
vital elements for deciding whom or what to support in the political arena.
Those attributes refer to the candidates or the groups that are promoting
various issues. The final critical facet to be considered involves you….yes
you. What is your vision for your community, your state or our country? If you
possessed absolute power to remake everything, what would your perfect picture
illustrate?

We often
chide or laud political leaders for visionary perspectives or lack of them.
George H. W. Bush didn’t think too highly of “that vision thing,” but he wasn’t
re-elected either. We desire the leader who has a firm vision for the future
but a clear pragmatic grasp of present reality. This is a rare combination
because we associate visionaries with inspiring rhetoric, big ideas and even
larger dreams. The pragmatic realist, on the other hand, rolls the shirt
sleeves and puts her head under the hood to torque, twist and tweak (a Ross
Perot flashback). Our schizophrenic desires seem to be for a grease monkey who’s
a gifted poet. The ideal leader may be out there somewhere, but the poet
generally doesn’t want to wade in the sludge of politics, and the idealistic
grease monkey doesn’t want to “waste” months or years trudging around the
nation, state or district trying to convince voters that he or she can “fix it.”
The doer wants to “do,” not talk about it.

As one of
the group of deciders (voters), it is your duty to design the template for the type
of leader that you wish to assume office. The pattern or “jig” should frame the
vision, and the internal cuts, miters and routing should identify the
principles, character and integrity of the candidates. It is your vision for the nation, the state
or the community that should define which candidate or issue you support. Nuts
and bolts, gears and shafts, bells and whistles are important elements for identifying
the important qualities for a potential leader, but the entire assembled powertrain
is needed for the vehicle to move forward.

When you
imagine what our perfected 21^st Century United States should be,
what role do you envision for the federal government? If you believe as I do
that it should be limited to the enumerated powers of the Constitution, try to
picture in your mind how we move from the sluggish invasive apparatus we have
now to the smoothly running structure you desire. Too often
constititutionalists have fallen for the slicksters who promise to deliver “smaller
government” but fail to clearly define what they mean. If you have the picture
or the template, then your questions for the candidate will expose her of his meaningless
assertions and promises for what they are. If you do not have the template, the ideal firmly chiseled into your mind,
the career politician or the eager opportunist is more likely to win your
support and ultimately disappoint you……again.

But Charlie,
you might protest, that’s their job. They should share their visions so we can
thoughtfully weigh them. You may have a point, but we no longer live in the 18^th
Century when our Founders and Framers debated what our future should be. Our
current crop of “statesmen” contains few philosophers and even fewer thinkers.
If you truly wish to preserve and restore the republic, you must contrast the
model for the present era and support only those who share your goals. As you
know so well, a person or a nation without a firm goal is condemned to wander
aimlessly. If the goal is defined and clear, the path to reach it becomes
clearer. If the politicians can deliver no more than lofty rhetoric and empty
phrases, the people are duty-bound to design the goal and choose the pathway.

When we
assemble something new, the bright shiny parts are rather easy to place
together in an orderly fashion. We may make some mistakes in the process, but
we can quickly dismantle and reconstruct the item. Restoring and rebuilding is
usually much more difficult. Parts are greasy, rusted or worn. Tearing the old
piece apart is laborious and breaking critical components is a very real
possibility. Finding replacement parts may be nearly impossible so we’ll have
to build or machine new ones. Fortunately we have the manual as our reference.
We have The Constitution of the United States of America, and it is
almost brand new because it hasn’t been used very much in the past. Draft your
vision, build your dream, and perhaps….they will come.

Comment: cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tue. &
Wed., 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo. www.wspd.com

Tags: Constitution, career, character, integrity, politicians, principles, vision

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Comment by Robert L. Voelsing Sr. on October 27, 2011 at 2:37am: Hey boys & girls,,,,,is it time for the Torches & Pitchforks yet??? Call me when it is,,OK??

Comment by Pat Chadwell on October 26, 2011 at 5:20pm: Truth, dont tread on me....

http://dont-tread-on.me/the-greatest-truth-never-told-1-the-riddle/

Comment by Jimmy Hight on October 26, 2011 at 5:03pm: It's obvious that we all have a person that we would like to have nominated and elected and it's obvious that only one will represent the Republican party. When this one is decided upon, I'm hoping that we will all back this person to the end of the earth and back unless of course it happened to be Romney, then I'm not sure what will happen because I know the people do not want Romney and they are steady attempting to push him down our throats just as they did last time. 2012, I could live my life without this next year if it were possible. God Bless.

Comment by Pat Chadwell on October 26, 2011 at 12:37pm: I got this little 10 min. video yesterday of a 1948 cartoon. Everyone needs to look at it. Lloyd, they knew in 1948 what you were talking about and it is happening again. Enjoy...but don't miss this!

http://nationaljuggernaut.blogspot.com/2009/09/this-cartoon-seemed-...

Comment by TSGT Uvin A. Clough Jr., USAR, R on October 26, 2011 at 12:32pm: Regarding Donations from those running for office as wells the Haratige Foundation, Tea Parties and state and federal parties, I have notifed them that I WILL NOT MAKE ANY DONATIONS, until they Have The Guts, or whatever, to educate the American People regarding the ISLAMIC 5TH COLUMN THAT HAS INVADED AMERICA. Any one with Half a Wit just on goggle can find our just how dangerious this 5th Column is and barly 2nd to the, too successful to date, Obamanation Administration and the Progressive/Marxists in Congress and every level of Government isn America.

I have recommended my fanily and friends take the same action and strongly urge all of you, if you Truely Care About Our Constitutional America, took take the same position on Donations. Consider this fact - if those we elect will not even speak about it and takeno action, the ruslts will be worse than the Islamic Terriorsts Attack on 9/11! ! !

TSGT Clough.

Comment by Nick Vlaco on October 26, 2011 at 10:10am: Leaderslhip that holds the following axioms:

1. Accountibility to a higher moral authroity is "curcial" to the advancement of civilization.

2. The government "cannot be ones benevlotent be benefactor for a "prolonged" period without becoming

a: brutish, bloated, brainless, boondoggling, bamboozling beauracracy.

3. Compassion must at "times" be tempered with common sense.

4. The government cannot mandate "absolute" equality.

5. The government must "never" impose its will on the affairs of law abbiding individuals being it is too stupid and incompetent to replace their own superior capabilities.

address the affairs of the individual.

Comment by Debrajoe Smith-Beatty on October 26, 2011 at 10:09am: I second that Billy, along with Eric Holder, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Barney Franks, Chris Dodd.

Comment by Michael I. Duke on October 26, 2011 at 9:11am: If you want to get a good idea about the vision candidates have for the country and our future, read their books. Several have written them to define who they are, their life and what they believe. These are especially valuable if they are actually written by the candidate rather than a ghost writer. I haven't read all of them because some of the candidates do not interest me enough to go deeper. I have read Herman Cain's and it has a vision for this country that I embrass. This is why the ups and downs in the campaign does not unduly distress me. I know where he wants to go, how he will get there and I have confidence he has the best shot of actually accomplishing most of what is needed.

You are not going to get an accurate or complete understanding of a candidate's vision, character or skills by listening to the stump speeches, sound bites, debates or ads. Sometimes unscripted in depth interviews are revealing, but it may be impossible to know if the questions are scripted and previously provided to the candidate. The ghost written books are written by expert political writers who have the ability to create the desired persona in accordance with a campaign strategy. At least they provide details that the candidate wants voters to know and they can be compared to the candidates pervious statements, positions and actions. I believe a true autobiography by a candidate who is not a professional campaign writer is likely to be more reflective of the candidate's beliefs or it will fail to have consistency or to be believable.

Mike

Comment by Proquci Prodesse on October 26, 2011 at 8:52am: The decision on sharia is now, this is a must do situation. Otherwise, once all the Arab world unites against Israel, we will have to be counted anyway, for we are all next, Scandinavia is gone, much of France, Spain, right across Europe and its time to stand and America could do with doing itself a favour... OUTLAW SHARIA NOW! Or trust us cousins across the pond, the price to pay if you dont will be huge and severe.. We beseech you T Party, you must run on this ticket and win....

Comment by Jack Langley on October 26, 2011 at 8:36am: Aubrey, I couldnt agree more. I too have restored old cars.