“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
Many eons ago, I had received tickets to a special early screening of a very politically charged movie about 9/11 at an artsy theater in downtown Washington, D.C. After the movie ended, I left the theater deep in thought about it, when suddenly, a major television news anchor directly outside accosted me, demanding to know if many of the problems of our country at the time were because of the current POTUS. The answer I gave her then wasn’t one she expected nor wanted to hear, as she quickly moved on to another patron who emerged behind me. What I told her was simply that the problems in our country weren’t the President’s fault, they’re ours.
During much of Biden’s Presidency thus far, as well as during Trump’s, and Obama’s, and before that Bush Jr., Clinton, Bush Sr., and all the way to as far back as I can remember with Reagan, the number of judgments I’ve heard that blame the state of our country on who’s in the POTUS position is countless at this point. How many of those judgments also came from strong devout followers from faith-based religions where judgment isn’t even supposed to be a part of their walk is also countless.
All this finger pointing at the President has always baffled me because those constantly doing it, are also the ones saying and doing things regularly in their lives that is just as judgmental and unloving and has nothing to do with who’s President. It has to do with no one else except themselves. But it’s far easier to focus on things like the high cost of housing, massive inflation, steep gas prices, tanking 401k’s, constant gun violence, and more, and place blame upon it all on the current President, rather than taking a hard look in the mirror at oneself and beginning to focus on changing our own attitudes in life. It’s by changing oneself and how others are treated is how we will ever see any positive change happen in this country.
For all those who regularly complain about any President, or Vice President, or anyone in political power for that matter, simply resorting to shouting obscenities, throwing judgments, shaming, bashing, or doing any of the sort, will accomplish nothing but spread more hatred. For five decades, I’ve watched one individual after another blame the POTUS for the misery in their lives, rather than look at how they themselves act towards the rest of the world. Change begins by looking at that, by practicing more restraint of tongue and pen, and by living out greater unconditional love and tolerance for all. Maybe if we all started doing that, we might finally see the changes we seek at the POTUS level coming to fruition because it’s already manifested within us all…
May the change I want to see always begin with me God…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
