Johnson: Time to breathe and think about who we want in the Oval Office

Linda Chamley Johnson

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We the People hire someone on a temporary basis to sit in the Office of the President. It is a four- or eight-year stint, depending on circumstances, world view, competency or other factors.

The key word here is temporary. Placing emphasis on a person instead of the ideal of the office is causing Americans to forget their manners and their dignity. It is as if we have reverted to our teen years, fighting as either a Jet or a Shark like the characters in “Westside Story.” This behavior has gotten people killed and has divided families. It is unhealthy, and quite frankly, un-American.

We wear our colors like a gang. We have flags. We don’t always mark our cars because they get vandalized. We lose sight of what we are actually fighting to achieve.

That’s why it is important to watch both the RNC and DNC conventions. They laser-focus in on what that party is striving to create and why they want to occupy the Oval Office. If they are doing their job, they tell, not only what they stand for, but why they believe as they do. It is an opportunity to mark the character of not only the candidates, but those who stand in support of those running. It is an opportunity for the followers to be joyful and optimistic. It is their time to shine.

It is also time to realize that voting is important, not in choosing a temporary holder of the Office of the President or joining a group. It is important because it is our character at stake. When we choose our candidates, we are voting for our own beliefs and ideals. We are holding them up to the light to see if they represent who we really are or who we wish to be.

Our vote speaks to our better selves, so we need to breathe and think about what casting our vote means. It is shaping our character as a person and as an American. It is telling the world what is important to us and why that is important.

When we are talking about economy, are we looking at our lifestyle? Do we have food on our tables? Are our neighbors able to feed their families? Are we complaining because we have to budget or forgo something we really want?

My last car was 18 years old before we bought our new car out of necessity. We had our television for 20 years and just braved getting a smart TV, which has created a large learning curve with both purchases. We live in a modest, but welcoming, home that houses lots of friendly gatherings.

We have bastante (enough) for a good life. Therefore, my family is glad to see the inflation rate at 2.9% currently and we are happy to hear that people are finding jobs and are being paid a living wage.

 There are people in my community who do not have enough and, unlike us who have a small annuity, are dependent on Social Security for their monthly lifestyle. There are others who live in large homes, go on exciting adventures and cruises, and have large subsidies to ensure a safe and secure end of life adventure. Unfortunately, when I watch the news, the ones I hear the most complaints from are the wealthy. Something to ponder. I find it interesting that I have bastante, but they do not.

The battle over Roe vs. Wade is fraught with hyperbole and inconsistency. The arguments used are both unfair and unhelpful. We need to begin where we all can agree.

 I don’t know anyone who is for murder. I don’t know any woman or doctor who kills for pleasure or because of inconvenience. If you know such a person, I’m sorry.

I do know that one misnomer is the term pro-life. Everyone I know is pro-life. Some are against abortion for religious reasons, and some are for abortion for health and autonomy reasons. We need to avoid hyperbolic accusations and ask ourselves what is our underlying goal? Let’s start with providing a good life for those who are hungry, uneducated, abused, facing a life of poverty or wanting to better themselves. What can we do for them?

We need the revered Office of the President to be temporarily occupied by someone who represents us as a nation, not just a group. We should look for intelligence, consistency with a willingness to listen to other ideas, statesmanship, a deep understanding of the Constitution, a lover of the rule of law and someone we can admire even when we disagree with some of the policies being advanced.

We need leaders who understand ordinary people like ourselves because they have empathy and have been in our trenches. We need that office to hold a person of character that we are proud to say we voted for without a caveat or excuse. We need to respect the Office of the President so that its occupant attempts to represent the best in us as Americans.

Editor’s note: Do you have an opinion on this issue? We’d like to hear from you. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.