Last night, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump. The vote finally ends the chapter of whether Liberals would move forward with the impeachment process.
The first article passed 230-197. The second passed 229-198. Not surprisingly, the voting fell along party lines.
Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who is also running for the Liberal Party's nomination, did not vote for or against the impeachment. Gabbard simply voted "Present". Gabbard explained on her Twitter page why she did not commit to "Yea" or "Nay". Gabbard said it was, "an active protest against a zero-sum game," and hoped people could work together.
I have said before that the impeachment process is, in my opinion, nothing more than one political party upset about losing the Presidential Election. Trump's policies have been working and the economy is red-hot. I don't know how Gabbard feels about the work the President is doing. Did she speak on the floor asking people to come together at this time. Did she ask to end the divisive politics that people had been engaging in? I don't recall if she ever did such a thing. Stepping up and addressing her friends within the Party would have sent a strong message to the entire House of Representatives. It would have shown Americans that she was not afraid to stand up to people in her party and that she was truly willing to put the country first.
What then? Would she be on the outs with her party for not participating in the impeachment. Would she lose support not only in her presidential run but also in a re-election attempt? Was Gabbard upset with the process on Capitol Hill but not so upset she was willing to offend the Rank-and-File of her party?
That's too bad. It would have shown Americans that she wasn't afraid to stand up for what is right. It would have shown all that she was someone who could reach out to the other side of the aisle and work with everybody. Everyone has been talking about it. Gabbard had an opportunity to do just that.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Open Mind, Open Ears
Earlier, I wrote a story about our neighbors. I was wondering if they talk to you or if you talk to them. I'm disappointed in the decline of neighborhoods and how little people talk to each other anymore.
I read an article in Medium.com about conversations. I found the article to be a great read because it dealt with things people do when they're in conversations. I'll give you a hint: they're not listening.
It seems a lot of people are in a rush these days. People run into each other and start to talk. Sometimes, they will act like they are talking to an old boyfriend or girlfriend. Everything is a competition and they are trying to make they're story seem better than the one their counterpart told or are in the middle of telling. People don't listen. "When can they finish so I can tell him/her how much better my story is?"
That's when the interruptions start. It's not a conversation anymore. It's a contest. You can't even call it a debate. Conversations involve listening as well as speaking.
We've all encountered this before more than once. I'm sure of it. When I hear it, I don't get involved. I just give them the victory their ego seeks and move on. Sometimes I will add a little something about what I was saying: a little more detail. Sometimes I will ask them something about their bigger, better, grander story. Sometimes they enjoy it and seize the chance to expand on their exploit. Sometimes I inadvertently call a bluff and they can't detail their made-up story and the subject is dropped. It's too bad because I am genuinely interested in hearing what they have to say.
You don't have to win every little thing when you run into somebody. Sometimes it's okay to just have a conversation for the sake of having a conversation. There are bigger problems to worry about after you've talked to him/her. Enjoy it. Maybe you'll even learn something walking out of it.
I read an article in Medium.com about conversations. I found the article to be a great read because it dealt with things people do when they're in conversations. I'll give you a hint: they're not listening.
It seems a lot of people are in a rush these days. People run into each other and start to talk. Sometimes, they will act like they are talking to an old boyfriend or girlfriend. Everything is a competition and they are trying to make they're story seem better than the one their counterpart told or are in the middle of telling. People don't listen. "When can they finish so I can tell him/her how much better my story is?"
That's when the interruptions start. It's not a conversation anymore. It's a contest. You can't even call it a debate. Conversations involve listening as well as speaking.
We've all encountered this before more than once. I'm sure of it. When I hear it, I don't get involved. I just give them the victory their ego seeks and move on. Sometimes I will add a little something about what I was saying: a little more detail. Sometimes I will ask them something about their bigger, better, grander story. Sometimes they enjoy it and seize the chance to expand on their exploit. Sometimes I inadvertently call a bluff and they can't detail their made-up story and the subject is dropped. It's too bad because I am genuinely interested in hearing what they have to say.
You don't have to win every little thing when you run into somebody. Sometimes it's okay to just have a conversation for the sake of having a conversation. There are bigger problems to worry about after you've talked to him/her. Enjoy it. Maybe you'll even learn something walking out of it.
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