I don’t and won’t argue about politics, online or off, for several reasons.
This came to mind yesterday when a neighbor overheard me telling the postal clerk about our new $34 solar lamp, which is bright enough to light up the dining room table, read a book, or allow me to pay bills with its light.
It’s a surprisingly good lamp, and it alone will save a lot of electricity.
My neighbor, a nice man I see in town occasionally, was waiting for me by car. He seemed a bit agitated by my solar lamp.
I was right. He wanted to tell me why he wouldn’t buy a solar lamp; he didn’t believe climate change was real; it was just another liberal plot to get people to vote for Joe Biden and the Democrats. He quoted Donald Trump as saying serious climate change was 300 years away, and we didn’t have to worry about it now.
My neighbor is a good man and a good neighbor.
But I decided not to respond to his statement.
After an awkward silence, I said, “Listen, Ryan, you’re a good and helpful neighbor, and I respect you. But I won’t argue with you about this or anything else political. I know you all think us newcomers (20 years) from downstate are all radical “woke” fanatics waiting to force cancer-causing vaccines on you. That’s your choice and your business, but I don’t care to buy into it. I don’t see climate change as a political issue but a survival and personal one. I am also thinking of my daughter and granddaughter. I owe her trying.
It’s something Maria and I are already living every day. I hope you and I and our families can help save the planet and our way of life. If you don’t want to go along with that, it’s your business, just like my solar lamp is my business, and I don’t need or want your approval.”
I told Ryan my life and emotional well-being did not revolve around political leaders. My happiness and fulfillment do not depend on Joe Biden, Donald Trump, or Ron DeSantis. Politics is not where I get my hope or comfort. We have to do it ourselves.
I vote when the time comes, but I don’t need to offer my choices and views to strangers or fight about them. I never argue politics with anyone. I don’t get my ideas from websites and cable news; I like to think for myself. I mind my own business and expect other people to mind theirs. See you around; I’ve got a name of a great and inexpensive hay farmer like you asked for. I’ll drop it off.
The conversation was over.
I left Ryan looking embarrassed and puzzled; this wasn’t what he expected. He didn’t seem sure of what to say.
In recent years, I’ve come to see that politics is not what brings about rapid change. I can only control myself, and my response to climate change, poverty, and people in need is the same: I do the best I can for as long as I can.
In our world, so many of us have slipped thinking for ourselves and following party or label line. Ryan assumes he knows everything I am thinking, but he doesn’t and isn’t even moved to try to find out. Arguing with him would be pointless, and I do not intend to spend even a few minutes of my life in argument.
This is why we started The Army Of Good.
Politics have moved far away from me, and I have moved far away from politics. I won’t join the fray.
I choose to live a moral and meaningful life. I don’t argue about doing good. I do good as I see it. I vote my conscience in private.
I won’t lie or hate people if they disagree with me. I am as disengaged from politics as ever, an odd thing for a former political writer who loved writing about politics for a living and couldn’t believe my good fortune.
I choose the spiritual life, not the political or religious one.
The solar lamp is an excellent example of my new politics. Maria and I are taking steps to continue supporting the planet, as we believe in climate change and see it out of our farmhouse windows every day. We don’t need anyone to tell us that is areas. Even the donkeys know it.
But it’s not my purpose to tell Ryan or anybody else what to think or do. Change and revelation come quickly to people who lose their homes and can’t breathe due to heat, smoke, and fire. The deniers will have a lot to answer for.
They will know climate change is real soon enough. Mother Nature can speak for herself. In my remaining years on this planet, I plan to do everything I can to repay for the riches she has given me.
There is a difference between arguing and believing. Ryan doesn’t have to think the way I do. I don’t owe him any explanations.
The solar lamp works beautifully, by the way. So do our solar hand lamps for emergencies. It feels good to have one, it makes me feel less helpless.
We put it out in the fun for a few hours and get hours of light indoors. Imagine what a gift to the world would be if more people used solar lamps than electricity.
I love my 2 solar/crank powered lamps that we got for camping years ago. Now they are permanent fixtures in our kitchen and bedroom in case the power goes out. I can’t stick my head in the sand and hope climate change goes away by itself so we try to do the best we can to help Mother Earth. Keep on keeping on!
Many Wisconsin farmers may lose their farms because of Wisconsin’s drought. We’ve had a summer literally without grass cutting. I’ve been in the house most of the summer because of the smoke from Canada’s forest fires. I tempted fate a couple of times just to be outside and headed up spending a day or two in bed. I give you credit for being polite to this neighbor but I no longer have the will power to tolerate people who have drunk Trump kool-aid. I’ll agree it’s insane to argue with these folks. When the ocean temps are in the 90’s and sometimes over a 100, and you can’t take a vacation because who knows what your in for: forest fires, killing heat, or floods it’s hard to ignore. There’s no longer any safe place to hide.
We all thought the effects of climate change were in the distant future. But unfortunately it’s here. I’m human and when I see people losing their homes and loved ones to fire, flood and storms I find it heartbreaking. Most people have a TV so I can’t even fathom how anyone can deny climate change.
To some people ignorance is bliss.
I think this is a beautiful photo…the blue/orange contrasts and how it is illuminated. amazing work. you are an artist with the camera, not only with the flowers, but the interiors, as well!
I have had solar panels on my house for 9 years and I’m very happy with them. I do wish that I could afford a battery backup system and go off grid.
I miss Winter, last Winter in central Connecticut was more like Fall.
We should all do our part for Mother Earth, as the deniers will soon find out.
Rump was wrong about Covid-19, and yet the deniers followed him down the rabbit hole, even as people were dieing.
I, too, miss the pre internet time. I’m 14 years younger than you, so I know how life was before “social media”. It’s far worse than the Communisim witch hunts.