Why Chuck Bothers To Write

Ralph, (and readers unacquinted with me)

This started as a comment response, and then, I realized that it was probably fodder for a bit more so I put it up here. I'm not trying to start a fight with anybody; I'm trying to explain myself and my aims and some of why that is so:

If I am referencing myself in terms of behavior I am editorializing on, I had best give readers a frame of reference. If you find it "macho" then I do not exactly uderstand what you think macho is. I do very hard dangerous physical work for a living and I spent most of my life until sobriety living a rather "wild" life. There is no pose in that, there is no braggadacio, it is simple statement of fact. There are plenty of aspects of that "wild" life that I am not in the least proud of.

The President wants to play at being macho and use macho terms, I understand those terms, intimately, and he does not. I give you a frame to back my assertion.

You don't like the reference to officials and guns? Firstly I stated it was a fantasy, secondly this bunch is engaging in gunplay - exactly what do you think warfare is? I'm not backing up my stance with guns, they are. I don't have an army and police force to back up my politics, they do, and they're using both. I have words. (ok, I'm also armed, but I poke holes in paper, not people)

As far as my sobriety being "alleged" well, you know squat about it. I'm afraid if I were still the butt-head I was I'd make the paper's "record" section rather regularly and not in flattering terms. Being sober does not somehow turn a hard driving physical "A" type into a quiet laid back bhuddist, it did have quite an effect on my social behaviors, recognitions of other's needs and feelings and a real dampening of egoistic driven thinking. It certainly did not turn me into a passive navel gazer and Ron would never have invited me to write here if it had. I will tell you bluntly what I think and I will occasionally try to jolt you.

We are not in this political and social mess because people stood up and said what they think in print. We are here because we let ourselves be here. We certainly had plenty of help from a compliant press, but in the end run we ignored the economic, social, political, and military implications of the last 20 years. No, we do not get to blame the politicians, they are creatures of our creation. To be sure, we can fault them for not changing directions when we do, but there is a problem with that also, we put in place an hierarchy and system of thought that tends to self-perpetuate and resist change...

I am not of the "roll-over and take it" school. I am not hopeless, in fact I have a vast confidence in the ability of the American people to figure things out and do well once they do. I do not believe they will figure it out without input, they need information, they need analysis, and sometimes they need shock. I use concepts rather than foul language to shock, I use words rather than force to get my point across, I use this and other platforms to express my thinkng and to push for my political vision. I have been in the electoral process as a candidate for national office, I participate in State Party political activities, I write blogs, I speak out, I do not give up. And I ask, and I implore, and I jab at people to do the same, to stand up and push back. I do it with Republicans as well as my own party, because I want them to be a rational and effective opposition party. I used to also write on another blog, its owner like my stuff, though he's a Republican, but his readers didn't come by to get stirred up, so we parted.

Ron doesn't cater to an audience that doesn't want to be stirred up, and that's a good thing because that's what I do. Thomas Paine had a wonderful command of language, but he sure didn't use it to calm folks down, and while I make no claims to his abilities I do claim the tradition. I have every intention of winding you up, I don't want you angry - that kills thought - but I do want you fierce in defence of our country and our liberty and our citizens.

Ron can ask me to leave at any time, but he won't ask me to tone it down. He knows how I am and he knew it when he invited me. If he asked me to leave, I'd do so graciously and with no hard feelings or resentment, this is his place, I'm a guest who likes and respects his host.

Here's a measure for you to use, that post in discussion generated comments, that is a measure of whether or not you were poked. Agreeing or disagreeing, you stopped to think and have something to say. In that case, I've succeeded and I thank all of you for that.