#55) My Political History
Hello, and welcome back to "Always Be Better" with Mel Windham. As I've mentioned before, I have chosen to expedite the Political Track this year, and as part of this effort, it would probably be good for me to introduce myself, and explain where I am, personally, in the world of politics. This will be the first time I will make certain political statements in which many of you will disagree. But today's goal isn't so much about discussing these points and to convert anyone, but rather I'm simply telling my own story. My goal is that through watching this "testimony," you will get a much clearer picture of who I am, what my biases and leanings are, and why I'm doing this video series.
But first, are you frustrated with today's antagonistic political environment? Where can we today to find HOPE? I would like to introduce you to my second album, HOPE, produced by Melkim Publishing. [music starts]
You can listen to eleven peaceful, relaxing piano pieces, ten of which were composed by me, Mel Windham, and I've thrown in the Moonlight Sonata as well for your listening pleasure. Let these pieces instill a new sense of HOPE, as we realize that eventually everything will work out.
In today's video, you will hear excerpts from this album while I wax politically. And you can go to melkimpublishing.com/hope for more information. Visit today and enjoy the music!
Before I continue, I must emphasize that this is NOT a paid promotion. [dollar bills fall from above] Um, ... we'll edit this part out, right?
[cut]
Okay, let's start at the very beginning. This is going to be a little long, but I promise it will go by quickly, and hey -- you get to listen to some great music in the meantime! And I hope you stick with me till the end, because regardless of your own political leanings, I believe that you will appreciate my ending message.
Okay -- back to my story. None of us are born to be political creatures, and I'm no exception. My parents lived down in Georgia, and at the time it was normal to be Democrat. On the most part, as a child, I couldn't care less. I was more interested in "Space Giants" and "Star Blazers" and pretending to pew pew the other cars on the road as my father drove.
One notable exception was in 1976, my very first political memory -- when I was already 7 years old. The night of the election, my father had gone on and on and on about how nice Jimmy Carter was and how rotten Ford was. So, in sympathy, I went to bed wanting deep down inside that Carter would win. And yes, I was actually fretting about it. My dad woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me Carter had won. And I was happy.
Next memory -- as you may guess was in 1980. My dad hated Reagan. He was a charlatan, using his acting skills to overcome Jimmy Carter. My dad explained to me about the famous debates between Nixon and Kennedy in 1960, where radio listeners tended to think Nixon won, but TV viewers preferred Kennedy, because he knew how to work the cameras. And Reagan was no different. And as you may guess, when Reagan won, I was sad, along with my dad.
By this time, I had started receiving some kind of political instruction in elementary school. We learned all about MX missiles, trickle-down economics, the Iran crisis, and so on. But most of it went over my head. It was interesting, but I didn't really care. All I knew was that Reagan was bad. My dad hated him.
Let's fast-forward to 1987 when Reagan came to Atlanta, and my high-school band was chosen along with about a dozen others to perform at the event. It was fun while we played, but otherwise pretty boring. But still fun to be in the same space as a sitting president. And yes -- I felt like I was in a minority of people who despised Reagan. Our state was becoming more and more Republican. Grrrr. Grrrr.
By this time, I had received high-school level political training, and I was starting to get interested. I really appreciated the lessons on the Constitution, and the warnings from the failures of other countries, especially how many people suffered under authoritarian rule. But still, I was a full-blooded Democrat.
The reason: by this time, my father's views were deeply ingrained in my psyche. Republicans were bad because they didn't really care for the common people. Rather, they were about making the rich people richer, and the poor people poorer. Reagan and others wanted to do away with programs that benefited many. And the trickle-down economy wasn't working.
But then something funny happened. I went on my mission to South Korea in 1988. Being 19 at the time, it was the first time I could vote, and I got to vote absentee. Yay! But did I vote Democrat? Actually -- no. Yeah, go ahead and laugh. Perhaps those Democratic principles weren't so ingrained in me? Well, many of you alive at the time would remember that we were ALL supposed to vote for Bush, because Dukakis was all about raising taxes. As of now, Bush Sr's win is still the biggest landslide election after Reagan. So, y'all have to give me a mulligan on that one.
Okay -- let's move up to 1992. By this time, I've moved back to the states, and I'm at BYU. I'm a Democrat in one of the reddest states ever. So, who do I vote for? Clinton? No -- I just couldn't get myself to vote for a saxophone playing goofy guy. I mean he was always laughing, and I didn't think he'd take the job seriously. So I voted for Bush Sr. again. I know ... get all that laughing out. This die-hard Democrat is evidently having a hard time voting Democrat. But you see ... back then, it was okay to vote for the other guy.
However, this time I was easily outvoted ... biggest landslide victory after Bush Sr. And I thought our country was going to go down the tubes.
Turned out I was wrong. Somehow, Clinton turned our economy around, and I saw it as a good thing. Keep in mind, that this whole time, I'm working on music and math, and making perfect scores in physics classes. While I was interested in politics, it still wasn't front and center. But this is when the interesting discussions with others ensued.
Leading up to 1996, I started working on my masters in music, and I got married ... to a Republican. So, I'm feeling a little bit lonely. In 1996, I actually voted for Clinton despite his escapades (Paula Jones allegations), because I thought Gingrich and the GOP were going too far pushing these things. And oh man, I despised Gingrich. And I still don't like him to this day, though I'm not sure why -- at least I've learned to respect him.
My wife voted for Dole because she thought he was an honest man and his wife was top notch. I joked that we cancelled each other's votes. But neither of us cared about it enough for there to be any friction on this point.
But man -- the discussions I had with my Mormon friends! I couldn't count the number of times I was asked: "How can you be a Democrat and be a member of our church?" They would invariably bring up abortion. And I would respond that it wasn't only about abortion, and I would list the Christian ideals the Republicans were choosing to ignore. And further, I would quote our church's official stance on political neutrality, and how the leaders had proclaimed that no: the GOP is not God's Party.
And keep in mind, all these discussions were remarkably civil. I never lost any friends over this. I was more like a curiosity that needed to be examined. And I enjoyed those discussions. We respected each other, and we learned how the others thought. At the time, there just wasn't this heightened sense of anger toward each other. Though, understandably, I tended to attract other of the few Democrats in that area. One of them even tried to convert me to her nondenominational denomination.
Okay -- now we're up to 1998. My wife and I graduated. We had my first two kids. I didn't have a job, so we lived with my wife's parents in Virginia. They were staunch Republicans. Great people, but they were sincerely concerned that their daughter had married someone holding to incorrect principles. So, this resulted in many well-meaning and interesting discussions. They were similar to the discussions I had in Utah, but much more frequent, and sometimes a little more pushy. They tried to convert me over to the GOP, and in return, I was trying to convert them to the world of the Democrats. We only there about nine months, and then I finally got a job in Charlotte, NC. When we left the in-laws' house, I was still a proud full-fledged Democrat, knowing that nothing could budge me.
So you might guess what happens next, and this is VERY important -- perhaps the most important thing I could say in this entire video series. But before that ... that first job of mine was to be an actuary at an insurance company. It was perhaps the last place I thought I would end up. Because I thought insurance companies were the most evil entities on the planet. I only chose to work with them, because actuaries get paid a lot, and I wanted to earn back the money I paid for my math education. I had resolved to work within these insurance companies and fix them from the inside. With my smart brain I was going to figure how to get insurance premiums down to fairer levels and to instill heart, so these companies would actually help people instead of hurting them.
But then something happened. In 1999, as I was studying for the actuarial exams, I was exposed to a micro and macro economics regiment. At first I was skeptical, as I recognized a clear conservative bias, but then something clicked. And okay -- here it comes -- if you've been tuning out and listening to my great music, stop it and listen up. In fact, let me turn off this music. [Music shuts off.]
It hit me like a brick. A switch turned on in my brain, and everything came together in an instant. This whole Chicago-style economics was actually making sense. I could see the math behind it, and well -- it's very difficult to argue against math, because it is what it is. The facts are what they are. And suddenly I came to realize how WRONG I had been. All that rhetoric about the GOP only helping rich people? They were actually working to remove economic inefficiencies that were introduced by the government that were destroying opportunity costs and hurting everyone. The Democrats were just outright wrong. And I suddenly felt betrayed and lied to.
[Music starts back up.]
Further, I came to learn that insurance companies aren't evil ... how they are the most heavily regulated entities in our country. And get this ... premiums are already at their lowest, thanks to competitive pressures. Did you know that they mostly operate at a loss, except for investment income, which actually comes in at the end to help them make a profit?
So, what did I do? I changed my voter registration. In 2000, I was a full-fledged Republican.
Perhaps I was always a Republican, and didn't know it. After all, I had voted for a Democratic president only once. What mattered was that I was a Republican, and nothing could change that. At that point, when I looked at Democrats, I saw dangerous economic ideas and anger at corporations. And when I looked at Republicans, I saw more relaxed, intelligent, and patient people pushing for measures that would actually help everyone. And get this ... I was able to look back at Reagan, and for the first time, I was able to see all the great things he had accomplished. And he retroactively became my favorite president.
Now I'm going to go much faster through this next decade, because I think you get the picture. I cheered for W Bush as he beat Gore fairly. I supported him in 2004 as he won not-so-narrowly. I was even voting straight-ticket Republican -- so much was my anger against those Democrat jerks for brainwashing me for so long. I voted for McCain in 2008 and was disappointed that he lost. I despised Obama's divisiveness. I was literally screaming at the TV when he rammed Obamacare through the Reconciliation process. I despised the individual mandate, and I still oppose it today, as I see it as being unconstitutional in principle.
And at work, my political discussions were becoming much more heated. I don't know why I was suddenly surrounded by Democrats when I moved to Winston Salem, but they ridiculed me to no end, telling me about how the proposed NC Voter ID laws were actually voter suppression, and yet I proudly stood up for GOP principles -- mostly in defense. Two of these guys even told me that we would never be friends because of my political views. Technically, they really were out of line in their ridicule of me in a work environment, but I felt I could handle it all myself -- and we actually did end up becoming friends in the end, because we decided to respect each other.
But then in late 2015, something happened. Trump. And yes -- I'll go ahead and get this out of the way. Even though I have a lot of admiration for the guy, I despise him in the political arena. He's just the wrong man for the job. Here he was in late 2015, announcing his intentions to become president (again), and he was talking about how Mexicans were sending their worst -- rapers and criminals. And I just could not get on board. It just sounded too much like Hitler using the Jews to get people riled up.
And up until 2015, the GOP was predominately the pro-immigration party. It fit the whole Chicago-style economic structure. Immigrants are usually a good addition to any local economy -- more people to consume goods, and more people to work the jobs. A win/win for everyone. Free trade with other countries is a fundamental conservative economic policy, as any regulations, tariffs, or laws to prohibit free trade only cause inefficiencies and added costs to all parties. It gets in the way of the concept of specialization, where each country can make much profit off of their own unique resources and talents, freeing up the time for other countries to do what they do best.
And Trump was against all of this. At first the GOP condemned him, but then by January 2016, when they saw the people were rallying behind him, they started supporting him, and getting behind him. And what happened next? Here it comes again, y'all. What I'm about to say is probably the most important thing I'm going to say this entire video series. Let me stop this music again. [Music stops.]
Okay ... then what did I do next? I quit. It all hit me like a brick. Something clicked in my brain and everything changed. I didn't want to be part of this new movement, as it went against my core. And in that instant, EVERYTHING became clear. I came to learn that I had been WRONG. I saw that many of my concerns about the GOP hurting the marginalized and poor were not unfounded, after all. I saw that the GOP was much more concerned about maintaining power than doing what was RIGHT. Because the facts are what they are. The GOP was also wrong. I suddenly felt betrayed and lied to. I even came to realize, that yes, the voter picture ID thing really is voter suppression like in Selma.
So, if the Democrats were wrong, and the Republicans were wrong, where did that leave me? I immediately changed my voter registration to UNAFFILIATED. And that's where I stand today.
[Music starts back up.] There's much more to my political story, and much of it remains to be written, but I'll pretty much end right there in 2016, as the rest will be fun to cover later.
But as promised, I will give you a bonus story of what happened to me in late 2020. We were at the height of the Covid19 pandemic. We were mostly stuck at home, and I was frustrated ... something of which I'm likely to discuss in the future -- I hated how the whole pandemic was politicized and became a source of much anger and animosity on both sides of the aisle, leading to needless deaths.
I think it was in December 2020 when my local church held this big virtual Stake Conference. As I watched on Zoom, one of the talks touched me to the core. I'll go ahead and identified the person, as it has pretty much changed my life for these past few years. I believe it was President Hiatt, the counselor under the former President Scott. He was talking about the political turmoil and about the increasing levels of hate and animosity among the people, and he said somewhere in there ... "aren't we better than this?"
And you know what came next. My immediate answer was ... yes, I know the potential we all have to do good. I was more than willing to do my part, but what could I do? It hit me fast ... like a brick. And the vision was clear and came together ... a video series. "Always Be Better!"
And the big goal: I pictured a series of videos where everyone could learn core principles and bring it all together to improve themselves and help others to improve as well, borrowing from the 7 Habits and other good resources. I could also add in my unique perspective that I've learned throughout my life. And in this way, I could do my little part in helping to diffuse this increasingly growing environment of hate and animosity, and instead turn it into love and helping others for our mutual benefit.
So, yes ... a whole lifetime of being betrayed by both parties, and then a random talk at church are the main impetuses behind this entire series. And this is how I end my 55th video. I know this has been slow, and a lot of my videos end with me saying, "We'll talk more about this later," but I have an overarching plan, so that if you watch these videos in order, they will all come together so that you -- yes, you -- can always improve and learn how to live to your full potential, and get others to do the same.
As always, I invite you to check out my other videos that I've already produced. If you have enough gumption, you can watch the Everything Track, with all videos in order. Hours of fun! Or if your time is shorter, you can watch the Core Track, which are the more important videos, and save some time. And if you have any friends whom you think would benefit, share with them as well. Also, make sure to Like and Subscribe. Oh -- and catch my album HOPE, to possibly help you remember that everything will be okay.
And I'll see you here again next time on "Always Be Better."
But first, are you frustrated with today's antagonistic political environment? Where can we today to find HOPE? I would like to introduce you to my second album, HOPE, produced by Melkim Publishing. [music starts]
You can listen to eleven peaceful, relaxing piano pieces, ten of which were composed by me, Mel Windham, and I've thrown in the Moonlight Sonata as well for your listening pleasure. Let these pieces instill a new sense of HOPE, as we realize that eventually everything will work out.
In today's video, you will hear excerpts from this album while I wax politically. And you can go to melkimpublishing.com/hope for more information. Visit today and enjoy the music!
Before I continue, I must emphasize that this is NOT a paid promotion. [dollar bills fall from above] Um, ... we'll edit this part out, right?
[cut]
Okay, let's start at the very beginning. This is going to be a little long, but I promise it will go by quickly, and hey -- you get to listen to some great music in the meantime! And I hope you stick with me till the end, because regardless of your own political leanings, I believe that you will appreciate my ending message.
Okay -- back to my story. None of us are born to be political creatures, and I'm no exception. My parents lived down in Georgia, and at the time it was normal to be Democrat. On the most part, as a child, I couldn't care less. I was more interested in "Space Giants" and "Star Blazers" and pretending to pew pew the other cars on the road as my father drove.
One notable exception was in 1976, my very first political memory -- when I was already 7 years old. The night of the election, my father had gone on and on and on about how nice Jimmy Carter was and how rotten Ford was. So, in sympathy, I went to bed wanting deep down inside that Carter would win. And yes, I was actually fretting about it. My dad woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me Carter had won. And I was happy.
Next memory -- as you may guess was in 1980. My dad hated Reagan. He was a charlatan, using his acting skills to overcome Jimmy Carter. My dad explained to me about the famous debates between Nixon and Kennedy in 1960, where radio listeners tended to think Nixon won, but TV viewers preferred Kennedy, because he knew how to work the cameras. And Reagan was no different. And as you may guess, when Reagan won, I was sad, along with my dad.
By this time, I had started receiving some kind of political instruction in elementary school. We learned all about MX missiles, trickle-down economics, the Iran crisis, and so on. But most of it went over my head. It was interesting, but I didn't really care. All I knew was that Reagan was bad. My dad hated him.
Let's fast-forward to 1987 when Reagan came to Atlanta, and my high-school band was chosen along with about a dozen others to perform at the event. It was fun while we played, but otherwise pretty boring. But still fun to be in the same space as a sitting president. And yes -- I felt like I was in a minority of people who despised Reagan. Our state was becoming more and more Republican. Grrrr. Grrrr.
By this time, I had received high-school level political training, and I was starting to get interested. I really appreciated the lessons on the Constitution, and the warnings from the failures of other countries, especially how many people suffered under authoritarian rule. But still, I was a full-blooded Democrat.
The reason: by this time, my father's views were deeply ingrained in my psyche. Republicans were bad because they didn't really care for the common people. Rather, they were about making the rich people richer, and the poor people poorer. Reagan and others wanted to do away with programs that benefited many. And the trickle-down economy wasn't working.
But then something funny happened. I went on my mission to South Korea in 1988. Being 19 at the time, it was the first time I could vote, and I got to vote absentee. Yay! But did I vote Democrat? Actually -- no. Yeah, go ahead and laugh. Perhaps those Democratic principles weren't so ingrained in me? Well, many of you alive at the time would remember that we were ALL supposed to vote for Bush, because Dukakis was all about raising taxes. As of now, Bush Sr's win is still the biggest landslide election after Reagan. So, y'all have to give me a mulligan on that one.
Okay -- let's move up to 1992. By this time, I've moved back to the states, and I'm at BYU. I'm a Democrat in one of the reddest states ever. So, who do I vote for? Clinton? No -- I just couldn't get myself to vote for a saxophone playing goofy guy. I mean he was always laughing, and I didn't think he'd take the job seriously. So I voted for Bush Sr. again. I know ... get all that laughing out. This die-hard Democrat is evidently having a hard time voting Democrat. But you see ... back then, it was okay to vote for the other guy.
However, this time I was easily outvoted ... biggest landslide victory after Bush Sr. And I thought our country was going to go down the tubes.
Turned out I was wrong. Somehow, Clinton turned our economy around, and I saw it as a good thing. Keep in mind, that this whole time, I'm working on music and math, and making perfect scores in physics classes. While I was interested in politics, it still wasn't front and center. But this is when the interesting discussions with others ensued.
Leading up to 1996, I started working on my masters in music, and I got married ... to a Republican. So, I'm feeling a little bit lonely. In 1996, I actually voted for Clinton despite his escapades (Paula Jones allegations), because I thought Gingrich and the GOP were going too far pushing these things. And oh man, I despised Gingrich. And I still don't like him to this day, though I'm not sure why -- at least I've learned to respect him.
My wife voted for Dole because she thought he was an honest man and his wife was top notch. I joked that we cancelled each other's votes. But neither of us cared about it enough for there to be any friction on this point.
But man -- the discussions I had with my Mormon friends! I couldn't count the number of times I was asked: "How can you be a Democrat and be a member of our church?" They would invariably bring up abortion. And I would respond that it wasn't only about abortion, and I would list the Christian ideals the Republicans were choosing to ignore. And further, I would quote our church's official stance on political neutrality, and how the leaders had proclaimed that no: the GOP is not God's Party.
And keep in mind, all these discussions were remarkably civil. I never lost any friends over this. I was more like a curiosity that needed to be examined. And I enjoyed those discussions. We respected each other, and we learned how the others thought. At the time, there just wasn't this heightened sense of anger toward each other. Though, understandably, I tended to attract other of the few Democrats in that area. One of them even tried to convert me to her nondenominational denomination.
Okay -- now we're up to 1998. My wife and I graduated. We had my first two kids. I didn't have a job, so we lived with my wife's parents in Virginia. They were staunch Republicans. Great people, but they were sincerely concerned that their daughter had married someone holding to incorrect principles. So, this resulted in many well-meaning and interesting discussions. They were similar to the discussions I had in Utah, but much more frequent, and sometimes a little more pushy. They tried to convert me over to the GOP, and in return, I was trying to convert them to the world of the Democrats. We only there about nine months, and then I finally got a job in Charlotte, NC. When we left the in-laws' house, I was still a proud full-fledged Democrat, knowing that nothing could budge me.
So you might guess what happens next, and this is VERY important -- perhaps the most important thing I could say in this entire video series. But before that ... that first job of mine was to be an actuary at an insurance company. It was perhaps the last place I thought I would end up. Because I thought insurance companies were the most evil entities on the planet. I only chose to work with them, because actuaries get paid a lot, and I wanted to earn back the money I paid for my math education. I had resolved to work within these insurance companies and fix them from the inside. With my smart brain I was going to figure how to get insurance premiums down to fairer levels and to instill heart, so these companies would actually help people instead of hurting them.
But then something happened. In 1999, as I was studying for the actuarial exams, I was exposed to a micro and macro economics regiment. At first I was skeptical, as I recognized a clear conservative bias, but then something clicked. And okay -- here it comes -- if you've been tuning out and listening to my great music, stop it and listen up. In fact, let me turn off this music. [Music shuts off.]
It hit me like a brick. A switch turned on in my brain, and everything came together in an instant. This whole Chicago-style economics was actually making sense. I could see the math behind it, and well -- it's very difficult to argue against math, because it is what it is. The facts are what they are. And suddenly I came to realize how WRONG I had been. All that rhetoric about the GOP only helping rich people? They were actually working to remove economic inefficiencies that were introduced by the government that were destroying opportunity costs and hurting everyone. The Democrats were just outright wrong. And I suddenly felt betrayed and lied to.
[Music starts back up.]
Further, I came to learn that insurance companies aren't evil ... how they are the most heavily regulated entities in our country. And get this ... premiums are already at their lowest, thanks to competitive pressures. Did you know that they mostly operate at a loss, except for investment income, which actually comes in at the end to help them make a profit?
So, what did I do? I changed my voter registration. In 2000, I was a full-fledged Republican.
Perhaps I was always a Republican, and didn't know it. After all, I had voted for a Democratic president only once. What mattered was that I was a Republican, and nothing could change that. At that point, when I looked at Democrats, I saw dangerous economic ideas and anger at corporations. And when I looked at Republicans, I saw more relaxed, intelligent, and patient people pushing for measures that would actually help everyone. And get this ... I was able to look back at Reagan, and for the first time, I was able to see all the great things he had accomplished. And he retroactively became my favorite president.
Now I'm going to go much faster through this next decade, because I think you get the picture. I cheered for W Bush as he beat Gore fairly. I supported him in 2004 as he won not-so-narrowly. I was even voting straight-ticket Republican -- so much was my anger against those Democrat jerks for brainwashing me for so long. I voted for McCain in 2008 and was disappointed that he lost. I despised Obama's divisiveness. I was literally screaming at the TV when he rammed Obamacare through the Reconciliation process. I despised the individual mandate, and I still oppose it today, as I see it as being unconstitutional in principle.
And at work, my political discussions were becoming much more heated. I don't know why I was suddenly surrounded by Democrats when I moved to Winston Salem, but they ridiculed me to no end, telling me about how the proposed NC Voter ID laws were actually voter suppression, and yet I proudly stood up for GOP principles -- mostly in defense. Two of these guys even told me that we would never be friends because of my political views. Technically, they really were out of line in their ridicule of me in a work environment, but I felt I could handle it all myself -- and we actually did end up becoming friends in the end, because we decided to respect each other.
But then in late 2015, something happened. Trump. And yes -- I'll go ahead and get this out of the way. Even though I have a lot of admiration for the guy, I despise him in the political arena. He's just the wrong man for the job. Here he was in late 2015, announcing his intentions to become president (again), and he was talking about how Mexicans were sending their worst -- rapers and criminals. And I just could not get on board. It just sounded too much like Hitler using the Jews to get people riled up.
And up until 2015, the GOP was predominately the pro-immigration party. It fit the whole Chicago-style economic structure. Immigrants are usually a good addition to any local economy -- more people to consume goods, and more people to work the jobs. A win/win for everyone. Free trade with other countries is a fundamental conservative economic policy, as any regulations, tariffs, or laws to prohibit free trade only cause inefficiencies and added costs to all parties. It gets in the way of the concept of specialization, where each country can make much profit off of their own unique resources and talents, freeing up the time for other countries to do what they do best.
And Trump was against all of this. At first the GOP condemned him, but then by January 2016, when they saw the people were rallying behind him, they started supporting him, and getting behind him. And what happened next? Here it comes again, y'all. What I'm about to say is probably the most important thing I'm going to say this entire video series. Let me stop this music again. [Music stops.]
Okay ... then what did I do next? I quit. It all hit me like a brick. Something clicked in my brain and everything changed. I didn't want to be part of this new movement, as it went against my core. And in that instant, EVERYTHING became clear. I came to learn that I had been WRONG. I saw that many of my concerns about the GOP hurting the marginalized and poor were not unfounded, after all. I saw that the GOP was much more concerned about maintaining power than doing what was RIGHT. Because the facts are what they are. The GOP was also wrong. I suddenly felt betrayed and lied to. I even came to realize, that yes, the voter picture ID thing really is voter suppression like in Selma.
So, if the Democrats were wrong, and the Republicans were wrong, where did that leave me? I immediately changed my voter registration to UNAFFILIATED. And that's where I stand today.
[Music starts back up.] There's much more to my political story, and much of it remains to be written, but I'll pretty much end right there in 2016, as the rest will be fun to cover later.
But as promised, I will give you a bonus story of what happened to me in late 2020. We were at the height of the Covid19 pandemic. We were mostly stuck at home, and I was frustrated ... something of which I'm likely to discuss in the future -- I hated how the whole pandemic was politicized and became a source of much anger and animosity on both sides of the aisle, leading to needless deaths.
I think it was in December 2020 when my local church held this big virtual Stake Conference. As I watched on Zoom, one of the talks touched me to the core. I'll go ahead and identified the person, as it has pretty much changed my life for these past few years. I believe it was President Hiatt, the counselor under the former President Scott. He was talking about the political turmoil and about the increasing levels of hate and animosity among the people, and he said somewhere in there ... "aren't we better than this?"
And you know what came next. My immediate answer was ... yes, I know the potential we all have to do good. I was more than willing to do my part, but what could I do? It hit me fast ... like a brick. And the vision was clear and came together ... a video series. "Always Be Better!"
And the big goal: I pictured a series of videos where everyone could learn core principles and bring it all together to improve themselves and help others to improve as well, borrowing from the 7 Habits and other good resources. I could also add in my unique perspective that I've learned throughout my life. And in this way, I could do my little part in helping to diffuse this increasingly growing environment of hate and animosity, and instead turn it into love and helping others for our mutual benefit.
So, yes ... a whole lifetime of being betrayed by both parties, and then a random talk at church are the main impetuses behind this entire series. And this is how I end my 55th video. I know this has been slow, and a lot of my videos end with me saying, "We'll talk more about this later," but I have an overarching plan, so that if you watch these videos in order, they will all come together so that you -- yes, you -- can always improve and learn how to live to your full potential, and get others to do the same.
As always, I invite you to check out my other videos that I've already produced. If you have enough gumption, you can watch the Everything Track, with all videos in order. Hours of fun! Or if your time is shorter, you can watch the Core Track, which are the more important videos, and save some time. And if you have any friends whom you think would benefit, share with them as well. Also, make sure to Like and Subscribe. Oh -- and catch my album HOPE, to possibly help you remember that everything will be okay.
And I'll see you here again next time on "Always Be Better."
Comments
Post a Comment