Things We Don't Have To Be Told

In the day-to-day activity of our society there are things we just know. Nobody has to come out and draw us a picture or give us a stern lecture for the average person to have that “I could have had a V-8” epiphany. Things like handling snakes. We can’t take our eyes off someone who does it, but we instinctively know not to do it ourselves. Go to your mental memory bank and remember your social encounters as a small child. A smiling face or laughter would signal a welcoming demeanor from another child. A furrowed brow and a clinched fist told you to stay away.

As we grow older our life experiences refine our innate ability to “read” people. We expect sales persons to only tell us the good things about their products. We expect a judge in a courtroom to maintain a dignified persona, regardless of his opinion as to any testimony he might be hearing. And as we observe people over a period of time, we apply our learned knowledge of what they say versus what they do.  We don’t require a third person to remind us about the prior failures and untruths regarding a person. We’ve lived long enough to expect a continuation of behavior unless there is some transformative event that changes behavior.

With all of this, I cannot believe that the statement of Rudy Giuliani regarding President Obama’s love of country shocks anyone in his or her right mind. After six years most of us are trying to wait him out of office. What action has Obama ever taken that engendered in you a sense of fellowship with him as an American?  If we were little kids together on a playground, I doubt he would share his toys or offer to push me in the swing. When I was little, I had an older cousin who pushed me into a fight with a bigger boy who busted my lip. My cousin did not have by best interests at heart. I feel the same way about our president. My expectations for him as a leader are low. He strikes me as someone who his using his position as a money-grab from a bunch of suckers.

If this seems harsh, the data doesn’t lie. Read this article, grit your teeth, and try and make yourself as comfortable as possible while we wait.