Grow Up and Deal with It

I hear that a lot lately from those who are happy with Donald Trump's election as our president. Interestingly, they were uninterested in that advice a year ago. Or two years ago. Or three. Or four.

I could go on, but there's not much point.

I will deal with it. I have no intention of seceding from this great nation or moving to Canada. I have no fantasies about armed uprising against the government. I will not call this country the USSA or some similar thing. I will not even claim that I want to "Take My Country Back" from someone, or something.
Instead, I intend to work to make this nation great. Full stop.

It takes people who believe that government can make people's lives better to actually have a government that makes people's lives better. I believe that government can make people's lives better.

This is the same principle that it takes a doctor who believes that medicine can cure health problems to actually get a doctor worth having, i.e. one who will effectively address the problem. There is no chance in hell that I would ever hire a surgeon who believes that surgery is the problem. If I was getting sued, I would hire a lawyer who believed (and acted) as though lawyers are worth having. I would hire a coach who believes that coaching helps the team rather than hurts the team. I would hire a lawn service that believes that cutting the grass solves the problem of long grass; not the one that believes that the problem is that we cut the grass and thus perpetuate the grass's dependence on getting cut.

Similarly, I vote for politicians who believe that the government they purport to run can actually do something to make people's lives better.

Because I believe that public policy can be an active force for good in people's lives, I will devote what resources I have to creating such public policy. I will devote what resources I have to preventing bad policy from enactment, to the extent that I can.

Mercifully, thanks to Justices Roberts, Kennedy, Scalia, Alito, and Thomas, I have the same right to dump hundreds of millions of dollars into elections as George Soros or the Koch brothers. (Hopefully the sarcasm came through).

Given my notable lack of millions of dollars, to dump into campaigns or use otherwise, I will donate what resources I do have. These include a decent (I hope) intellect, a passion for this great country, state, and city in which I am blessed to live, some time, and some ideas both big and small.

I intend to do my part to make the world a better place. I intend to do so without casting aspersions on the characters of those with whom I disagree. I intend to assume pure motives. I will do my best not to engage in ad hominem argument unless it is warranted and goes to either the credibility or ability to speak knowledgeably on a subject. For example, someone who has made scores of wrong predictions deserves to have this brought up the next time he makes a prediction. Similarly, if someone yesterday said "X is not the case," and today is saying "X is the case," that deserves a mention.

This is good faith.

This is me growing up.

This is me dealing with it.

What I will not do is acquiesce to that with which I vehemently disagree.