Tuesday, November 4, 2008

America will survive


(Note: What follows is a reprint of a post I wrote exactly a year ago to this day. I think it's pertinent to this election, and therefore I'm republishing it here.)

I've had people tell me that when they read something they think is "totally absurd" they start shaking in their tracks. And, when that far out person wins the debate, or, worse, wins elected office, they admit to getting mad, even depressed.

When Clinton won some republicans were depressed. Some even threatened to leave the country. Truth is, while I personally disagree with many of the things Clinton did while in office, our country survived like it always does.

When Bush was elected much animosity enveloped his non-supporters. When he decided to change the countries course on the way it handles terrorism, when he decided to go into Iraq, many people shouted "idiot!" Those chants still reverberate today.

I remember reading about James K. Polk, and how he was hated throughout the country because of his wars for land with Mexico. Now he is hailed as a hero as America would be much smaller without his wars. The U.S. reached it's most depressed state during the Civil War, and Lincoln was very unpopular, and yet he was re-elected.

FDR lost both the house and senate in his second mid-term elections because people thought he was taking the country in the wrong direction, and yet he was elected twice more. We won our independence against the most powerful nation in 1776, and have survived many wars since. In the same way, we will survive the current crisis that engulfs the nation.

Knowing that, I never get depressed because of politics. I do care who wins the next election, in fact I have very strong feelings, and while I might get mad if one person or another gets elected, I will not become depressed. Because I know America will survive. It always does.

2 comments:

Anthony Palmer, Ph.D. said...

Sorry your preferred candidate didn't quite make it, but I hope you and other conservatives will continue blogging because it'll be good to see how the next president will be stepping on a few toes. Hopefully that'll keep Obama in line a bit.

Rick Frea said...

Thanks Anthony. Things always work out for the best, so we're fine here.