Today's MOZEN: Take a Stand!

Words and photo by F LoBuono

In the past, I have always tried to distinguish between my roles as a journalist and essayist. Being a journalist requires attention to detail, accuracy, and balance, i.e. an implied impartiality. It is not always easy, but it is a goal that every good journalist aspires to. Writing essays shares both similarities and differences. It is similar in that it also requires attention to detail and accuracy. However, it is also different in that impartiality is not as important. In fact, since essays can be seen as one's own opinion, being balanced is optional. These are the times when it is more important to take a stand than it is to be fair.

This is one of those times.

There isn't a single Republican Presidential Candidate with the skill, the temperament, or strength of character required to lead this Nation. Not one. I would gladly vote for my dog Rex before I would for one of these reprobates. The fringe characters who started the campaign have already been exposed for the shams that they were. The rest are soon to be. Donald Trump, the leader of the pack, is a mean-spirited megalomaniac that appeals to the reality show mentality he has fostered his entire life. The more outrageous he gets, the more his minions love him. Ted Cruz, a man who may not even be eligible to HOLD the office of President because of his Canadian birth, is a religious fanatic whose wife has said publicly said "god has chosen him to become President". And, worse than that, HE believes it! Marco Rubio is a stuffed suit who is all style and no substance. His pitiful debate performance is evidence of that. John Kasich appears the most reasonable of the bunch - until you dig deeper. His union busting policies as governor of Ohio speak of his disdain for the working man. And, Dr. Ben Carson is a man of science who doesn't believe in evolution. Really.

Collective they are long on Big Business, Big Military, and Big Religion (Christian, that is). They are short on compassion, social services, choice, and education. Perhaps, Sarah Palin said it best in her endorsement of Trump: "We're all about god, guns, and Country". You betcha'!

Now, no candidate from any party is going to be perfect. We tend not to think of them as such, but they ARE human beings and, as such, are subject to the same frailties we all suffer with. The Democrats, in this sense, are no different. Hillary Clinton is "untrustworthy" and "out of touch" with the common man. Bernie Sanders is "too old" and "too radical". These things may be true. Still, overall, their vision of the future is more in line with my own. I want to see a Nation that leads in compassion, respects the environment, offers its citizens choices, and provides universal education and healthcare. If it needs a refocus of our priorities to accomplish these things, so be it. It's high time that we did anyway.

So, there, I said it. I cannot, I will not, stand by while my Country is in danger of  being hijacked by a bunch of sycophantic (think of Sandy Alderson or the Kochs) reality show contestants posing as legitimate contenders for the position of the most powerful person on the planet!

The choice is ours!!!