Eyes Shut Tight

Politics

The scene at my office the last night of the recall was somewhat of a microcosm for those that choose to play in the game of politics. Here we were, fifteen really decent people. There were husbands and wives, Blacks and Whites, affluent and not so affluent, church goers and people of faith that were not church goers, united in a cause. Probably the worst legal troubles any had ever been in were a speeding ticket or an occasional DWI for a few. We were good to our children, faithful to our spouses, respected members of our communities and considerate to our neighbors. That night we were all committing a felony. We were committing an egregious crime against the democratic process and against the very principals of democracy that we thought we were fighting to uphold. We were committing forgery, and gladly! We were not thinking of the almost inevitable fact that we would be caught and we were not thinking that each of us would very likely be indicted. We were not thinking we’d no doubt bring disgrace on ourselves, discredit to our families, and a terrible black mark on the crusade in which we were engaged. We would have exclaimed in righteousness, "Extremism in the defense of liberty," borrowing from a battle cry of the right. "Evil triumphs when good people do nothing," a lament from the left, "the ends justify the means" stated from both sides of the political spectrum. We were blinded by a cause so seductive we could heed no reason and that is how "just causes" can turn into jail sentences. By the end of the campaign a goodly percentage of us would do absolutely anything to win. We would lie, cheat, or steal for the good of the cause. We would bend any rule and break any promise. We were the righteous!. Many would have affairs for the first time in their marriages, a goodly number would have careers either lost or badly damaged, and most would have unknowingly become as addicted to it as if it were alcohol or drugs. For those that take a serious bite of this apple, lives may change forever. They would do it again in a heart beat.  Such is the life of a political junkie.