The glory and the tragedy

We never had much money growing up which meant very little disposable income. this was never an issue for me because I was never in want of a roof over my head or food in my belly. Furthermore, we learned to use a lot of resources that I am thankful I was introduced to. My older sister and I used the library so much that one year we were actually told to go there less and play outside more.
That might indicate exactly how many books I read, too. Well, Mom and Dad, being attentive parents, wanted to make sure I learned from the books. At some point, the timing is not completely clear to me, they purchased a line of books that used historical figures to teach lessons. I think Pasteur was perseverance, for instance.
The book I remember best was Cochise and the importance of honesty. The book made much of his unwillingness to lie despite great personal cost. It also dealt with the dishonesty of many whites who dealt with him. Tom Jeffers and General Crook were major characters if I recall correctly.
That is a BIG if. I have not read that book in probably 15 years. But it made an impression on me. I became fascinated by Cochise and the Apaches. I grew up admiring Mangas Coloradas, Nano, Chico, and yeah...the better known Geronimo and Cochise. Cochise of course was a personal favorite. He still is.
Always he was talked about as a man of honor. The betrayal and killing of his family was part of the lore. His actions, his words, his leadership, and his entire life were all legendary, larger than life to me.
He has always been a hero and I am not sure that part of that is because he always held on to his honor. Lied to by his enemies, hunted by his won people, watching his followers starving, hunted, and killed, he still stood for what he believed. He would not compromise, he would not waver, he would not quit. Unlike many of the bands of Apaches, he did not bounce back and forth from the reservation to living in the White Mountains.
Today I read the chapter on Cochise in Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee. Being a man in modern U.S. society and reading it in public, it would have been unseemly to cry, I suppose, but the story is so sad...and so representative of U.S. society.
The government in Washington decries the terrible things happening to the downtrodden and victimized and sends sternly worded reprimands while the victims die needlessly for who knows what reason. It makes me sick.
In one of my few political statements, let me say I am proud to be registered independant. I have no use for party politics that see men like Ely Parkman removed from office because he actually tried to help people instead of maintaining the status quo.
just got a call, back to this momentarily...
Well, after the call, it is only natural that my train of thought hopped the tracks...but the idea still holds. I hate I Hate I HAte I HATe I HATE party politics. Does anyone really believe that 95 % of this country holds one of two rigid sets of views? That nobody out there is for the death penalty and also gay marriage? Or is against gay marriage but for abortion? Or is for abortion and gay marriage but thinks social security and welfare are way out of whack and wants it changed? No, we are all supposed to believe everyone falls into line, punches the party ticket, and believes the Republicans or Democrats genuinely care about their best interests.
Wake up and smell the cactus, people. Remember how I said Cochise refused to compromise when he knew he was right? That is what this country needs...people who do what is best for the People...and if you understand Sioux, Cheyenne, Apache, Kiowa, Commanche, and many other tribes' belief, The People means more than what is good for the people in the politicians' own state or district...the man or woman who stands up for what is right for The People is the one that needs elected.
Sadly, it becomes a case of Meet John Doe (1941) in which the person foolish enough to develop or retain principles is lambasted by the people in power, the press, and is thence destroyed. Meanwhile, like sheep the masses faithfully go to the pulls and vote for "the lesser of two evils".
Here is a history lesson for you. Hitler was appointed to the "powerless" post of Chancellor because giving him this pointless position was preferable to allowing his party to continue agitating, legally and illegally, for more power. It was referred to explicitly as the lesser of two evils.
Here is a clue, people...the lesser of two evils is still EVIL.
A few years ago a man named Al Mobley ran for governor. He is the first and likely the last political candidate I ever believed in enough to actually work on behalf of. I did not agree with everything he believed but I believed in the man. He had something others did not...integrity. The battle cry went out from the Republican party...a vote for Mobley is a vote for Kitzhaber.
Now, I was no more a Republican then than I am now...but when I voted for Mobley, it was exactly that...a vote for the man I believed would be the best leader. It was not a vote against Kitzhaber, nor against the Republican whose name eludes me.
See the difference? It was a positive vote. Had I gone with the crowd and voted for the Republican or Kitzhaber, I would have had the same choice the next election...oh, wait, that is exactly what happened. Oregon has been cursed with rotten governor after rotten governor, people of marginal principles. Unlike Cochise, they compromise, waffle, and act in the interests of special interest groups.
The blame lies with the governors, not the special interest groups. Those groups are working under the system and acting in their own best interests. It is just unfortunate our leadership does the same.
I hope we see a resurrection in this country of men like Cochise, like Red Cloud, and yes, like many of the "agitators" of the Red Power movement. It is time to stand on principles, quit the compromising and start acting as people of honor...even if it costs us that cushy political job. Cochise may have lost on the battlefield, but ultimately he won in the history books. To him, the cost was not too high. When I die, may the same be said of me.