A Republic If You Can Keep It

First of all, let’s get this out of the way — The United States of America is not a Democracy. A democracy operates upon popular vote, or mob rule. A democracy does not protect the rights of the minority; it follows the will of the majority.

“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”

Although there is some question as to whether or not this quote which is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin was really written by the founder, it is a unique description of the difference between our republic and a democracy.
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The Edge

I intend this to be my last post which is COVID related. As an exception, I may have a throwback article about the impact to business, but it’s not planned. For this post, I’m going to talk about something more directly related to the virus and its impact on individuals. It’s something I’ve touched on briefly in past posts. It’s fear. More specifically, it’s the fear of death that surrounds this illness.

One of my favorite movies is TOP GUN. It’s fun, it has planes, and it has relationships. I really shouldn’t have to insert a spoiler alert here, because by now everyone on the planet should have seen this movie, but here it is: **SPOILER ALERT** – The scene where Goose dies, has a huge emotional impact. But there is another scene I want to hit on today. It’s early on in the movie and really sets up the situation for TOP GUN’s story line. Cougar, a Navy F-14 pilot, has just come face to face with a Russian MIG. The experience forces him to realize he is in a life or death situation. It shakes him. He is married, has a young son he hasn’t even seen yet, and death scares him.

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Away from the Pack

So, if you want to see how this started, you can check out the early posts. Short history is that it was the product of a layoff after a thirty year career. I was searching for my spot. Where was I going to fit in and how was I going to make a living?

That living has come from a non-corporate job. Though it pays about half of what I made, it gives me great satisfaction. And during this COVID-19 period, I am so f… uh freaking thankful that I am not in retail. I mean, you can’t imagine how grateful I feel when we have to enter that Big Box retail store and see those employees masked up all day. We don’t go in often. Just four times in three and a half years, but I’m still glad I’m not there. As devastating as the layoff was, I now see it was for the best.

As life changes, priorities change; goals change; and purpose changes. The purpose of this blog has certainly changed. Even in my old job, I was a bit of a lone wolf. Although I supported my company, I had issues with conformity just for the sake of conformity. I’m an independent thinker, and I don’t just like to go along. That still stands. This site is still about going it alone, rather than with the pack.

I’m still a dog on a hunt. I’m just not in the hunt, with every other dog out there. And this site will still be about independent thinking, traveling, exploring, and living.

Catching up

Okay, so I’ve been there, and I’ve done it. I can actually speak from experience now. THESE ARE MY OPINIONS and we all know the comparison between opinions and assholes. I AM NO EXPERT. I am not a doctor, but I am a reasoning individual, with at least an average education, and the ability to research and think on my own. I am going to share my opinions and I am going to call BULLSHIT on a number of things with which I find conflict. I’m going to have this post and one other on the subject of COVID-19 and then I’m moving on.

I am certainly fortunate in my Covidventure. I had it and my family had it. We were all fortunate, and though there are several things in my mind that I feel contributed to our experience, the fact is many others don’t fair as well. In fact, I’ve recently attended the funeral of a family friend who lost a battle with COVID-19. He was much younger than me. He was more active than me. It’s tragic, but my feelings and opinions haven’t changed.

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