You say you want a revolution

Alright, I was at BP on my lunch hour getting gas for under $2 a gallon for the first time in over a year. As I’m filling up, I notice a guy come out of the store and hop into a car with a bumper sticker that says “Stop watching, start a revolution”. As I continue my observation, I notice his lack of a muffler, the mismatched paint colors on the doors and hood, and the way that his bald tires spin in the freshly fallen snow. This makes me think- Why is it that almost everybody in the US clamoring for a “revolution” drives a piece-of-crap car?

I mean, you rarely see a Lincoln Town Car tooling down the highway with an “Anarchy” bumper sticker.

I think that for every person in this country who has the ability to work within our system to build a good and comfortable life, there are an equal number of people who think that they are completely incompatible with the establishment. Of course, there are a lot of people in a gray area in the middle, but you get the picture. If everyone who ever wanted to change the rules suddenly got their way, would the world be a better place for everyone, or just for those particular people?

It is that basic selfishness that prompts people to promote the rhetoric of political extremism on their rear bumpers for all to see. Despite what they claim, their real hope is not that the change they desire will make the world better, their hope is that the change will make their own personal lives better.

It is for that reason that our system of democracy works so well. Everyone has an opportunity to shape the government in the manner that they feel will be the biggest benefit to their own lives. If your political candidate loses, then perhaps you should think about adjusting yourself to adapt to society rather than demand that society adapt to you.

This is why I would not be caught dead publicly displaying a sticker for a long-defeated political candidate. There are still many thousands of people driving around with John Kerry stickers on their vehicles, in order to make a supposed “statement” about the current government. Those people are a bunch of selfish, crybaby, losers.

I have no delusions that my own political views are the ones that are the perfect solution for the whole of humanity. All I know is that my views are what is right for me. When my political party is in power, I can hope that the elected officials can make enough change to affect my life in a positive way. When my party is not in power, I can only hope that things do not change drastically, but I have to accept that my opinion is the minority at the time, and concede that the majority has the right to shape society in the way that they see fit. I do not selfishly call for a “revolution”.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying that we all have to be sheep conforming to the will of the masses. Nothing was ever accomplished that way. All I’m saying is that when your favorite candidate loses an election that is no reason to denounce the other half of the population “retarded” or to go burning things in the street. Be a little more open to other’s viewpoints unless you want to drive a piece-of-crap car for the rest of your life.