I love watching old reruns of M*A*S*H.  Regardless of your political, social or religious leanings are, you have to admit that the show provided a humorous view of the world, past and present. At the very least, the show has provided a pant load of quotes that I’ve been able to use over the years to provide a little brevity in relatively dark situations.

Various quotes from the hit TV show has come to mind over the last couple of years as I’ve observed the changing political landscape in our country and around the world.  I’ve finally come to a conclusion:  Despite how our country’s populace acts, politics – especially American politics – was never intended to be a spectator “sport”. 

The unfolding events of the “Arab Spring” in the Middle East and its kissing cousins, the “Occupy Wall Street” kids, have brought this thought into a little sharper focus.  Don’t get me wrong: I’m a bit nervous about how the dust from “Arab Spring” uprising is going to settle.  I’m not convinced that we’ll see a region of American allies rise up from those new governments.  Consequently, I’m not real jazzed about the same tactics and “spirit” occupying Wall Street or Main Street. 

What I do see as a positive from all of this activism are people actually participating – no matter how I feel about their politics – in the process to affect change.  While I definitely don’t agree with 99% of what the Occupy Wall Street mob is advocating, my lucky Sun Studios hat is off to them for taking action.

A major percentage of America’s population has become a lazy bunch.  Whether it’s performing basic household chores or demanding that the government or the rich to providing our every wish, we really don’t participate in meaningful actions any more. 

This is especially true in our politics.  Speaking for myself, I usually only vote in major elections and then gripe and complain about the elected officials until my next trip to the ballot box.  Do I run for school board positions or for some sort of political seat in my city’s government? 

No.  Why?  A) My ego’s not that big;  2) I’m not qualified; and, III) I don’t like the rough and tumble world of politics.

Yeah, those are pretty lame excuses.  Well, to be fair, I’ve watched presumably well-meaning people run for very low level political office only to become even lower level, self-absorbed, cold-hearted, plagiarizing politicians.  They run on a platform of low taxes and less government in hopes of securing just the right political office for a short amount of time so that they can enjoy a lifelong, rich pension at their state’s expense. 

I wonder how their Tea Party supporters would vote if they knew that?  Just wonderin’ . . .

Still a lame excuse, huh?

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I do wish that there were more of us who would be willing to serve – and I do mean “serve” – their country in ways that would bring this country back to what it once was: a fertile land where one can enjoy life, liberty (to be individuals) and the pursuit (that means “work”) of happiness that built this tremendous “shining city on a hill”.

The choice is ours . . . unless we leave it to others.

Either that or we can conform.