Too Much to Ask?

"No blinding insights emerged from these months of conversation. If anything, what struck me was just how modest people’s hopes were, and how much of what they believed seemed to hold constant across race, region, religion, and class. Most of them thought that anybody willing to work should be able to find a job that paid a living wage. They figured that people shouldn't have to file for bankruptcy because they got sick. They believed that every child should have a genuinely good education- that it shouldn't just be a bunch of talk- and that those same children should be able to go to college even if their parents weren’t rich. They wanted to be safe, from criminals and from terrorists; they wanted clean air, clean water, and time with their kids. And when they got old, they wanted to be able to retire with some dignity and respect.

That was about it. It wasn’t much. And although they understood that how they did in life depended mostly on their own efforts- although they didn’t expect government to solve all their problems, and certainly didn’t like seeing their tax dollars wasted- they figured that government should help.

I told them that they were right: government couldn’t solve all their problems. But with a slight change in priorities we could make sure every child had a decent shot at life and meet the challenges we faced as a nation. More often than not, folks would nod in agreement and ask how they could get involved. And by the time I was back on the road, with a map on the passenger’s seat, on my way to my next stop, I knew once again just why I’d gone into politics."

The Audacity of Hope
-Barack Obama

What a shame that presidential elections can’t be simplified and re-focused to address simple, relevant issues like these that directly affect our everyday lives. This is not an endorsement for one individual candidate…but rather a simple wish that whoever receives the nomination for president…he (or she) will embrace the notion that- when it comes right down to it- most all of us just want our kids to grow up well-educated, safe from harm’s way, and genuinely happy in life.