• Philip Drucker

Communique 8-29-2020 "One Love, One Light, One Vote"

By Philip Drucker

I have never doubted for one moment that my vote counted. My confidence stems from my belief that voting serves not one but two purposes of relatively equal importance. Purpose number one is to facilitate the election to office of the candidate of my preference to any given seat. If I have done my homework, my selection should reflect some, but not necessarily all, of my politics, policies and priorities.

There is always a great deal of sub-issues involved in my candidate selection process. For the record, I am a progressive liberal when it comes to social issues yet fiscally conservative when dealing with economics. My favorite governmental programs are those that reduce any one of many social ills that plague our society. Plagues that in and of themselves carry expenses thereby causing all taxpayers to lose money. Crime, pollution, corruption, drug addiction, alcoholism, all negative drains on capital that through the application of innovative and ameliorative initiatives can be reduced if not in some cases eliminated often at a net savings to the public. It happens all the time but it needs to happen more.

So, the connectivity is vote for my person who on some level I believe is telling me the truth when they say if elected the will introduce and enact various laws and regulations while spending my hard-earned tax dollars (including their salary) in a manner consistent with my personal political and social agenda.

Healthcare, lower drug prices, green technologies, renewable energy, climate change, sensible gun restrictions, economic equality, the big picture would be the elimination of poverty and the eradication of discrimination. I long for a return to the days of the Great Society. Where economic prosperity was a starting point for social change and not the endgame currently serving about 1% of the 20% of Americans who own stocks. These are but some of the issues at the top of my I want you to do this list.

Whether I get any or all of what I bargained, if not in some instances the exact opposite, is always a leap of faith but one I will continue to take. What is the alternative? Having someone in a position of authority I fully do not believe will lift a fat little finger to help anyone other than the handful of donors who support them as they support their favorite charity? You know, the Me charity? Always has and always will be a lot of that going around. Doesn’t mean I must vote for it. Recently, if you see an “R” next to someone’s name on a ballot, yeah, I’d pass on that one.

By voting for the candidate of my choice, I can also express my support for women’s rights and gender equality. Minority representation and the value of diversity in our decision making. Freedom of faith and religion, freedom of the heart and the right to love the individual of one’s choice. Voting is a big deal round these parts. Yes, it is. But that is only half of the story.

In the final analysis, my aspirant for office will either win or lose. There’s a hard ending date after which it is time to move on inherent in all political campaigns. But there is an even bigger picture that remains in play. It is represented by the popular vote. Individuals who have all cast their ballots for the same person. Who on some level, must have come to at least some of the same conclusions as the many millions who on election day checked the same box. Win or lose, I, you we, are on the same page. We are brothers and sisters in arms and our sheer number speaks volumes as to where we think the country should go. In terms of the election process the popular vote is the purest expression of the actual majority of voters in the USA. There is no silent majority. Minority yes, but majority? No.

This is a fairytale made up so that racists and religious zealots can commiserate about their mistaken foray into the darkness of anger, hate and rage, blaming anyone and everyone except themselves for their lack of whatever usually material but useless bauble they covet that will magically bring them happiness and fulfillment. Until the next shiny object comes along. And then the next, and the next and the next. Until, voila! You die. And then what?

Then again, there is the flipside. It is a bit on the esoteric, or mystical, so please bear with me. If you are the kind of voter who casts their ballot perhaps feeling you are but a single light in the darkness, you are right. You are. But here’s the deal. Darkness exists as an opportunity for the introduction of light. There is nothing hiding in the shadows that can’t be illuminated by the light. It is also equally true the bigger the light, the brighter the shine. Here is where the popular vote gets tricky and why your vote will always, win, lose, or drawn out election process till we finally kick his orange bitch ass out of office, counts.

How many of you are familiar with the Menorah? Menorahs have nine separate candle holders one to light the other eight, with the eight candles all representing a day where despite a shortage of oil, the eternal light remained lit until more oil could finally be procured. The Menorah is lit during the holiday of Chanukah, or, the Festival of Lights.

Imagine if you will the last night of Chanukah and all nine candles are simultaneously lit. If I ask you how many flames are there, your answer should be nine. But, if I ask you how many fires there are, what would your answer be? My answer is one. Let me demonstrate. Take two matches and light them separately. Two matches with two flames. Now, bring the two flames together until they blend. Ask yourself, how many fires are there? The answer is one. Separate the matches. How many flames and how many fires? Two and one. Flames indicate the special separation of fire. One fire, yes?

Now ask yourself, where did the fire come from? When the candle melts, where does it go? As we like to say in the mysticism trade, there, but not there? How is that possible? But it is. There are not too many other aspects of fires and flames I can speak to, but I can tell you this. Fire, like the light, like the human spirit is eternal. It is there even when it is not there.

Think of your vote as an expression and extension of the light within you. The spark of life within all of us. Physics dictates we see each other and our individual lights as separate. However, if it is true, that we are all like candles, our flames being separate, there is still only one fire within us all. It is the same fire, it comes from and goes back to the same place for eternity.

When you vote, you are adding to the light. You are finding and interacting with persons who share your views on love, courtesy, kindness and are looking for a better life for everyone. For you now we are all one in the same. One love, one fire, and one vote at a time. The bigger the light, the brighter the shine. This time we will all shine so brightly together as one that our message cannot and will not be ignored.

Moses never saw the promised land, but you and I can. All we need do is vote, with our hands, our hearts, our minds and our light. Be the spark of life you wish to be. Namaste.

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