- Pronouns
- He/Him
The Last Few Months
A Military Times Op-Ed
Feb 1st 2019
I don't have the best track record with special editions, the last one saw me nearly tarred and feathered and raked over the coals. But I feel like now is the best time to get this all off my chest and possibly put a little back story into the last few months. Before I begin, I want to put this up front. I without any caveats take and accept full responsibility for my actions and comments regarding the reform debate over the last 8 months. None of what I say should be taken as any sort of excuse for my actions, the only thing I can do is learn from it and try to be a better person going forward.
There's very few things in my life I have given my absolute all to. Graduating high school after my dad died, taking care of my mom while she battled cancer, working as hard as I can for the various people who I care about in my life and working to make my little corner of the world a better place. I count Euro in that 3rd and 4th category. I came into the initial parts of the reform debate eight months ago with a clear head and open mind, I think if I knew what the last 8 months would be like, I would have never even bothered to wander into the Constitutional Convention.
I believe this debate has brought out the worst in us at times with rare flashes of brilliance, we seem to start to make progress only to be immediately derailed either by the Moderates or the Reformers. Both sides wanting the same thing with different views on how it should be carried out. Both sides engaging in the same verbal conflict, some of us louder than most. A few of us even getting down and dirty, something not all that new to Europeia as politics is a harsh mistress but the tone was something never before seen. To put it another way, the reform debate turned from something meant to be an overall good to being referred to as opening Pandora's Box.
Lets be perfectly clear, with the exception of maybe 6 people everyone in Europeia is for some kind of reform, whether it be the popular and soon to pass Executive Split or something else; everyone is of the opinion something needs to be done to stem the inactivity/social player slide. Something has to be done to ease the ever increasing demands placed on the Executive. Something has to be done to train the next generation of Honored Citizens, of Lethen and HEMs. Whether or not the split works, whether or not three months from now we are passing new reform or in a year from now reverting the split or hailing it as a game changing moment. Regardless of what happens we can't do it without everyone and the involvement of everyone here.
Which leads me to my next point.
I have spent the last few months counseling several members of Europeia's citizenry who sought me out for advice as they waged their own battle to be heard. I have told several of you, if not all of you to keep your distance from me and let me take the hits. Not because I didn't feel you could handle it, I have no doubts that you can but because several of you told me you feared the repercussions politically. I'll grant you that those repercussions are pretty shitty, but not as shitty as not standing up for what you believe in and saying clearly and proudly where you stand and what your principles are. I believe it was Sopo or Prim who said that this silent majority needs to stand up and they are and continue to be absolutely right. Some of you have begun to take those steps and use your voice, thats what politics is about. Put yourself out there, learn a different viewpoint, you might even find common ground but don't not engage because you're scared of the future.
Lastly, I say this with all the feeling I have in me.
I am tired.
I am tired of fighting, of debating, of the fights between my friends and the arguments too. I am tired of the flame baiting being hurled by myself and others. I am tired of the misinformation and disinformation.
I am so incredibly tired.
I don't know where I stand in the eyes of those on the other side of the aisle, either as the de-facto leader of the mob or just a person in the Moderate crowd. Where ever I am in the pecking order, tonight I am putting my hand out there with the pledge to work with you and with whoever out there wants to work to fix the region with an open heart and open mind. I am tired of letting the smallest of differences in opinions cause blowout fights for days, that cause people to not want to be here anymore, that are literally unraveling any sort of plans before they even get off the ground.
We can't continue to go on like and tonight it needs to stop.
A Military Times Op-Ed
Feb 1st 2019
I don't have the best track record with special editions, the last one saw me nearly tarred and feathered and raked over the coals. But I feel like now is the best time to get this all off my chest and possibly put a little back story into the last few months. Before I begin, I want to put this up front. I without any caveats take and accept full responsibility for my actions and comments regarding the reform debate over the last 8 months. None of what I say should be taken as any sort of excuse for my actions, the only thing I can do is learn from it and try to be a better person going forward.
There's very few things in my life I have given my absolute all to. Graduating high school after my dad died, taking care of my mom while she battled cancer, working as hard as I can for the various people who I care about in my life and working to make my little corner of the world a better place. I count Euro in that 3rd and 4th category. I came into the initial parts of the reform debate eight months ago with a clear head and open mind, I think if I knew what the last 8 months would be like, I would have never even bothered to wander into the Constitutional Convention.
I believe this debate has brought out the worst in us at times with rare flashes of brilliance, we seem to start to make progress only to be immediately derailed either by the Moderates or the Reformers. Both sides wanting the same thing with different views on how it should be carried out. Both sides engaging in the same verbal conflict, some of us louder than most. A few of us even getting down and dirty, something not all that new to Europeia as politics is a harsh mistress but the tone was something never before seen. To put it another way, the reform debate turned from something meant to be an overall good to being referred to as opening Pandora's Box.
Lets be perfectly clear, with the exception of maybe 6 people everyone in Europeia is for some kind of reform, whether it be the popular and soon to pass Executive Split or something else; everyone is of the opinion something needs to be done to stem the inactivity/social player slide. Something has to be done to ease the ever increasing demands placed on the Executive. Something has to be done to train the next generation of Honored Citizens, of Lethen and HEMs. Whether or not the split works, whether or not three months from now we are passing new reform or in a year from now reverting the split or hailing it as a game changing moment. Regardless of what happens we can't do it without everyone and the involvement of everyone here.
Which leads me to my next point.
I have spent the last few months counseling several members of Europeia's citizenry who sought me out for advice as they waged their own battle to be heard. I have told several of you, if not all of you to keep your distance from me and let me take the hits. Not because I didn't feel you could handle it, I have no doubts that you can but because several of you told me you feared the repercussions politically. I'll grant you that those repercussions are pretty shitty, but not as shitty as not standing up for what you believe in and saying clearly and proudly where you stand and what your principles are. I believe it was Sopo or Prim who said that this silent majority needs to stand up and they are and continue to be absolutely right. Some of you have begun to take those steps and use your voice, thats what politics is about. Put yourself out there, learn a different viewpoint, you might even find common ground but don't not engage because you're scared of the future.
Lastly, I say this with all the feeling I have in me.
I am tired.
I am tired of fighting, of debating, of the fights between my friends and the arguments too. I am tired of the flame baiting being hurled by myself and others. I am tired of the misinformation and disinformation.
I am so incredibly tired.
I don't know where I stand in the eyes of those on the other side of the aisle, either as the de-facto leader of the mob or just a person in the Moderate crowd. Where ever I am in the pecking order, tonight I am putting my hand out there with the pledge to work with you and with whoever out there wants to work to fix the region with an open heart and open mind. I am tired of letting the smallest of differences in opinions cause blowout fights for days, that cause people to not want to be here anymore, that are literally unraveling any sort of plans before they even get off the ground.
We can't continue to go on like and tonight it needs to stop.
