Gary Green's Blog

Well, the election is over. Maybe things will be wonderful, as the winner promised, or maybe not. Only time will tell. What concerns me now is the despair demonstrated by the losers. I think it is noteworthy that no one on the losing side is alleging cheating or that the election was stolen in any way. Be gracious in defeat.

I am speaking to those of us on the losing side. Acceptance means awareness without judgment. In practical terms, animosity toward anyone on the winning side will accomplish nothing. If you are a follower of Christ, you already know God’s commandment to love your neighbor as yourself, even if you disagree politically. If you can look beyond politics, you will find we are all more alike than we are different. We need each other. When my house burned down a few years ago, there were four fire departments here. I am sure some of them were Republicans. None of them asked about my political beliefs before putting out the fire, or after.

So, my advice for the time to come is to be an example to your neighbors who voted for Donald Trump. Many of them are good people trying to make their way just like you.  Remember that confrontation rarely changes hearts and minds, but sometimes people will take suggestions.

My experience with my own recovery and working with many others in the field of recovery is that nobody changes unless they think they have to. Slightly more than half the people in this country got what they wanted in this election. Let them live with it. Should it come to pass that the predictions of many on the left come true and things get bad, be there to suggest to the folks on the right that there may be a better way. Be supportive. Try to connect human heart to human heart.

Above all remember that love is always stronger than hate and fear in the end. I am not saying do nothing. Oppose injustice when you see it. Do what you can. Do so with integrity and honor. Don’t compromise your values. Look to your Higher Power.

We appear to be living in a time when each individual must look in their own heart, examine their values and make changes when necessary. I realize that some people are unlikely or even unable to do that. But I think many people will. When enough people have found their compassion and reaffirmed their connection to reality, things will change for the better. Unfortunately, we may all have to endure some hard times before that happens.

This summer I started writing letters to the editor of my local newspaper. (Remember those?) I did this because I have been concerned about the growing division between Americans. There has always been political discourse in this country, but things have gotten bad in recent years. Some people are actually talking about another Civil War. So in the interest of taking the temperature down a few degrees I offer these letters to a wider audience, Add my voice to a growing call for reason and compassion. So, without further adieu, here is my first letter.

Over 90 years ago, in the depths of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated into the office of President of the United States and told a worried nation “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” I believe that statement to be as true today as it was then.

Today we have people telling us that we have many things to fear. For example, one group of people tell us that things are terrible, the country is being ruined, our fellow citizens want to destroy this country. According to polls, roughly half of this country’s eligible voters hold this view. So, look around. Half the people you see apparently want to destroy this country, according to this view. Half of your friends, relatives, fellow church members, half the police, doctors, clergy, and grocery store clerks want to bring this country down. I can’t believe it.

The one underlying truth is that most Americans value the freedoms and rights guaranteed in the Constitution. They value it so much that whenever we are attacked by a foreign power, we step up in mass to defend that constitution and the nation it governs. That tells me that the one thing the diverse population has in common is that we all love this country.

So, if you are one of the many patriots in this country, take your responsibility to vote seriously. Actually listen to what both sides have to say. Look at the evidence supporting their statements. Please remember that your friends, neighbors and relatives are not idiots, they are concerned American patriots.

And now for something completely different: I was 5 years old when the 1960 election was held, yet I remember the day clearly. I had not yet started school and my parents were going to leave me home for a few minutes while they went to vote. Being a very curious kid, I was full of questions. I had never heard of voting. I remember my father answering my questions, but very carefully avoiding telling me how I should vote when I got old enough.

Both my parents were staunch “FDR New Deal” Democrats, yet they believed each person should make up their own mind. I think it was Mark Twain who said, “The older I get, the smarter my father gets.”  I have found this to be true many times over the years; and this is one example.

I will admit to supporting the Democratic party. As part of that support, I have participated in numerous parades. One of the things I have noticed is the large numbers of young kids with stickers on their shirts supporting a certain candidate. I have also noticed that the majority of vocal hecklers seem to be adolescent boys—too young to vote. Clearly, many of my fellow patriots do not believe, as my father did, to raise your kids to be independent critical thinkers and let them make up their own mind who to vote for.

I recently wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper. I thought it might me of wider interest, so I decided to post it here.

I don’t know about you, but I am kind of weary of political vitriol. I am not a huge fan of partisan politics. Nor do I like to be lied to. That is why it makes me sad to read articles put forth by partisan folks on either side that are full of errors and downright falsehoods. I don’t intend to call anyone out, except to say this: A constitutional republic is a form of democracy, it still is and I assume always will be illegal to kill babies after birth (They call it murder), nobody is coming for your guns, and nobody is grooming your kids to be LGBTQ.

I am pretty sure of those things. Having said that, I will also say that it is every adult’s duty to vote. I will also be the first to say that it is often difficult to know who to vote for. That is why I am mostly an issue voter. It is just a coincidence that in my opinion Democrats generally are on the right side of issues important to me.

So, in this soon to start election season I encourage everyone to be an issue voter. But the responsibility of an issue voter is you have to research the issues. Be diligent. Scrutinize your sources. We all know there are people out there who will say anything to get power. We know there are people who will distort the truth to accomplish their own objectives. And we all know there are uninformed people who will say things that have no basis in reality. Be an issue voter, like me. Look for the truth.

One of the big reasons I don’t like partisan politics is that it creates a tribal mind set. Whatever my guy says is right, whatever your guy says is wrong. This mindless conflict is too rampant in politics today. We are all human beings, more alike than different. We are all on this life’s journey with the same needs and rights. So, how about this: How about we pull in our horns, look at the human being behind the label, be it Democrat or Republican. Maybe be a little less judgmental. Maybe try to understand the other person’s point of view. Maybe remember what every mental health therapist in the world knows: YOU CAN’T TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO THINK.

So, that is my advice for the day. You can continue to build your political views based on the shifting sand of distortions and outright lies if you want. I choose the bedrock of truth and reality.

Gary Green,

New London

8/15/23

I haven’t posted for a while, but I am having an experience this week that I was compelled to comment on. Starting Monday and continuing through today I have been receiving Facebook friend requests at an overwhelming pace. It started kind of slow, giving me time to check out each request and even respond to chat requests. It is almost 11:00 AM and since 7:00 the number of requests is over 300.

The ones I have had time to check out seemed like decent, friendly people, I try to respond to chat requests–to be polite like my Mom taught me. However, at the rate they are coming in I just don’t have the time. So, I thought I’d post here (knowing it will appear on my facebook feed) and answer a few FAQ in hopes of saving time. So, here is me in a nutshell:

I am a 67 year old, hetero, married, recovering alcoholic and former depressed person. My career was in mental health and I am retired. I live on 50 acres in central Minnesota and do some hobby farming.

I have been trying to promote the ideas that people are more alike than they are different, that we should be kinder to each other, That we all have better, more fulfilling lives if we take the truth head-on, learn to accept the unpleasant and delight in the pleasant and in one another.

Toward that end I have written some books as follows:

In Pursuit of Joy. The award winning story of my recovery from alcohol and depression. find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Joy-Gary-Green/dp/1631354213/The Mindful Lifestyle. Mindfulness is not just about 10 or 20 minutes of meditation a day. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/163135700XRebecca Pendragon: Magic Is All Around Us. A young-adult fantasy that delivers a positive message. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/9395131098?psc=1&smid=A1Y53T3O3Q25L8&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

At this time I do NOT have any money to contribute to any cause, no matter how worthy. I will try to respond to chat requests as time permits. Please do not take offence if it takes a while.

I am very curious about what triggered this series of events–and how it will all play out. I will try to view this as a blessing no matter what happens.

If you are still reading this, you are on my website. I invite you to look around a bit. Thank you all for your interest.

I have been asked to answer the question: “Why do I vote Democrat?” The answer is not a simple one.

When I was younger, I voted Democrat because my parents did. They had lived through the Great Depression and were firm believers in FDR’s New Deal. They believed that government could and should help people. That made sense to me. I could see that there were people with money and power and used those things to get more money and power, often at the expense of others and the world at large. It seemed to me that only government had the power to reign in these people. Further, government could level the playing field so to speak, and make sure even the poorest and least able among us had access to the basic necessities of life. It seemed that Democrats supported this notion and Republicans did not.

As I grew older, I made my own observations. I saw when Republican presidents came into power, the first thing they did was cut taxes for rich people, claiming they would use the money to create jobs for everyone else and the benefits would “trickle down” to everyone. I saw them cut benefits to poor people claiming that rich people and non-profits would fill the gap—the “Thousand Points of Light” theory. That theory didn’t pan out either. It seemed that Republicans supported and advocated for the rich and the Democrats for the poor and middle class.

So how do the Republicans keep getting elected? The answer to that one is easy: they lie. They tell people they are going to cut taxes, and they do—but only for rich people. Consider the Pawlenty administration. During his time in office, he nearly bankrupted the state government and borrowed from the school fund to cover the deficit. When The Democrats took over, within a year the school fund was made whole, and the state budget showed a surplus.

I know there a lot of people who say it doesn’t matter who is in office. Often this is an excuse for not voting. I say it is your duty as an American to vote. I say the non-voters are responsible for Trump being president. I know a lot of people, while they didn’t like Trump said “I don’t know about Hillary”; In spite of the fact that all the investigations into her alleged misconduct never revealed anything illegal. The accusation alone was enough to put people off. I say it is alright to vote against something.

So, look where we are now. We have an ex-president still promoting the lie that he actually won the last election; in spite of all the evidence that he lost, and the election was free of fraud. He and his minions are still trying to get power. We see where that power is heading. A woman’s right to choose is in jeopardy. Mass murder is commonplace. White supremacy groups gain power. Individual rights are being eroded. I don’t believe that all republicans are evil. Many, like the two on the January 6 committee, have integrity and courage. But the Trumpites are like a cancerous tumor consuming the Republican party from within.

I am afraid for America. Are you? I say it is time to stand up for America. I say is time to choose.  Do you want an America that is led by Fascists, where money is power, privilege rules the day and individual rights have no meaning? Do you want an America where violence rules the day? Or do you prefer an America where there is Rule of Law, where individual rights are respected, where church and state are truly separate, where there is a safety net for all and even the most powerless among us has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? The choice has never been clearer.

I say it is time to rise up; time to stand up for what is right and good. Gandhi said when you find evil, you must oppose it. I say it is time. I say every thinking American should not only vote, but advocate for the “not-Trumpites”.  Vote Democrat.

There is a certain comedian who came up with the catchphrase “Here’s your sign.”  He was pretty funny, actually. However, there is a not so funny application of that phrase.

We live in interesting times. It is true that people have thought that since the beginning of civilization. However, we are now more interconnected and informed about current events than ever before. What I see when I look at current events is the classic struggle between good and evil—or as I like to characterize it: compassion and selfishness.

Of course, the most glaring current example of this is the war between Russia and Ukraine. It has been dubbed “Putin’s war” for good reason. He has long been enamored with the idea of rebuilding the Russian empire and its latest incarnation, the Soviet Union. Toward that end he has manipulated the situation and lied to his people to gain their support for this endeavor. In fact, since his ascension to power he has shown himself to be a typical dictator in the model of Stalin—imprisoning and murdering his political opponents; and without the pesky communist notions of collective ownership, has used his ruthless tactics to (probably) become the richest man in the world.

 Zelensky, on the other hand, was elected as the “anti-corruption” candidate and has shown himself to be a person of integrity and bravery.

It is difficult to watch the images we see every day of the devastation and suffering the Russian attack is causing in Ukraine and not be moved. Compassion means “suffering with”. I can’t watch these images and not get a pain in my gut. This is why we see so many efforts across the world to help. All compassionate people hope for an end to hostilities and pray that the rest of the world doesn’t get sucked into a devastating war.

So—Here’s your sign: When you look deep into your soul do you stand with the lying bully Putin, or with his victims—the valiant people of Ukraine?  And, having made that determination, do you generalize that decision to other lying bullies? Or, to put it a different way: Do you live your life with the notion that all people have the right life liberty and the pursuit of happiness; or do you prefer the selfish life—lying and cheating your way to get what you want?

I’ll give you a hint. A long time ago a very wise man suggested we should all live our life based on the bedrock of truth and reality—and compassion. The decision-making process you use here also applies to every other area of life–for example, how you treat your neighbor, your family, people that are somehow different than you and even (maybe especially) what political candidate you vote for. Is that person a lying, manipulating bully or a person of integrity and compassion?

I don’t care what your religious beliefs are. But I can tell you that ALL bullies like Putin eventually fall. They eventually fall because their “empire” is not based on reality; just on raw, temporary power. Martin Luther King said, “The arc of history is long, but bends toward justice.” I choose to believe he was right.

I’m sure we have all heard about the latest mass shooting. I’m equally sure that most of us are sick of it but don’t know what to do about it. I don’t have all the answers either; but I do know one thing. This morning I heard police are looking for a motive. This is what I know: there isn’t one.

Is the perp mentally ill? Absolutely! Does that mean we should all be afraid of people with mental illness? Absolutely not! Here’s the deal about mental illness: most people experience it at one time or another. Have you ever had the flu? Probably. If you are reading this, you survived it. However, every year 30,000 or so people don’t. Similarly, the vast majority have experienced symptoms of mental illness, even if it is “only” anxiety and/or depression. Most are able to get back on track. Many suffer in silence; thinking that to name it is to give it power when the opposite is true. These people generally live lives that are less fulfilling than they could be. Those symptoms are trying to tell you something. You should listen to them. The answers to these issues are simple: 1. Get rid of the stigma of mental illness. People with mental illness are people like everyone else—not less than. They can and do recover. 2. Spend more money on mental health. People working on the front lines in the battle against mental illness are among the lowest paid, and unfortunately often you get what you pay for. I can hear the opposition now: “You liberals always think the answer to any problem is to throw money at it.” That may have some truth in it, but I know that a society that values professional athletics more than the safety, health and happiness of individuals will have lots of taxpayer funded fancy stadiums and lots of people with mental illness—some of whom will pick up a gun and shoot people.

If you have a society where violence is often condoned and accepted as a viable solution to problems, you will have a small percentage of people with mental illness who will pick up a gun and shoot people. If we want to stop mass shootings each of us needs to examine our attitude toward violence. There is a lot of violence subtlety interwoven into our language.

Getting back to my contention that there was no motive in the latest mass murder: At any given time in this country there is a small minority of people who, because of their mental illness, entertain fantasies of killing people they don’t know because they think it’s cool. In a society that sends mixed messages about violence this is inevitable. When those people have easy access to military style assault rifles it is inevitable that from time to time one of them is going to carry out this fantasy.

So, if you want to stop these tragedies do these things: 1. Put more resources into mental health. 2. We must each look at our own attitude toward violence. 3. Make it less easy for people to get assault rifles. In 1776 it was not possible to go to a crowded place and shoot ten people because you had to reload after each shot. Modernize the Second Amendment.

I have been thinking lately about my relationship to reality. Maybe I have been spending too much time by myself. Anyway, this is my conclusion: I am way happier if I pay attention to and accept reality regardless of how it fits in with my wants or needs.

Say I hear a funny noise from my car. I know it probably means something is going bad, but I don’t want to think about it because I fear it will cost money I don’t have. So, I drive it until it breaks. Now I have a bigger problem.

Or: I used to know a guy who was having chest pains for a while, but he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to worry his family; and didn’t go to the doctor because he was afraid of what the doctor would say. We know this because he told us after his first heart attack. His second one killed him.

My personal favorite: The world seems to be full of people calling me or emailing me trying to pull some scam or other. Either they want money or my personal information. So, here’s a few pieces of reality: Social Security does not call people. Medicare is a program administered by the Social Security Administration, not an organization that calls people. There is no person living or dead in the US or any other country that is going to give me millions of dollars if only I forward my banking information. I am sick of people lying to me to get something.

One group of people notorious for lying to get something is politicians. This group is so notorious for lying to get people’s vote that many people don’t vote. They think it doesn’t matter because they are all crooks anyway. That notion is not based on reality. I believe there are many people in politics who sincerely want to help people. Just as there are many who only want the power and money that goes with it.

How do you tell the difference? If someone tells you what you want to hear just to get your vote, chances are they are lying to you. If someone tells you about a problem we all have, even if you don’t like it, then talks about possible solutions—even if you don’t like the solutions; they are probably telling the truth. I find I am happier if I vote for the truth tellers.

A good example of what happens when you elect liars is what happened on January 6. The Liar-in-Chief told all his followers the election was stolen, in spite of the fact that there was absolutely no evidence to support that notion. Then he invited his supporters to Washington, told them to fight like hell and to march on the Capitol “stop the steal”. People died because of a lie. We almost lost our democracy because of a lie.

Sometimes I get worried that the liars and bullies are going to win and make life for the rest of us miserable. Then I remember one irrefutable truth: Reality always wins in the end. If you step off a cliff, you will fall—no matter how much you wish you could fly. So, listen to what people say with a critical ear, check what they say against what you know to be true. Don’t give money or personal information to people who call out of the blue. Don’t jump off a cliff even if you want to fly (planes still work just fine). And don’t vote for liars—but do vote. If you don’t vote for the other guy, the liars will win and muck things up for the rest of us. That’s just the plain reality of things.

So, the other day I found a tick on one of my dogs—a tick in the middle of January. I have lived in Minnesota all my life and found plenty of ticks, but only in the warm months—never in January. But it got me thinking.

I hate ticks. When I was a kid there were plenty of wood ticks. Sometimes just talking about them was enough to make you feel like they were crawling all over you; searching for a tender spot to latch on and suck your blood. As if that wasn’t enough, then along came deer ticks—just as creepy but can also give you a potentially fatal disease.

However, by far the worst tick in my experience is the poli-tick. You know; those people creeping around in the political system, sucking the metaphorical blood from this nation—possibly giving the democratic system we all enjoy a fatal disease.

I’m not saying all politicians are bad. There are plenty of people in public office working hard for the public good. However, there are also plenty of the other kind. You know these people—seeking public office so their bank accounts and egos can become bloated just like a tick’s body.

One of the side-effects of this is this: many people think all politicians are crooked; so, they don’t vote. I find this particularly disturbing because voting these people out is one of the few defenses we have against the poli-ticks. For example, in this last election the enough people had had enough of Donald Trump, so they voted him out. No matter how you feel about it, Biden is in and Trump is out.

I guess the moral here is this: Learn to recognize the poli-ticks and vote for the other person. Your children will thank you when it is their time to vote.

I heard some disturbing, though not surprising news today. Apparently, the same people who brought you last weeks treasonous attack on Congress are planning similar attacks next week on Inauguration Day in every state; and I assume Washington.

They are calling for “armed protests”. Let me be clear: If you are carrying a gun to a “protest” it is not a protest. It is an insurrection, a rebellion, treason. If you look back in history, you will see that such violent action invariably precede take-over by a dictator.  For example, Hitler, Mussolini, and many other such vermin. Take this seriously. These people want a civil war. They have been preparing for years and see this as their chance—just as Trump sees this as his chance to be president for life.

Again, let me be clear: not all Americans believe in the promise of equal rights and freedom in the Constitution. Lying about the reality of things is but one of the sins they are willing to commit to get what they want. Democracy does not flow from the barrel of a gun.

I have a few suggestions. If you voted for Trump, please do some serious thinking before you participate in any protest. The possibility for a bloodbath is very real. Is that what you want? If you did not vote for trump, stay home. We have people who have sworn an oath to protect the constitution, like the National Guard and FBI, as well as the various state governments and police agencies. Let them do their jobs.

These people are trying to start a civil war. Think about what that means. We still haven’t recovered fully from the last one. If they succeed in starting a civil war hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people will be killed. In the last civil war families found themselves on both sides. Think about what it will be like when crazy Uncle Fred brings a gun to Thanksgiving dinner. Think it couldn’t happen here? I can name several places in recent history where neighbor rose against neighbor and killed them. For example: Rwanda. Crazy talk turned to crazy action. If you think a pandemic is hard on the economy, wait until you see what a civil war does.

In closing I want to say: This is a time for Wise-Mind. Wise-Mind is the concept from mindfulness practice that acknowledges your emotions but tempers your actions with reason. So, be wise, be safe and maybe as a nation we can walk the narrow path to recovery.