Daniel

Compromise

A longer thought that was a Smilebox Facebook post

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I’m not all that concerned an asshole is our president,

Definitely, very few have ever been “heaven sent.”

It also doesn’t bother me that we don’t all agree,

I don’t expect ev’ryone else to see things just like me.

 

What does bother me and causes me great consternation,

Is the strong and ever-increasing polarization;

The paralyzing gridlock in Congress is bad enough,

But our un-compromising attitudes are still more tough.

 

The often-presented election maps of red and blue,

Emphasize the growing difference between all of you;

The popular and electoral votes that don’t agree,

Cause many to think problems in our system that they see.

 

Our Founding Fathers were smarter than we think, I believe,

And these same problems they faced and an answer did perceive;

I think if their good solution was better understood,

Then making progress in our current situation, we could.

 

Now to understand this important concept very well,

I think it would be helpful if a story first I tell;

The same ideas in a much more simple circumstance,

Their over-all understanding might have a better chance.

 

So, we have these ten guys that are ship-wrecked way out at sea,

On a remote island is where they find themselves to be;

It has a mountain with some streams of fresh water for drinking,

And a flock of wild turkeys and some fruit trees for picking.

 

For a month they live on the beach hoping a ship comes by,

Cooking turkeys and eating the fruit that wasn’t too high;

When two of them say, “It looks like we’ll be here a long while,

We need to grow more fruit and turkeys on this little isle.”

 

The rest of them say, “That’s a lot of work we’d have to do,

When any day a rescue ship might just come sailing through.”

So the concerned two move inland a ways from all the rest,

And they start the farming operation that they did suggest.

 

Several years go by and no rescue ship has appeared,

And the plentiful fruit and wild turkeys have disappeared;

So the eight on the beach go and approach the farming two,

Saying, “You have more than you need, what do we have to do?”

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The two tell the others, “There’s still lots of work to be done,

You can work for us for food, but it won’t be as much fun.”

Six of them decide they’re willing to work so they can eat,

But two take their chance on what they’d find with less to compete.

 

A year later one of the beach two, hungry and upset,

Decides from the farm one of their turkeys he’d just go get;

Roasting it on a fire on the beach, it was smelling great,

When here comes the farming two justifiably irate.

 

The argument that does get started is quickly subdued,

When by the other working six the beach two are rescued;

All ten do agree that the time was apparently there,

When some rules should be established for the island to share.

 

“We’ll have a democracy, each one with an equal vote,

That’s always fair,” the two still on the beach did quickly note;

But the farming two were reluctant, not easily sold,

“That’s just legalizing a mob, ‘cause we’d still be controlled.”

 

So one of the working six, we’ll say that Tom is his name,

A compromise solution to the others did acclaim;

“Out of respect for what you’ve built and all that you did do,

We’ll agree to give an extra vote to the both of you.”

 

Tom explained that the farming two wouldn’t have the last word,

But if they convinced a couple more their voice would be heard;

Each has their say, but bigger majority it would take,

Before the group’s will over individuals could make.

 

 

Our individual liberty we choose to submit,

When we see there is a need and we have a voice in it;

Voluntarily, to some restriction we all agree,

If representation in it’s direction we can see.

 

Our Founding Fathers were clever enough to realize,

For submission of some they would have to incentivize;

Simple majority rule would have to be modified,

For the submission of some to agree to be justified.

 

Was this unfair, the special consideration given?

Not by greed, but diversity, I think it was driven;

To better understand the merit of this distinction,

We should contrast the American and French Revolution.

 

Shortly after our revolution, the French did their thing,

And somehow the two together history tries to string;

But quite a bit different were the two situations,

Which offers us some good insight in their explanations.

 

The French was a revolution removing ruling class,

Taking their wealth and redistributing it to the mass;

While ours was a separation from over-sea control,

Taking over our own direction and self-guidance role.

 

Affirming the liberty of each individual,

Our Founders designed a government more accountable;

Recognizing the diversity it would have to serve,

The willing election to submit they chose to observe.

 

The collection of states of which the country did consist,

Importance of their self-direction they chose to insist;

Weighting Senate representation for each state’s self-rule,

Compromised the simplicity of majority rule.

 

The needs of a New England fisherman were not the same,

As those a Carolina tobacco farmer might claim;

Even now, a Midwestern farmer’s need from government,

Won’t match an East Coast apartment-living single parent.

 

 A representative government our Founders designed,

Better answers with this diversity so we could find;

It was not intended to force one’s will on each other,

But to find workable solutions with one another.

 

So, if we’d get off our soap boxes and put on work gloves,

We could find solutions, that’s what making compromise does;

Don’t have to kill your sacred cows, just put them to pasture,

While we work on solutions to cure the current fracture.

 

Conservative-Liberal, Republican-Democrat,

Even these old labels are divisive and so old hat;

Different backgrounds and perspectives we all do come from,

But with common goals differences can be overcome.

 

When will we be willing, party politics to replace?

Our differences and challenges together to face?

Those who represent us, we must tell them exactly that,

We want some Demopublicans or a Republicrat.

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