Politics? Purple is Ideal

I'm wearing purple for the third day in a row. (Yes, I have 3, actually 4 I think purple shirts.) On Wednesday I wore purple because it is my favorite color and it helped me feel better. I thought that was the only reason at the time. Yesterday I just grabbed purple again and didn't really think anything of it. Today it hit me.

As I was watching the final election results and reading all the tweets on Twitter there was a call for no more red, no more blue - how about purple? I remarked at the time that I didn't think it was possible. What with all the hate filled diatribes, and mocking of all of the candidates, even as they were giving their concession speeches it didn't seem to me that the America we live in today was really capable of blending into purple.

I had planned on breaking down all of the attacks, from both sides in this space today, to talk about how wrong it is to hate because someone is different. But this is a lesson we all have learned long ago. Right?

Isn't it right to respect another's opinions or viewpoints even when they differ from our own? From the sandbox forward we've heard this, we've preached it, and we've passed it on to our children who we pray will pass it onto theirs.

When it comes to politics however we throw all that out the door. Anybody who is not on our side of the aisle is - well they're just not right. Right?

So here is my question - why does there have to be an aisle? Why do there have to be sides?

Shouldn't we all be on the same side?

I watched the president elect’s first speech after he won the election. He was very respectful in his comments toward Senator McCain, citing the service, the dedication of a man who can arguably be described as having given more for this country than any of us could ever give, or imagine we might give. The president elect gave a speech that was filled with hope. It was filled with promise. If we can accomplish even half of what Barack Obama talked about in his speech Tuesday night, well Wow!

But you know what? We can only do that together. We can only do that if we're purple, and we need to be that way for a long time.

The political process, the way the system works is broken. I personally believe it is damaged beyond comprehension. Still in four years the majority of our country will again repair to their respective sides of the aisle and we will start all over again, and it will happen again, and again, and again.

I'm not advocating the end of the political process and I'm not suggesting an 8 or more year term for our new president.

I'm presenting purple - the recognition that though there is a need to decide who leads, who is in charge, who governs, there is no need for the name calling, the bitterness, the hate. It is time to recognize that we are all ultimately on the same team, and we will succeed or fail together.

Please note - This post is not intended to support one side or the other. If you read it that way, I suggest you read it again. I don't believe in sides. I believe in purple.