Roxanne for President!

When I was 12, I went to “Take Your Daughter to Work” day with my mom. She worked at the telephone company UsWest (which later became Qwest), and in the afternoon, there was a “women’s power” type rally. I don’t remember everything, but we were encouraged to speak up with what we wanted to do when we were older. I am a Libra, so a good portion of me is always gung ho about justice; I replied, “I want to be a Supreme Court Justice or the President.”

This was the most ambitious of all the answers, and everyone agreed that I should give it my all, and that all daughters should be encouraged to reach for the sky. My mom took this to heart, and was so proud of me. Later on in my teens, I did normal teenage things – like get a boyfriend – and she was a bit strict, hoping that I would keep my reputation clean, and actually be President someday.

The problem was that while it’s true that I would LOVE to do those things, the other half of my scales wanted nothing more than to be a mom. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I wanted to be a stay at home wife and mother from almost the first moment I learned where babies came from. Libra’s are very into partnerships and marriage, and when it came right down to making a choice, I guess that doing the wife/mom thing was far more realistic than aiming for the Presidency. And people say I am too much of a dreamer, lol!

I chose my path, and have walked it – mostly with pride – for many years now, and the circle has turned once more. My children are still my passion, and my passion for them has led me back to thinking about being President. I am probably more suited to be a judge or Justice, but have you seen their schooling requirements??? (Which is honestly insane because you are either born fair and speak with wisdom, or you are not, in which case no amount of schooling can help.)

Moving on, in thinking about what I would do if I were President, I first have to address what the President actually does. In theory, the President is suppose to guide the country, and lead the military when necessary. This means that when the people – via congress – decide that something needs to be done, and create a law, the President is supposed to ponder the law and all of its implications, and decide if it is really the best thing for the people. If it isn’t he (or she) is supposed to veto it, and ask congress to rethink it.

I believe that this no longer happens. I believe that no matter who is elected President in THIS day and age, he is really just a figurehead that must play by the rules of those with power. For example, someone made G.W. Bush start a healthcare reform, and it was all but approved when Obama stepped into office. That same something compelled him to insist on it when it looked like others might balk after all, and it is now called Obamacare, and criticized despite being put into play before he ever came along. Others have forgotten this, but I haven’t. He was not acting as he wished; he was acting as he was told.

Call it a conspiracy; call me a lunatic… I honestly could be completely wrong, but here’s the thing: if I am not wrong, then that means that the public will forever lie complacent as they blame the President. After all, he’s only there for 4 years, and then hopefully the next guy will be better. If I am not wrong, then there is someone or something pulling the strings causing all the Presidents to break their campaign promises in order to favor powerful companies such as Monsanto. (Over the welfare of the people.)

Now I’ll get back to me. Would I really want to be elected President knowing that I would just be a puppet figurehead and convenient person to blame? I am realistic enough to know that my chances of being elected President are about the same as winning the 300 million dollar Powerball jackpot, BUT if the system worked the way it’s supposed to, AND I managed to get enough votes to win, would I really want to?

Yes. Yes I would, and here’s why. I know I am supposed to be a guide in this life. I also know that no one really wants to listen to me because I come off as an insufferable know it all. Yet, if I were President, I would use the only power I’d have – that of a public figurehead – to ask the people to stand up for their rights and fight back.

I would be the first President ever to have a camera crew on hand to record everything so that I could play it for the public. If someone or something – as in a large corporation – tried to blackmail me or threaten my children, I would get it on tape, and I would play it for the public. I have the conviction to place myself in the spotlight and be called a quack! Even if no one believed me, and everyone dismissed me as the worst President in history, I would make it my goal to expose the truth. (There’s that Libra talking again.)

In short, I would put the welfare of the country and its people first! I would encourage all Americans to figure out what is important to them. Figure out what rights they have lost without realizing it, and then tell them to reclaim them!

When Obama was first in the running, people disparaged him because he was new to politics. I know that I would receive the same scoffing dismissal, but here’s a thought to ponder: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. We keep electing politicians into office and expecting them to do something different. It’s obviously not working, so why not try something different?

And as long as we are trying something different, why not try someone like me? I cannot stand the status quo, and I know that I cannot change it, not even if I were elected, but the people can! If they only had someone willing to say, “Wake up! Get involved! Change things!” the world might be a better place.

For what it’s worth, I do not believe that the government actually wants the average citizen to get involved. Oh they say they do so that they can collect money from them. “Get involved, make a contribution!” The difference is that I don’t want money, I want everyone’s voice.

In FACT, if I ran for President, rather than spending multi-millions of dollars on my campaign, I’d try to spend next to none. I would prove to people that I know what it takes to run things on a shoestring budget – which honestly, compared to Obama and Hilary Clinton’s budgets, even a million or two could be considered a shoestring budget. I shake my head… I would prove that only someone who has had to received welfare just to survive can truly understand what it means to live within a frugal budget.

Lastly, the only other power a President really has is to appoint people to certain offices. I would use that power well by NOT appointing Monsanto employees as head of the FDA or USDA. Instead, I would appoint people who really care about the well-being of the average citizen. Someone who’s not out to make a profit, but to make the world a better place. People like Michael Pollan, Joel Salatin, and Sally Fallon…

The next election will happen before I am 35, so I cannot run, but if I could, I would honestly put my name on the ballot just so that I could have those 15 minutes in the spotlight, say what I have to say, and hope that enough people listen. I would not get my hopes up or be unrealistic. Instead – as Gandhi once said – I would be the change I want to see.