Obama’s election was good for three reasons: First, it puts and end to an era of arrogance, contempt, and mismanagement in Washington.

Were I a political cartoonist, I would have portrayed George Bush as a little kid rushing into a kindergarten classroom where the other kids had built an array of block towers. And there is George, gleefully kicking blocks around the room.

Bush now is in time-out. Soon, Obama will have the opportunity to do his best to sweep up the mess.

The second reason – and perhaps the more important – is the election of a man whose skin color and ethic background does not match what some believe to be those of “real America.” Yet real American he is. This divisiveness from the McCain campaign troubled me more than anything. Divisiveness of any kind leads only to trouble and suffering.

I appreciate John McCain’s concession speech, which was sincere and statesman like:

These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to [Obama] tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans … I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.

I hope those who found yesterday a disappointment will heed McCain’s words of unity and support and, at least, give Obama the opportunity to succeed rather than spend the next four years doing whatever they can to disrupt the process for no reason other than hatred.

Baseball didn’t come to an end when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Rather, it goes on and on. A well-played game still excites the crowds no matter what color the players.

The third reason Obama’s election is important is now that we’ve got a black man – indeed a black family – in the white house (or nearly so), we can continue the business of electing wise leaders – regardless of physical attributes – rather than greedy, self-indulgent, and deluded ones. Instead of seeing Obama as a man of color, I hope he will be seen as the man of wisdom he has shown himself to be during the campaign.

If anything will destroy this country, it will be a sustained run of unwise leaders.

]]> http://paulgerhards.com/blog_thisisthatis/2008/11/05/wisdom-comes-to-the-white-house/feed/ 2 http://paulgerhards.com/blog_thisisthatis/2008/11/01/elections-and-equanimity/ http://paulgerhards.com/blog_thisisthatis/2008/11/01/elections-and-equanimity/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:49:11 +0000 Paul http://paulgerhards.com/blog_thisisthatis/?p=343 By 8:00 p.m. PST Tuesday, November 4, the United States of America will have elected its 44th president. At 57 years old, I’ve been through a few elections. Being a 9-year-old Catholic in 1960, I remember the controversy around John Kennedy’s candidacy: If elected, he would take orders directly from the Pope – and good-bye America as we know it.

I remember – when Lyndon Johnson ran against Barry Goldwater in 1964 – my father worrying over “the lesser of two evils.” The prospect of nuclear war and a fall to communism were as real then as are the rain and leaves falling into my yard today.

Nixon and Watergate and the CREEP. Carter and Tehran and a suspiciously coincidental release of hostages just as Reagan raises his right hand on the steps of the Capitol. Bush the First and Willie Horton. Clinton’s “that woman” and his definition of “is” leading to Gore’s hanging chads plucked clean by a conservative Supreme Court. Kerry torpedoed by swift-boating veterans for propaganda. Aren’t all elections contentious?

They are. And maybe this current one isn’t any worse than some of the others in US history I’m not immediately familiar with. Still, I think this election may be the most divisive. One thing is sure, there is a lot of anger and hatred out there in “real America.” Ah, yes, divisiveness. Who gets to define “real America,” and why they (we) are angry?

Something else is sure come November 4th. Many millions of people will be relieved and elated. A reciprocal number will be in despair and likely much angrier. One’s mental state on that day will depend not only on the actions of millions of others, but on the actions within one’s own mind.

This campaign has given me a lot to think about regarding equanimity. I confess I haven’t acted with dispassion about some of the things I’ve heard and read about the candidates and their campaigns, but I appreciate the role equanimity plays in keeping my mind from going over the edge into anger or righteousness.

Equanimity has two meanings. The first is what one would expect: evenness of temper, calm, not reactive. The other meaning, specific, I think, to Buddhism, is being equally accepting of everyone and every situation.

Equanimity is one of the four sublime mental states. The others are loving kindness and compassion, both directed toward everyone equally, and an appreciation of the accomplishments of everyone, also spread equally.

Imagine seeing John McCain and Barack Obama as just two people who want the same thing. An equanimous mind would understand not only their suffering, but how it is fueled by their desire to win. An equanimous mind would accept the candidates for who they are – human beings no different in their humanness from each of us.

Beyond the candidates, an equanimous mind would understand how the desire to be on the winning team and the fear of being on the losing team cause stress and suffering for everyone who is part of the drama.

A equanimous mind would accept the outcome of the election for what it is. I’m not suggesting apathy and resignation. Rather, whatever happens, one can respond with dispassion based in wisdom instead of reacting with glee or anger based in delusion. Every day America changes – regardless of who sits behind the big desk.

Equanimity and the other sublime mental states require a mind that is alert to the dangers of destructive mind states. There is a Bush-era bumper sticker that reads: “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” A Buddha-era bumper sticker may read a bit diffently: “If you’re outraged, you’re not paying attention.” It all depends on your point of view.