Where Is The Love?
Written by Lyssa Graham 

Before we get rolling here, let me confess that I had a different topic in mind for this month. Even though it’s the season for love, romance and little boxes with great big sparklies tucked inside them, I wanted to write about something a little less romantic and kind.

You see, I’ve just about had it with our local political scene. I’m tired of watching the reindeer games on Channel 16 and I’m damned sure tired of participating in them. I’m over reading about them in the newspaper and the blogs feature far too many angry missives from all sides of every single issue. Ain’t nobody happy with what we’ve got going on here on the island.

So I was tempted, sorely tempted, to let fly with an angry missive of my own. I was eager to lay into each and every one of our city elected officials. All I could think about was sharing my dissatisfaction with the rest of the island – maybe even helping to engineer a little change, maybe a smidge of hope – mostly just to vent a bit.

But I don’t do politics. I do humor. Writing about politics, while often hysterically funny, tends to result in a barrage of spittle-flecked e-mails clogging up my in-box and, what with all of the enhancement ads and Canadian drug dealer offers, I don’t have drive space for reader hatred.

I mean, if I were going to do politics, I’d be forced to tell you what I really think. Like, for instance, I believe a city council person ought to actually live in the district he or she claims to represent. It doesn’t seem fair for someone to claim kinship with an area when they’ve already moved on to bigger and better places. But we’re talking about love here, not politics.

Good thing too. Because if we were talking about politics, I might have to rant a bit about elected officials who seem determined to ferret out wrongdoing, even where wrongdoing doesn’t exist. I might have to say that it takes a certain kind of mindset to believe that everyone is out to get you, or that everyone is sneaking around lining their own pockets at the expense of the common good, or that anything you didn’t have your hand in is clearly riddled with incompetence and fraud.

Some people call that mindset typical of certain professions. I don’t know, like attorneys maybe. I’m not an attorney. I’ve never even played one on television. But I do know that arguments are enhanced by facts where innuendo just makes the arguer look paranoid and mean spirited.

But we’re not talking politics here. We’re talking about love. So here’s some advice for the love seeking out there. When you’re looking for a new mate, keep the process fair and truly explore your options. You wouldn’t want to pick someone just because you like his or her face, you want to know who the person really is. Don’t you? And make sure you give everyone who finds you interesting a chance to get to know you, to see if they want the job of being your partner before you make your decision.

That’s right, honestly interview before you make your decision. Not after. Before. There might be someone else out there you’d be happier with, someone who would make a better partner. Might even be someone you’ve already danced with – you don’t want to choose based on only one or two aspects of a person. You want to look at all of the options, seriously look at them, before you decide to settle down.

You know, that would probably work for politics too, come to think of it. But we’re talking about love not politics.

Love is all-encompassing. The whole of it is bigger than the individual parts, kind of like a geographical area (an island, for instance) is more than its individual voting districts. Just as you wouldn’t focus on a splinter in your finger (or a splintered beach house) and ignore a broken bone (or an ancient and degraded infrastructure) you should work to for the entire body, not just the part you like the most or the part that you think will be most likely to pay you back come re-election time.

Oh crap, we are talking politics here, aren’t we? Well fine, while we’re at it, one more thing. You guys need to get a grip already. Stop acting like children, shouting each other down, insulting each other and the voting public. I’ve seen Student Council Governments who are better behaved than you folks. It’s time to act like grownups and work together – that’s right, together – to get Galveston back on her feet.

Oh and one more one more thing, because I’ve been pissed off about it since you did it. Limiting the time for public comment hasn’t done much to shorten your meetings, has it? And frankly, how dare you? How dare you tell the very people you claim to represent that they need to sit down and shut up in order to get you home at a reasonable hour? Perhaps the public isn’t the problem.

You know, love may be blind but the public isn’t. You might want to keep that in mind.

Lyssa Graham is based on Galveston, just south of Texas. She’d fed up with all of the crap. You can send your spittle-flecked venomous e-mails to Lyssa@LyssaGraham.com. She’ll try not to take it personally and probably won’t toilet paper your house in revenge. Probably

March 2011
Because I Care

February 2011
Because I Care

January 2011
The Printed Word

December 2010
For Whom The Cock Crows

November 2010
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

October 2010
Huh?

September 2010
This is Seriously Weird

August 2010
Oh Galveston, Seriously Now

July 2010
Some Guidelines

JUNE 2010
Isn't That Special

May 2010
Asking The Expert

April 2010
In Response

March 2010
I Do Not Like This Council Sham

February 2010
Where Is The Love?

January 2010
And A Tuneful New Year To You Too