Does This Mean I'm Libertarian?

Can I get my one rant out of the way before I start posting anything of substance?....  Thanks.

So--during the last election, I spent a lot of time reading articles (and their comment sections), watching political reports, and studying the various stances of those running.  I tried not to take personal offense when Conservatives would say how they couldn't, in good conscience, vote for Romney.  Because he was Mormon and, therefore, not Christian enough to be President of the United States.  (Yeah--I get it.  Mormon doctrine is strange.  But, guess what else is strange?  Religion in general.)  I find it rather hypocritical that it's this same anti-Romney group who is singing the praises of the Donald....  I guess I missed the memo explaining how Trump represents Christianity better than Romney.....  Seriously, GOP?  That's the best you can do?

Anyway--thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

And now, in honor of Prince's death, here's a song from a musician of his era who I actually enjoy listening to.  (This will make sense, I promise):

Remember that song.  It comes into play later.

The current condition of the United States of America concerns me.  You see, my ancestors built this country before it was even a country.  My great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather was one of them.  His name was Colonel George Eskridge, and--if I remember my family history correctly--during his younger years he was taken against his will to the Colonies.  He worked as an indentured servant until he could afford passage back to England.  Once there, he became a lawyer and even worked in the Queen's Court.  (Or something like that.)  He eventually returned to the Colonies.  At that point in time, two of his close friends passed away and left their daughter in his charge.  George and his wife raised this little girl as their own, and this little girl absolutely adored my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather.  She adored him so much, in fact, that when she grew up and got married and had a son of her own, she named that son after her adoptive father.  Chances are, you hadn't heard of George Eskridge before, but I'm betting you have heard of George Washington.

So--yeah--my American roots grow deeply, and I feel it somewhat important that I carry on the legacy of liberty that my forefathers fought so hard to achieve and preserve.  Whether it be the Revolutionaries who founded the United States, the Pioneers who settled what would become Wyoming, or the beloved grandfather who fought in WWII--I feel that I owe it to them to carry their torch, even the same that beckons, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

(I suppose I could add here that some family historians claim that some of my bloodlines can be traced back to the Cherokee tribe--for those who want to get all technical about who was here first.  But I don't want this to be so much a political post about what could have, and some say should have, been.  I'd rather like to focus on the current and impending plights of this country.)

Am I upset that I think so many Republicans are idiots?  Yes.

Am I upset that I think so many Democrats are idiots?  Yes.

Am I upset because I think my forefathers' country has been overrun by idiots?  Yes.

But, you know what?  (Besides the fact that I keep starting sentences with the word 'but.'  My old fourth graders would just love to laugh at that.)  I don't think all hope is lost, even though it may feel like it.  While, yes, the POTUS is a critical element as to the overall well-being of our nation, I don't think it is the most critical element.

So what could be more important than the man (or woman?) who sits in the Oval Office?

The answer I've come to is this:  The individual is more important than the President.  Seriously.  Think about it.  The President, in a lot of ways, is just a figure head and a representation of how the American public were feeling during a given election season.

I don't know that I'll ever have to stand before God and account for my voting history.  (Although, I still think all should vote according to dictates of their own educated conscience.)  I think God will be more concerned with me and what I've made of myself.  I will have to account for that.  For my beliefs--and not just what I say I believe.  I'll have to account for my actions as a result of my beliefs.  I'll have to stand accountable as one who either contributed to the problems or as one who fought to solve those problems.

I recognize that I'm just one person, but I also recognize that it is often the small and simple things that can bring about great change.  I may not be able to change policy on immigration or welfare or insurance or [insert policy here], but I can change myself.  I can live responsibly and productively.  In turn, I can help others in whatever capacity I am able.  And we, as individuals with the ability to make our own choices, can act together to build the America that we want.

It isn't some random "politician" who defines our country.  It's us.  We do.  I truly believe that it is our own individual lifestyles that will determine the future of the United States.

So, if you're feeling powerless this political season, remember this:  Start with the person you see in the mirror.  Ask what they can do to make America great.  Then... do it.  And keep doing it.  And maybe, just maybe, if enough of us make enough of those changes, we'll start a new kind of Revolution.

My ancestors dug in their heels to defend their beliefs, in their own ways, when it seemed all odds were against them.  So can I dig in my heels and defend my America through my actions.  

After all, I have a legacy of integrity and grit on which to stand--as does every true red-white-and-blue-blooded American.  (Immigrants included.)  May we carry that legacy with dignity, even until the end.