The Party of Hate...

I really should be in a good mood, I am...I really should be happy, I should, after all my family is doing amazing. My wife is killing it at her companies, she is making shit happen in her industry and has never been sexier. My daughters make me look like a great father, and yea, time for a flex as the kids would say or a humble brag. Youngest is graduating from high school shortly with perfect grades and a collegiate cheerleader scholarship locked up, middle child made Dean’s list at the University of Iowa her freshman year and her pre law path is rocking, sure her and I are way different in how we see stuff, but our Father Daughter debates are enjoyable and I am super proud she is finding her own way. I say woke, she say’s enlightened…but whatever. My son has made a career out of the military and while I don’t know exactly what he does in the Air Force, I just know that he listens to bad guys talking shit, and soon those bad guys die, so that is pretty cool.

I mean the weather is turning around, riding season is kicking off, I am getting requests to be involved as either a sponsor or a contributor to poker runs, I am planning a great weekend adventure that will be out of my buddy’s comfort zone. Wait, allow me to explain that before we go on and get to the point of my monthly submission. Wait, monthly submission, that sounds like what a partner in a sexless marriage might call it, their “monthly submission,” that said, sadly, I know dudes that would take joy in getting a “monthly submission.” Which I simply cannot wrap my brain around in anyway shape or form, you think I am a cranky sob now, “monthly submission” would put me over the top! Having a relationship where you get excited about naked time “because it’s your birthday” or it’s our “anniversary”. Like it’s some kind of chore.

When I mention that I am getting a buddy out of his comfort zone, know for a fact I am not, nor would I ever put someone in a situation that is dangerous, when I say comfort zone, I mean getting him to ride outside of his norm. He’s a great rider, rides his Glide to work all the time, always down for a quick run on a Saturday to find some wings or a burger even a poker run or two a year to help a cause. I am referring to a comfort zone that I talk about a great deal, not with just riding but with your life, doing something that you normally would not do for whatever reason. You get in a rut… we all do. We take the same route to work and back, we eat at the same places, always check our social calendar to make sure it doesn’t conflict with something we always do, golf, bowling, the Bachelor, volleyball, movie night, whatever the case might be, we get set (or stuck) in doing the same thing. Nothing wrong with our comfort zones, but life is living when you step out of that zone. Which has me excited about this summer, taking my buddy, his special lady, my ride or die bridge and maybe another couple of bikes on a couple day adventures across the Hawkeye state. I can promise you this, we will not be taking the same roads back as we do there, it’s not really my jam because I always like to see what that next road might hold.

You see, with all of the stuff I just talked about I should be in a great mood. I even recently got to cross some bucket list items with my wife off our lists, embracing the restorative healing powers of travel. Before I go on, I don’t understand people that never travel. Maybe it’s a bucket list thing, but you can “travel” by even staying close to home and seeing stuff you have never seen. We humans are born with an innate desire to explore and see things, the sense of wonderment is amazing and sadly many folks suppress that desire. Get out and see stuff the research is on my side and it’s true that there is a power gained by seeing and doing new things. Again, getting out of that comfort zone.

Okay, I guess I actually AM in a good mood, my family doesn’t understand this but I can be in a good mood and pissed at the same time. It’s call multitasking people; we all can do it and while I can be super tee’d off about something that doesn’t mean I am not happy and loving life at the same time. Sure, that may be the same mental breakdown as a serial killer but as of now, I am not in that line of work. So, we are good.

We have be “miffed” to put it mildly is our current Iowa government and well, all politicians as a group. I really have begun to hate them all. Actually, not just on a state level but pretty much every single level be it state, local, or federal and I can say that while I have personal friends on every single level.

I hate them anymore.

You see, it’s because they don’t give two shits about doing something that is right. Passing or removing legislation that might actually do some good for us. No, we can’t have that now can we. We have become lock stepped in doing shit along party lines and no matter what, they will not cross that party line to vote for something because they are so got damned worried about party unity or something getting done and one-party getting credit for it and their team doesn’t. It is simple madness.

I try not to say “well, back in my day” but dammit it back in my day my grandfather was a big deal in local politics. He was a lifetime Democrat. Believed in small business, believed the government could not be trusted, hard core 2nd Amendment supporter and lived that way for his 90 plus years on this planet. He was one of those people that if you ran for office, you needed him on your side and several of his buddies that were elected were, gasp, republicans. He worked with so many people from different party lines as long as they weren’t morons and had the peoples’ interest for betterment in mind. I know this sounds wild but republicans and democrats used to sit down (sometimes over a drink) and hammer out solutions to get shit done.

Those days are sadly way behind us and I am pretty sure it will never get fixed. What really put me over the edge and made me stick a pair of greasy middle fingers at the both of them was recent developments at the Hawkeye State capitol. A democrat introduced a bill. A very important bill. A bill that was similar to what several states have already addressed and, well, legalized. I am wickedly in favor of this bill, not for reasons you may expect but it’s a commonsense issue that needs to be fixed and moved on from. I called a few of my republican friends about his bill, explaining my 100% support and how this is great for the state, great for our future and it’s “high” time it’s passed. I was told, without a point of logic the bill is dead in the water.

Did they disagree with the bill? Oh no, they actually supported it, but because the letter “D” is attached that simply cannot support it because it goes against the party lines.

Are you even kidding me with this!!!! With very few exceptions in our life, we never really remember who voted for one bill or another. Years later we don’t know which party or elected officials voted for things, and you know why? Because it doesn’t flipping matter. What matters is we voted on something and moved on. History doesn’t know or care.

We are a representative republic because the masses are morons. We simply cannot permit the majority to pass rules because many times the majority is too short sighted for the good of the people and simply, well, are morons.

But nothing is more moronic that our elected officials only working within party lines. I am officially a charter member in the party of they can F off…all of them.

I need a ride, some wings, and a cold beer…or three. Damn those bastards.

Todd “Crash” Davis