Virtue and Virtuous?

A reader commented on how did I become so virtuous?  I don’t know how to answer him. I don’t see myself as virtuous, whatever that means. I see myself as an honest questioner of life and its happenings and delve into all of that to discern meaning. Meaning of a lot of things. An open questioner of reality, I guess. If that makes me virtuous, then I plead guilty. Only, I don’t really think that is the definition of the term.


Take yesterday’s post, I came out in favor of a Democrat Presidential ticket of Buttigieg and Warren, with Warren as VP. I explained my thinking. I offered the thought that age does and should have a lot to do with voter decision making. Biden is too old for the job. But his experience and temperament make him an excellent statesman to guide and mentor younger pols who are able and willing to lead the nation. Same for Bernie Sanders. He is a gifted thought provoker and agenda builder. I truly respect him, but still think he is too old to be President.


Does this make me an ageist? Probably, yes. I don’t mean to be discriminatory over age, but I do fear both Biden and Sanders might not live out a full term, let alone two. The chaos of a president dying in office is real. Timing is everything in the White House and a lot depends on that timing. I don’t want death to be a part of that scene if it is avoidable. And it is, at the ballot box.


OK, so Warren is 70 and at the cusp of what I consider too old to serve in the President’s chair. The next best thing is VP where the role is more modest and controlled. She is a thinker and doer in so many ways, and filled with energy. Focus that and watch what happens!  I don’t want her sidelined.


I don’t think any of the above is virtuous. It does choose a path to write about. If readers don’t agree, that’s OK with me. I’m not writing to change minds, just expand them with whatever musings I have that may be of value. That’s all.


Rather than labeling me, I would prefer the reader to share his logic and choices to date. They do change, and I reserve the right to change mine by election day. Meanwhile, don’t we all just struggle to define and understand all the facts available to us?


That’s an open society. I treasure that.


September 25, 2019