The Election

     As the election approaches, both candidates have wanted to appeal to the American public. By doing so this will generate them votes and possibly the title of President of the United States. One key aspect of appealing to the public that I would like to focus on is by connecting to the public. Specifically, this is done by trying to appear as a Washington outsider. Let’s look at both candidates and their connection to Washington.

     When President Obama first ran in 2008 he claimed to be an outsider. He cited his African roots and his birth in Hawaii. He then proceeded to discuss how much of a family man he was. What he forgot to mention was his service as Junior Senator in Congress from the state of Illinois. That is a pretty significant connection to Washington. How can someone be a Washington outsider when they worked in Washington prior to their election? In this campaign trail, Obama has been unable to use his outsider label because well, he has been the President of the United States! His service in Washington now has made him a political insider. So, if people want an outsider, they should definitely look elsewhere.

     The next candidate is Governor Romney. Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts. Technically speaking, this does not make him a Washington insider. However, he is certainly not new to politics. As Governor or Massachusetts he established policies that are closely tied to Washington. While he may not have physically worked in Washington, he certainly has built up political connections. Aside from politics, Romney has tried to connect to the public by saying he is one of them. How can a filthy rich man be an everyday person on the street? In this regard as well, Romney has failed to connect to everyday people.

     So if you want to vote for a President that is considered an outsider, vote for Romney. However, if you want to vote for an individual who is closely connected to the American public, vote for yourself.

"You can be a rank insider as well as a rank outsider." -Robert Frost

African Conflict

     During this week, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by an organization called Invisible Children. They presented on a conflict located in Africa in the region of Darfur. Some may be more familiar with this when hearing Kony 2012.
     This was my third time seeing a presentation by Invisible Children. Each presentation I have seen has been well done. However, I am not here to speak about the presentation. Instead, I would like to comment on the issue at hand.
     It finally hit me seeing this presentation for a third time. Also, I believe that it was in conjunction with my blog topic. Nevertheless, I got it.
     The whole idea of Invisible Children started with individuals in the United States trying to fix a conflict in Africa. These Americans who had this idea can be considered outsiders. To them, they were stuck in the United States looking over the Atlantic Ocean and trying to come up with a solution to the problem. It was not until they could set foot on the ground in Africa that they realized what this conflict actually was.

"Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes." -Carl Jung

     Carl Jung's quote summarizes the outside perspective perfectly. Imagine from the perspective of American looking at Africa. The American is an outsider. To solve the issue in Africa, all the American can really do is dream. They can try to think of possible solutions to the problem. However, when an individual actually goes to Africa and sees pragmatically what can and can't be done, then a whole other viewpoint is set into place. This "awakening" is not a dream anymore. It is a realization. In the context of the conflict in Darfur, the organization, Invisible Children, was not able to fully succeed in the region until it went in on the ground and realized what they as outsiders could do.
     At first, it is entirely possible that they were not gladly welcome into the African region. Africa has had a poor history with white people, and anti sentiment could still be in the air. It is possible for Africans, as the native people, to feel that the white people are nosy, and that this is none of their business. However, I believe that the success of Invisible Children banked on the willingness to accept this notion. Invisible Children sounds like yet another missionary group to enter Africa. It is different. They went into Africa knowing their role. They weren't going to transform African society. They were only going to help the people of a specific reason.
     In a more broader sense, the outsider must know the appropriate time and place for each action. The outsider cannot act out and draw attention to himself. If that were the case, then the outsider would be kicked out by the insider. The success and survival of the outsider depends on the acceptability of the insider. Make best friends with the insider, and the outsider will survive and thrive.

Welcome to the Outside

Today starts a journey From the Outside Perspective.

I am not here to share my inside secrets that I have accumulated so far. Instead, I am here to share what it means to be an outsider.

I am the first person in my family to be born in America. My parents have lived here for nearly twenty years and still consider themselves outsiders. However, they have developed a clear influence on the people around them.

I am here to speak about how outsiders influence the people right in front of their eyes. From the Outside Perspective will take you through the eyes of an outsider and how the outsider influences the daily lives of others.

This blog will not be covering how native individuals feel about the influence of others. Instead, it will take a direct dive into the lives of what can be considered foreigners, people not native to the area.

To clear up some confusion, I am not strictly speaking about outsiders based on nationalities or cultures. Although this blog will take a look at such specifics, it is more so focused on the broader issue of outside influence.

Outside influence could be considered how an outsider influences the inside politics of Washington. Or, it is how a new immigrant influences the lives of their new community.

The beauty of everything is that outsiders are all around us.

Go to work, or school, and come back. At one point in the day an outsider must have influenced you. The realization may not be so clear, however it is certain.

For example, it may even be the car you drive, the TV you watch, your computer, or your cell phone. Each of these objects is a product of outside influence. These outside influences change the everyday lives of people.

Each person is an outsider in their very own way. It is time to explore each person.

"To the people here, we are outsiders. Foreigners." -Roberto Clemente