What I Know
My name is Chris Matteini, and my dream is the world disarming and demilitarizing.
I don’t know much about politics, but I know that it is often divisive. I struggle with only having two political parties and with it being so difficult to get elected as an independent. It creates this intense, artificial Red vs. Blue competition. It’s inherently divisive. It creates an us and a them. There is no them. There is only us. I am in the humanity party. All that matters is love and equality. That’s what I stand for.
I don’t know much about politics, but I know that war is horrific, and I believe that war is often or always created by small numbers of people in power. I won’t claim to know why, but I am comfortable in my suspicion of agendas, greed, and insecurities manifesting in a hunger for attention, control, and power sought through violence. What matters is that we agree that the destruction of lives and families is not acceptable. Let’s be brave: begin the Global Disarmament and the Age of Diplomacy. I see the risks of disarmament in terms of local and global safety. This will be a long process. But we have nothing to fear in starting down the path of ridding the planet of mass murder. I am grateful to every soldier who has and does and will in the future fight for freedom. They and their families answer the call. They risk everything and too often give it, and I am grateful. My issue is with the decision makers who put those brave men and women in the position of having to kill or be killed. And I take my share of the responsibility for doing little about it and not speaking up enough.
I don’t know much about politics, but I know that school and other public shootings are not acceptable. I believe that resources spent and sacrifices made to end these atrocities would be resources well spent and sacrifices well made. I believe we can come to agree on that. I believe that is a goal that we can all get behind. Focus resources, attention, and heart on ending mass atrocity. That is common sense to me. There will be sacrifice. We will have to disarm and demilitarize. Let’s forge a true partnership between citizens and law enforcement founded on mutual human respect. Begin the boom economy of humane non-lethal weapons.
I don’t know much about politics, but I know that lobbying is a problem. I believe we can disrupt that system and turn it toward the real goal: politics for equality and freedom and love. We can make the system a vehicle for anyone, people with deep pockets or pockets with holes, to use their voices and reach their representatives or become one. We have the internet. Let’s use it here.
I don’t know much about politics, but I know that racism and all forms of intolerance are unacceptable. Anyone who forces their views and way of life on another does so out of insecurity. They feel a need for others to be like them. They feel a need to be right. They are oppressors. I believe there are things we share in common. They include the right to love freely and live safely and have opportunity. I believe we can come to agree on that. But there are also an infinite number of differences between us, and these differences must be respected and tolerated. If you do not respect and tolerate, you cannot expect to be respected or tolerated. There is no logic there. Live and let live. We might find it more relaxing. Guess what? There are straight people everywhere and gay people everywhere and everybody in between. There are people who think differently, worship differently, eat differently, dress differently, have sex differently. There are infinite skin color shades. Who gives a shit? Live and let live. Don’t be an oppressor.
I don’t know much about politics, but I know that environmental and social externalities should be paid for by those responsible for the externalities. That is common sense to me. I believe in a democratic capitalist society that rewards multi-stakeholder valuation creation. I believe in aligning the best interests of businesses with the best interests of the towns and cities in which they operate, and of the people in those towns and cities. Imagine the growth!
I don’t know much about politics, but I believe that there are too many poor and middle-class people in this country and the world struggling to keep themselves and their families healthy and safe and struggling to find opportunity. And I believe we can shrink those gaps via capitalism that rewards multi-stakeholder valuation creation.
I don’t know much about politics, but I believe that religion should not be politicized.
I don’t know much about politics, but I believe that mudslinging is beneath us. I believe in adult communication, transparency, debate, and cooperation.
I don’t know much, but I know one thing: This all comes down to love. Every human needs it like they need food and water. I believe the primary goal of any political system should be to ensure that people have the space and means to feel love in their daily lives. To feel peace of mind. Give me a reason why not.
My name is Chris Matteini, and my dream is the world disarming and demilitarizing. Let’s be brave: begin the Global Disarmament and the Age of Diplomacy.