 |  ottin2020: An Open Letter To The People… “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” — Thomas Paine (ca. 1777) I am offering to serve the People of this country as President of the United States. For some of you that have known me before now, your mind is probably flitting from “Holy crap!” to “What the hell?” to “Has he gone crazy?” For the dozens of you that told me over the years that I should run for President, you are probably thinking, “It’s about time!” Oddly enough, I’m with you on all counts. Here’s the thing – and it is an important thing. I really do not want to be President and suffer all the vulgarities of public office that serving as President will entail. But I surely would love it if someone like me would occupy that office. In fact, I feel strongly that we need someone like me as President. If not me, then who? If not now, then when? Who am I? Consistent. Compassionate. Open. Truthful. Trustworthy. Observant. Persistent. Intelligent. Thoughtful. Creative. I don’t know why, but I was put on this planet to serve. Serve my family. Serve my friends. Serve my colleagues. Serve my community. Serve the planet. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but always serving. Apathy it seems, like the tides, ebbs and flows in all of us, me included. So, I have decided. Even though it feels more than a bit unnerving, it feels right overall to take a leap in faith. I served my country once as an officer in the US Navy and, even though I left the Navy and joked about N-A-V-Y standing for Never-Again-Volunteer-Yourself, I will serve the People again if they will have me. Over more than five decades, I’ve been a continuous and reflective observer of myself, the People around me, and People in general. These observations have caused me to come to two major conclusions. First, almost every man, woman, and child mostly wants to “do the right thing” but sometimes (often?) aren’t very sure what is “the right thing to do”. Which is a precursor to the second conclusion – leadership can be an extremely powerful force – poignantly for evil over, or instead of, good. We can govern ourselves so much better. We can aspire to, and achieve, so much more. I am willing to take on a job for four years that I am sure I will hate most of the time. But I am also sure that if, by act of providence I am elected, I shall look back at my service elated that I made a difference for the planet and the people on it. Of course, actually attaining the office – well that is going to be challenging to achieve. Not impossible, however. If just 10% of the population contributes $20 to my campaign, I’ll raise over $600 million. Feasible to raise money and awareness, but impossible to predict how much. Some will think that it is a fool’s effort to even try. But they would be wrong because my candidacy is really not about getting inaugurated, but about bringing attention to a handful of changes in our lives that will have lasting and positive effect. Changes we can readily make – we just have to choose to make them. My candidacy is about focusing attention on our responsibilities to our forebears and the myriad and costly sacrifices they resolved to make so I have the freedom to talk openly with you now about leading this nation. It is about setting a longer-term plan for our aspirations as a country and as a human community. Today, we need to resolve to justify our lives and our actions in light of their resolve, this time not on the battlefields of a war between nation states, but instead in a war amongst ourselves and our own apathy over our own governance. We can govern ourselves so much better. We can aspire to, and achieve, so much more. Of the People, by the People, then, then, then, then, and only then, for the People. I am dedicating 2 to 6 years of my life to inspiring us to aspire to be better. Tom Brokaw wrote a book entitled “The Greatest Generation” filled with inspiring stories of the second world war. It is often said that humanity is at its best when things are at their worst. The second world war demonstrated a point in time when mankind was truly on the brink of global catastrophe, and at the same time, revealed more than a small glimpse of what humanity can do to conquer the worst in ourselves. I believe that we should not wait until we are again staring into the gaping maw of certain catastrophe to act. If we believe that the current situation is not great, or suspect the future on the current course will not be great, then can we not pledge to each other now to do better? There is a beautiful song playing across the country today – it is called A Million Dreams. Here are part of the lyrics: I close my eyes and I can see The world that’s waiting up for me That I call my own Through the dark, through the door Through where no one’s been before But it feels like home They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy They can say, they can say I’ve lost my mind I don’t care, I don’t care, so call me crazy We can live in a world that we design ‘Cause every night I lie in bed The brightest colors fill my head A million dreams are keeping me awake I think of what the world could be A vision of the one I see A million dreams is all it’s gonna take A million dreams for the world we’re gonna make The first fifteen words of the United States Constitution artfully express the only framework for governance that we will ever need, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…” These can be distilled to only six: We the People. Perfect the Union. I believe in People because I have frequently seen and personally experienced great compassion and support in my own life, often from complete strangers. I believe that we collectively can do markedly better in our own governance than we have in the recent past. My candidacy is a litmus test of this belief. Now I state a great thing – nearly a miracle. To win what is really important, I only need to influence some additional number of others to believe as I believe. To reach out to each other as I will reach out to them. To redefine SUCCESS forever more in terms of service to the planet and the People on it. To open their hearts and minds to the complexities of the WHOLE TRUTH, good and bad, for and against, pro and con, and to thereby become enlightened in how to truly act for the greater good. I will need assistance from so very many if my candidacy is to go anywhere. Watch the videos on this website and contribute $20 – more if you can afford it. Alternatively, volunteer to help me at ottin2020@gmail.com. Could you give 4 hours per month to your own governance over four years? In the collective time it takes to brush your teeth each month, you can participate fully in this community we call the United States of America. In four short hours each month, you can set the country’s rudder on course for a better and brighter tomorrow for many years to come. I sincerely dedicate at least the next two years of my life to you – the next six years if you elect me. How might I serve you? Will you take my hand? Will you walk with me, side-by-side, to a better and brighter tomorrow? Will you? Yours in service, Michael James Ott Independent Candidate 2020 – United States President (a.k.a. Mick Jimmy, Mick, Mike, Micky, Michael, Michael J., Michael James, Mr. Ott, The O-T-T, and The King of Nothing) |
May I tell you a short story?
Years ago I had to temporarily transfer from one nuclear submarine to another so I could get experience in an operating nuclear plant before returning to my boat in overhaul. Shortly after reporting aboard the new boat, the Captain summoned me to meet with him in the Officers’ Mess.
The conversation went like this:
Captain: “Hello, Lieutenant, and welcome aboard!”
Me (firmly shaking his hand): “Thanks, Captain. It’s an honor to be here and thanks for the opportunity.”
Captain (taking a seat at the main table): “Sit down, Lieutenant. I make it a point to meet with every single new member of my crew when they first report. I want to share my philosophies so everyone on the crew has the same understanding.”
Me (nodding my head while taking a seat nearby): “That’s great, sir. I’m all ears.”
Captain (dark brown eyes piercing from under two huge, black bushy eyebrows): “I’ll get right to the point. You may have heard the expression, “If you aren’t trying to solve the problem, you are part of the problem.”
Me: “Yes, sir. I think I’ve heard something to that effect before.”
Captain (suddenly very agitated, eyes bulging, rising from his chair and slamming his hand on the table top): “That’s a bunch of BULL$#!+! Lieutenant, if you aren’t TRYING to solve the problem, YOU…ARE…THE…PROBLEM! Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
Me (feeling a bit shocked and nodding my head anyway): “Yes, sir. Yes, sir! I understand you completely.”
Captain (calming down, taking his seat again): “Very, well, Lieutenant. I look forward to working with you on this patrol. Let the XO know if you have any problems getting settled in. You are dismissed.”
To be absolutely honest with you, I wasn’t completely sure I fully had the Captain’s point. It was only after later reflection that his point became clear to me. He was saying that in his experience problems always get fixed if they are addressed appropriately. In other words, problems only exist because we choose to allow them to exist. Almost 35 years later, my life experiences tell me to firmly believe as he did - problems only exist because we choose to allow them to exist.