Shelving this blog.

I've been a Watcher and a Teller for a long time now.  It's been an interesting ride these 11 years... a lot has happened.

This was my first post done on 14 February, 2005

The Inaugural Entry of Clark County Politics! 

I'm completely new to "blogging," but I've been around the scene here in Clark County, Washington, for quite some time. 

I've noticed at least one other intrepid Clark County-ite has set up his own site, albeit with a decidedly leftist "bent," so I intend to, perhaps, offer a counter view when it's appropriate.

I believe in free speech and I am unafraid of your ideas. That said, comments containing profanity or personal insult will be removed immediately.

When you post, please back up your observations to the extent possible, while you avoid generalizations.

Thanks for stopping by!

Since then, over a million page views have taken place (My current status shows 849,000... but the counter didn't even get turned on until 5 years after I started)  I've done my best to expose dishonesty, corruption, hypocrisy and the truth of the axiom that power corrupts absolutely.

Now, due to circumstances beyond my control, it has resulted in my decision... and my decision alone... to shelve the posting of this blog... and end my presence on Facebook... for the foreseeable future.

There are no coincidences in politics.  There's no coincidence here, either.

But at the end of the day, I'm really no different than anyone else politically involved, save for one tiny element:

This blog.

Many out there reading this think many of or close to the same things I do.  As part of my desire to have a therapeutic (for me) outlet/data base of quotes, histories, videos, I decided to write my thoughts and perspectives down.  That way, I wouldn't have to carry those around with me. And unlike most, I write those things down and make them available to the general public to read.

After awhile, I decided to post those thoughts so that others of a mind to do so might read them, given that I come from a place of political involvement that few have attained... so they may get a glimpse of the political reality as I see it confronting us at various levels and various times.

For those who've followed my meager effort over the years, I'm sorry that I have to end this effort this way for the foreseeable future.  But sometimes, things happen that cannot be planned for from unanticipated directions .

I continue to fear what I believe may happen in state and local government... how much more expensive it has become and will become for us in the future... how easily promises are cast aside for whatever the reason by those we elect... and how unimportant we, The People, actually are to those who would govern us...

Sometimes, the people you’d take a bullet for turn out to be the ones behind the guns.

Aimed at you.

Sadly, those are the lessons I've learned which have impacted me the most.  And considering the direction, I'm struck by the irony of the nexus of this decision.

I have hope that someone else will become the Watcher and the Teller. 

Someone who will not play favorites... who will not be swayed by and party identification a candidate or incumbent may chose... and then ignore... and who will not be driven by emotions but instead, by reality.

Someone who could care less what the letter after someone's name actually is.

Others are stepping up and I wish them well.

As I walk away from the political realm in it's entirety for now, I wish all of you who carry on the best. I've done all I can do with what I've had to work with.  The rest is up to you... but I now must leave this scene.

At some point, I may be able to return.

But it won't be any time soon.