The first three letters of “fund” are “fun.”

Obviously, since Madelaine did not win the election, she’s not having a lot of fun. She’s a very angry person.

I can understand that. When you have hopes and dreams of winning, and you don’t, it can often be disappointing. However, that does not mean that your opponent needs to be wrong or be attacked for winning.

Part of the problem here is that the ARF “fun-drive” is not and was not intended to be a general political election where it’s one vote for one person. This “fundrive” and its rules are not actually an election in the truly democratic sense of the word. The rules of this “fun-drive” were set up for maximum donations to be allowed, not one vote for one dog.

It benefits ARF for multiple individual votes and for large donation voting because it allows for ARF to get much more in donations. But clearly, do not compare ARF’s “fun-driving” rules with a regular election because it’s apples and oranges.

The rules of the game determine how the game can be played. If I were ARF, I would not change the election rules to thereby get less donations. When you go to a museum, they have plaques in the lobby, and the people who make the biggest donations have larger plaques. It’s almost the most common thing in our world that people who do more, donate more, contribute more, and are acknowledged more. There is nothing wrong with contributing. It’s not a crime to contribute. It’s encouraged and validated throughout our society.

If Phyllis’s dog, Max, had not been in the election and Madelaine’s dog, Hogan, had won the election, I doubt that Madelaine would want the person who came in second to be attacking Madelaine.

I have found in my personal life and have a personal policy not to project hostility because the more you project anger, hostility, and resentment, it tends to come back at you. The election is over. The results were according to ARF’s rules, and my wish for Madelaine is for her to be at peace with herself and move on to bigger and better things because being angry at others just contaminates one’s peace of mind.

Chuck Modrich
Idyllwild

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