For the next 45 days, I will be sharing my thoughts on what I consider to be the most important issue facing the US Electorate. A second term for DJT is certainly a major concern and could change the course of our nation, but it is not the primary issue. The party that holds the majority in the 2016 Senate is also an important concern, but, like the first, it is not the most vital. A vacancy has occurred on SCOTUS, and the GOP will likely fulfill their long-held goal of stacking the court with oligarch-friendly jurists. But even this is not the major issue for this election. No, there is something far more vital to our Republic and the future of our nation. There is something that, if ignored, will tear apart the very fabric of our society. Are we going to continue to allow decency to become more and more uncommon in our life together as Americans?
This happened once before and it took five years of civil war and over 600,000 lives before we began to come back together as a society. (Some would rightly argue that the healing is not complete after 155 years.)
This latest trend toward indecency in our public life began in1989 when the Senate voted John Tower down for a Cabinet Position. The campaign against Tower was both vicious and personal. It included attacks on his character and personal life. There had always been personal attacks in political debates, but generally, these were understated or left to the newspapers or media. But with the Tower confirmation hearings, major political leaders openly engaged in brazen character assassination and fostering lies to advance their cause. There were no political consequences for their misbehavior. That small event has culminated in the 2016 Presidential Election and the elevation of Trumpism as the standard of operation for a major political party.
Decency has become very uncommon. This change was signaled when 45 mocked a man with an obvious disability and was applauded for his honesty. Indecency has become the rule of the day in all things political. Lying, ignoring the conventions of civility, and hyper-partisanship are the most obvious signs of this indecency. But the public display of absolute contempt for the opposition as well as setting aside even the pretension of serving the public good has continued unchallenged. We live in a period when decency has been set aside for political expediency. The tone of our relationships with our neighbors and others with whom we disagree has been degraded.
We have become a society that lives out of Trumpian narcissism and a lack of compassion in our everyday relationships. Our children are picking up on this and taking it back into the schoolyard where it was created. Sectarianism, faux patriotism, and an empty faith, along with a big dose of being offended by the existence of people different from ourselves have become the norm in 2020 America. No society can survive when it is tearing itself apart with such indecencies.
Over the next 45 days, I want to give voice to the uncommon decency that we need to recover if we are to long endure as a people. I invite you to share your comments and observations on this as well. Engage one another in the comments and on social media. Let’s initiate a dialogue on the real future of our society. I encourage you to treat one another with decency and compassion and expect the same out of our political candidates and their minions. Let us renew the call for uncommon decency in our life together.
Bob
No comments:
Post a Comment