Over the past few months, Americans have engaged in all manner of debate, name calling, and insanity over who is best suited to be President of our great nation. We have treated each other horribly, and if we should ever again find our humanity, we will most assuredly look back on these times with shame and regret for conducting ourselves as less than American – less than human. Blame the candidates, blame the media, blame social media, blame a restless society, but in the final analysis, all Americans share in the blame of how we have acted and treated each other – our fellow Americans. In a time when a difference of opinion has become grounds for destroying friendships and creating chasms of mistrust, animosity bordering on hatred, character assassination, and a mean spirited ugliness that may forever stain our nation, we have failed or at least severely tarnished the American dream for ourselves and our children who have watched how their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others around them have behaved. Sadly, the adults of this nation have set a scary precedent for our young people to follow.
Americans have become adept at squandering opportunities for debate, open discussion, and engaging in learning from one another in favor of name calling, bullying, and talking over one another. The only time we listen is when the other person agrees with us. Too often, unless a person stands firmly in our corner, we embrace a to hell with him/her attitude and turn a deaf ear to that person. Is that the type of engagement we want to teach our children? Is that the character we want to instill in them? I think not, but that is what we have modeled in front of them.
However, presently, there is an uneasy calm in our country and a sense of relief that the election is over and hopefully, some of the ugliness that accompanied it is over as well. Unfortunately, that calm and relief will most likely be short lived. Regardless of the outcome of the election, the spiraling descent of our nation into a quagmire of self-destruction is most likely to continue. For example, the one power that truly belongs to the people – the power of the vote – has been so battered, bruised, and twisted, its legitimacy will be questioned like never before in our history not only for the 2020 election but for future elections as well. That is a shame! The power of the vote is a Constitutional right of the American people that separates us from most third-world countries and totalitarian governments, and shamefully, we have allowed this tool of a free nation to be brought into question with unsubstantiated accusations.
Nevertheless, it is most likely a new President will be named in the coming days. One side will cheer, and the other side will call foul – it has already happened. It should not matter though since the people have spoken through the power of the vote, but unfortunately it will matter. America has become a nation of finger pointers. Too often when something goes wrong, even an election, instead of looking at the issue with integrity and resolution, there are those among us who point fingers of blame and create surreal scenarios to steer responsibility in other directions. They hope by creating a big enough smoke screen or diversion they can skirt the truth and recreate a reality more in line with their personal agenda. Such tactics are fast becoming an American trait worn with pride in many circles. America is no longer about “us”, but rather it is about the “me.” We are no longer American brothers and sisters – we have traded all that binds us for conservative, liberal, red, blue, Democrat, and Republican tags used to de-Americanize American citizens. That is the America we have become, and for that we should be ashamed.
Finally, 2020 has been an abnormal year at best – an election year, a worldwide pandemic, civil unrest in the streets, natural disasters, and layers on layers of misinformation. For example, there are those who believe the COVID-19 virus will end with the election, but of course, it has not. Such a belief was always irresponsible and disgraceful. When America has 20% of the pandemic deaths in the world, something is terribly out of sync. There was a time when Americans were too proud, too compassionate, and too responsible to accept such a harsh reality without feeling the burden of its shame. What happened to that America?
Of course, it would be great if the virus suddenly ended, but that is not likely to happen until we as a nation take responsibility for ending it and stop looking for someone to blame for it. In turn, it would be extremely nice (doable if not likely) if all the liberal and conservative name calling and ugliness ended with the rise of a new Presidency. Unfortunately, too many Americans appear primed to keep riding the same old dead horse whose divisive stench keeps us suspended in a self-imposed purgatory. That is a shame – America is better than that. However, I am ready to throw my saddle on a new horse, and hopefully, others will join me. The sooner “we the people” take control of the reins again the better for all of us. Once that happens, maybe, we can start learning to be responsible Americans and humans again. America, it is past time.
JL
©Jack Linton, November 7, 2020
I Don't Mean to Offend, but . . . . 