Every once in a long while I have one of those nights--you know the kind, endless, dark and filled with intrusive but fleeting thoughts of things done and left undone. Not exactly regrets as much as recollections of random moments when I failed to be the best version of myself and wished I could have a do over. I am sure I am not alone in these recriminations. If you have even the slightest introspective inclinations you've undoubtedly experienced these half awake excursions into the past yourself.
They are of course unbidden by the conscious mind, but whatever agent prompts us to revisit these scenes and as unwelcome as they may be at the time, they are a healthy reckoning. For where do the seeds of compassion and empathy lie if not in the realization that we are accountable for our actions and the consequences thereof?
The other night was different, however. I was feverish, had a slight headache and felt achy--a delayed reaction to a vaccination I had the day before. Nothing that an analgesic couldn't cure but as I lay there feeling uncomfortable it occurred to me that the reaction my immune system was experiencing in the interest of keeping me from becoming truly ill was not very different from those nighttime musings. And it seemed to me that an occasional revisit to those cringe inducing memories was not altogether a bad thing.
As I listen to the outrageous statements being hurled around in the course of our current political slugfest I have to ask how candidates, much less their more fervent supporters can excuse away some of the most vile, de-humanizing and despicable statements they level against those they oppose. And how do we live with ourselves if we tolerate such behavior and do not simply dismiss them at once as unfit for leadership? In any other arena, would we permit such departures from simple decency? Would we want our children and loved ones exposed to such toxicity? Of course not. Only sociopaths could justify such behavior to themselves.
A healthy democracy should encourage disparate views, and create a system where it is safe for people to share their oppositions in the interest of finding realistic and constructive solutions. But we are long past that I am afraid. We are at a point where outright and evident lies no longer surprise us and are considered legitimate tactics; where candidates can be recorded saying one thing and denying it a day later; and where behaving like schoolyard bullies is applauded not condemned.
How do we hold ourselves above reproach when we legitimize candidates for our highest offices who consistently show their contempt for our fellow citizens? Do we think any of those who engage in this form of political warfare ever lie awake at night reliving those moments when they showed themselves to be contemptible? It comes down to this. We are not in a contest of views, but in a fight for the soul of our nation. Either we reject those who are unsuited to hold office by their words and actions or surrender ourselves to many long dark nights ahead for us and for our country.
The body politic is not immune to disease. When it has become infected with egregious violations of the very principles on which it was founded, when candidates suggest that those very foundations should be swept away, it is evidence of the damage already done. Before we succumb any further we must depart our dream state for the cold light of day. In the words of B. R. Ambedker, "Law and order are the medicine of the body politic and when the body politic gets sick, medicine must be administered." Our day of reckoning approaches.
Kommentare