-Arthur C. Parker, 1913
As we enter into the final days before what is being called another "historic" election (which is redundant, as they are ALL historic), it is time to think long and hard about the direction we as a nation want to steer towards. This is not a post to urge you as a reader to vote on a particular candidate or issue. The idea behind this is a very basic one.
Think.
As a nation, we have lost our way. The basic tenant of our country has been freedom; at its inception in 162o, it was freedom for people of faith to follow their heart. Now, proposition 8 is on the ballot in California. So, in fairness, let's give those opposed to the platform of gay marriage the benefit of the doubt and say that homosexuality is a choice. The choosing of ones' religion is no less a choice. It is both visceral and private, a decision made because of a deep sense of what is held within the cloisters of the heart. People in Europe came to this country in droves because the choices they made in their method of worship drew criticism, or worse, condemnation. They did not all belong to the same religion, these early immigrants. But in coming here, they were able to find commonality in the struggle to make a living and a willingness to work together to further the ideals that eventually became these United States. Have we, a nation once again facing challenge and crisis, lost the core values of acceptance and unity through the destructive mindsets of entitlement and ennui?
Think.
When you see people arriving to political rallies with overtly prejudicial slogans or racially motivated images, do you stop to wonder why, in this day and age there are still people who cannot face their own insecurities and rise above them? There was a country in the not too distant past which, when facing catastrophic economic crisis, gave a face to the fear they all felt. They did not pull together and find unity in their struggles and attempt to overcome the looming crisis. Instead, they placed blame. The result in six million innocents herded to their deaths, a world torn asunder and many, many millions more dead at the end of a very terrible seven years' time. Is the image of the jew in the context of 1930's German propaganda any less inflammatory than a presidential candidate being represented by a monkey, or a blackface caricature?
Think.
As a voter this election, take a minute to check your own heart. We spent more energy making decisions at the grocery store than we do picking the leaders of our country, and now face a land of haves and have nots. We have leaders in Washington who take pride in the fact that they didn't learn a basic precept in kindergarten- one the rest of us have to employ every day; the art of cooperation and compromise. That should never be something to be proud of, as the only way to advance is to pull together. A great leader is one who can take a team of many individuals, give them enough encouragement to trust themselves and each other and gently guide them on a common, productive course. Bullying can only bring fear and mistrust and eventual division. Now is not the time to force us to work together, it is a time for us to reach out to one another and seek a gentle hand to reassure us; to pull us together and guide us.
Think, and let your heart lead you to the polls.... the rest will surely follow.
