SIFTED & WEIGHED
"The gullible believe anything they’re told; the prudent sift and weigh every word."
Proverbs 14:15 MSG
Proverbs 14:15 MSG
The election of the Orange One vexes and troubles me.
How shall I respond to this attack on all that I value and hold dear? Shall I become hateful and mean, filled to overflowing with the bitter bile of disappointment and resentment? I must admit that it is tempting. It would be nice to be on the offense after being on the defense for these past 8 years. It would be fun to make up ridiculous, absurd accusations to hurl at the Orange Pretender, knowing that no matter how unbelievable, how untrue they are, there will always be someone who believes them. It is tempting not just because it would be fun, though. It is tempting because it would take no large amount of imagination to justify such behavior. I truly believe that our beloved republic is about to enter a dark and dangerous time under his leadership. The danger lies not only in the bad judgement, the shortsightedness, the avarice and hubris, and simple meanness of which he has shown himself to be capable during the campaign. The greater and more realistic danger lies in the possibility that those who voted for him will see in this election permission to be as prejudiced, as proud, as mean spirited and crude as their candidate. They will, in their rush to spurn that which is “politically correct,” embrace apathy, insult, rudeness, and an utter lack of empathy as constitutionally protected rights, rights to which they are entitled and to which they can be proudly immune to critiism. He has allowed the camel’s nose to enter the tent and it will surely not be long before antisemitism, racism, misogyny, and other forms of prejudice are considered the acceptable norm. So, how shall I respond to this attack on all that I value and hold dear? Well, I will not let this election change me and those things which I hold to be good and true. I will not play the game by their rules, rules which allow half-truth, innuendo, and groundless accusation to be proclaimed as fact. I will not lie even if I know that people will believe it. I will treat even the women who voted for him no differently than I will treat those who voted for her. And, no matter how many times I hear it, I will not "get over it" if by "it" they mean injustice, prejudice, or the disregard of the poor, the powerless, the ignored, or the forgotten. I will continue to believe that our country and our community will be better served when we are driven by these five caring ideas: 1. A stronger country (state, county, city, neighborhood) 2. A Broader Prosperity 3. A Better Future 4. An Effective Government; and 5. Mutual Responsibility More about these five important values in coming posts.
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AuthorDean Feldmeyer is the author of 5 novels, 4 non-fiction books, three plays, and over 100 essays, articles, poems, and short stories, some of which can be found on this web site. Archives
January 2020
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