United States is in danger of going under
I love my country.
Through no action on my part, I was blessed to be born a U.S. citizen of immigrant lineage. To those Republicans out there, let me be clear, at birth I had no “bootstraps” (thankfully, as they probably would have hurt mom as I kicked my way through the birth canal, also with the help of a doctor). So I will never claim to be a self-made wonder. During my growth I relied on parents, community, teachers, mentors and faith for modest but sufficient success. That continues to this day. It was an honor then to serve eight military service years as a bit of payback. After service, I entered a vibrant workforce, obtained a degree, rose with the economy and provided for family at a time when standard of living, because of many (now incised) constitutional and regulatory controls, was rising for nearly all.
Because of my blessings and potholes over time, I reflect. My intention: discern what movements, actions, values and processes which resulted in beneficial or harmful outcomes for our nation. Particularly, in context of this election cycle, I ponder (regressing to my Navy vocabulary): What the hell does “Make America Great Again” mean? My guess, while they are frenetically shouting that rally cry in front of their political demagogue, most are clueless as to what that is or the processes that create greatness.
This crucial, pivotal, presidential election cycle, after several increasingly putrescent cycles, has reached my patriotic tipping point, even causing reflection regarding wisdom of my service as it now plays out four decades later. By observation, I conclude that American author, editor, journalist Ambrose Bierce (1842-c. 1914) was/is correct in his definition of “voting.” He said, “The instrument of a freeman’s power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.”
This election demonstrates that after 240 years we do not and most likely will never understand that, while there are candidates, the process is not really about them. The fact is, when voters frenzy in the presence of a candidate, they are looking in the mirror. The reflection is national and global. “Ethos” is the characteristic and distinguishing attitudes, habits, etc. of a racial, political, occupational, or other group. We have a national political ethos! It is on display in all its ugliness. Historian Henry B. Adams, descendent of two presidents, described politics as “The systematic organization of hatreds.” Candidates feed their voters what they like: to hear, to see, to emulate. Candidates reflect voter character. It is clear nationally and internationally that the Great American Experiment has stepped through the mirror and heading down the slippery slope of the rabbit hole.
All of the fears that plagued the founding fathers in Constitutional Convention debates about viability, functionality, and longevity of our tripartite government are coming to fruition. All legislative, judicial, and administrative processes are constipated by partisanship and controlled by special interest’s funds.
“We the people” are irreversibly divided rendering the country’s name “United States” an oxymoron. Tragic events and the inability for lawmakers to free themselves from special interest bondage is evidence that as a collective society we either love violence, or are totally desensitized and prefer ever growing frequency and size of ad hoc memorial gardens rather than root cause problem solving. The “land of the free and home of the brave,” in all its patriotic rhetoric, is questionable as few believe our freedoms are secure, and our society is driven by fear of nearly everything external and internal.
Post service, I rarely and only when unavoidable, missed exercising my right to vote. My choices have crossed party lines many times. Aware that political rhetoric accomplishes nothing I did my best to research incumbent voting records and new candidate’s backgrounds. Some choices I stand behind. Some, I regret. All are on me. But each time I considered outcomes to answer the question: did I learn anything? This year, I will struggle with the decision, not which candidate, rather whether to participate in the electoral cesspool at all. Perhaps it is time to seriously consider abdication of that (as described by Lyndon Baines Johnson) “first duty of democracy.” I’m sure he meant by discerning, informed voters. Supreme Court Associate Justice Louis D. Brandeis said “The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in the insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning, but without understanding.” Since mid 70s we have been on track to join the third world as an exploitable glutted labor pool. Two generations are clueless of that because technology has provided distractions and education has been scrubbed. Those generations have been indoctrinated to hate and blame government rather than fix and use it as the tool it was created to be. It is their future. The baton is theirs. It behooves those who will be affected to figure out in history: what “being great” as a nation was; when was that; and what people and processes caused it. Political rhetoric accomplishes nothing. Flag pins do not make patriots. PC (political correctness) bashing also reflects character. To Americans, if America is great, it means personal civility. When America was great, people apologized, admitted error, forgave, corrected, and reconciled. That is not the character of at least 50 percent and isn’t even demonstrated by professed Christians. Love your neighbor has restrictions.
Francis Lilly is a resident of Finleyville.