by Ian Ebright
I feel frustrated lately when thinking about the current state of our nation. It’s not an original response; 86% of the population believe we’re going in the wrong direction. Though the following are each significant, I don’t view the bailout, or the current financial situation, or either presidential candidate as having the capacity to inflict the final blow to our limping Constitutional Republic. No one single event should ever lead us to say “see- NOW it’s over. Because of THAT- we’re all finished.”
What I feel instead is what many have described after the past eight years: some fatigue, too much cynicism, and occasional anger. But that can’t be the end of it. No one wants a tombstone that reads “here lies an angry person who did nothing, and stayed angry.”
A large part of my frustration is based on the mainstream’s present willingness to subscribe to issues without truly asking why. From there, it’s just business as usual: one side vs. the other. Bickering and feigned outrage. The United States of Gotcha. All that labeling and dismissing. “You’re over there. I’m right here. And you will never understand.” The constant noise that allows the politicians to run wild as we sling pies at each other.
We can’t change anything that way. Our country, our world- both have bigger problems than can be solved by any one man or any one party (although, bachelorettes seem to think their parties come pretty close to changing the world). That’s not to diminish the power of the individual, but we have to find relative unity as a people if we want to accomplish change instead of just shouting about it. Can I be any more generic? Probably not, but it’s also true.
The ironic thing is that I get frustrated by this climate and as a result, become somewhat hostile about such issues. That’s not good. I have been trying to remind myself that the past wasn’t pristine either. Throughout the whole of history, there is always a challenge, and some much greater than what we’re facing now. Look closely at the record of the 20th century. That was a scary time for billions of people.
I don’t say this with a sense of fear or paranoia, but our country may need to collapse before we’ll come back as a more united people, and with a truly representative government. Maybe the only way out is by hitting the bottom first. Maybe we’re not yet rattled enough to affect lasting change.
(article continues below photo):
I took my 5-year old daughter out to dinner last weekend. She insisted that we share a single-person booth so we crammed into the seat together and sat shoulder to shoulder. We colored on the kid’s menu. She gave my chicken salad a warm welcome: “eew- gross, dad.” She laughed hysterically while saying “how about a Diet Coke party!?!” which made me laugh even harder because what she said was completely random. After finishing our meal, we walked in the dark for a few blocks to reach the car, and held hands along the way. I can’t stop thinking about it. I have a kid who clings to my hand when we’re walking at night because she trusts where I’m leading her. It no longer surprises me that children change adults.
My daughter: she’s funny, constantly active, always discovering, endlessly giving names to her toys. My wife: when hugging me- she holds on; she says goodnight like it means something. One of my good friends (who lives too far away): the last time we spent together- he apologized for something now years in the past, and did so with tears in his eyes in the middle of a crowded restaurant. My loving God: He’s walked alongside of me for decades in the mud of my mistakes, and has patiently led me to a place of forgiveness and renewal. Bearing witness to these examples of character is a joy that regenerates my spirit. You have your own list of things that bring personal joy. Our passions may be under pressure these days, and are difficult to notice during times of struggle. But they’re still here. Are you nurturing avenues of joy?
Having the fuel to fight for change requires that we first live and love. But too much living keeps us out of the proper battle, while endless battling hinders actually living.
I am writing this to myself as much as to you. We should be careful not to become merely a component of the ongoing mainstream debate. Our vision of hope can be more broad and open to the unseen. There will never be utopia on earth. That fact should motivate us to work for the best and also free us to look elsewhere for fulfillment.
Don’t be discouraged or intimidated; the future is not yet written. The Republic still belongs to us. Do you want to keep it?
**
For more, check out the following related articles from The Broken Telegraph:
Want Poison? Just Mix God With Nationalism
10 Comments
Sunday, October 12, 2008 at 5:25 am
The United States of Gotcha! Well, that pretty much describes politics anywhere. From the beginning of organized governments (Greek, Roman, etc), someone has been jockeying for power while tearing down their political adversaries. This is just the nature of politics. It has not changed for thousands of years, we are just more aware of it now with the 24 hour news reports, blogs, and other media.
I agree that we all must make time for the things that matter most to us. This is true, not only in these complicated times, but every day of our lives. Life is too short to always be worried about the goings-on in this world, especially those things way outside our area of influence. That is not to say that we should be oblivious to that which is happening around us. We should be aware and involved but not fall victim to our environment. This allows us to remain focused on nurturing relationships with others. Spending time with friends, dinner with family, a romantic moment with “someone special”…these are the things that enrich my life and really make it worth living.
It’s unfortunate when a person’s pride gets in the way of a meaningful relationship. I hear all to often that a friend does not speak to a family member because of a disagreement. This is sad! Again I say “Life is too short”. I take pride in nurturing relationships with my family and close friends. My parents and I have not always seen things eye to eye but I would never let our differences get in the way of our relationship. I tell my Mom and Dad how much I love them every chance I get. My Grandmother and I speak regularly on the phone and I never miss the opportunity to tell her how much I care about her. I know that they will not be around forever so I must enjoy the relationship while I can. You just never know when you will be having the “last words” with a loved one. Make sure that you don’t regret tomorrow a missed opportunity of today.
In the end, everything is relative. The problems we face now will pass and life will go on. What’s important is that we remain focused and keep our priorities straight.
CK
Monday, October 13, 2008 at 10:30 am
Good stuff, Kunard. You are completely right when you say that divisiveness is politics as usual, even historically speaking. A worthy counterpoint.
I guess the distinction I’ve been trying to point out in recent articles isn’t just the greater attention that it all gets thanks to 24 hour cable news and the internet, but that content itself has become much more tabloid, sensational and often outright untrue. The problem is not “all news, all the time;” what’s problematic is the very little amount of hard news that gets mixed in with the loud, biased mainstream opinions, cycled over and over on so-called news outlets, be it MSNBC or Fox.
The news is supposed to be an unbiased, investigative presense holding the powers that be accountable, serving the people by presenting fact and letting them take it from there. Now, we have news serving the interests of both mainstream political parties, and this is very dangerous for a number of reasons. It’s the same reason all-GOP or all-DEM talk radio has led to the dumbing down of many- because it’s just reinforcing a worldview no matter how wrong that view might be at times. The news outlets (with the exception of PBS) are playing into this instead of fighting against it.
-ian
Monday, October 13, 2008 at 11:35 am
I don’t feel that the recent financial downturn is as abyssal as the media and the public regard it to be.
In the 20th century, there were numerous recessions and even a depression that dragged the entire country down. Yet, even at that point, there was no widespread famine, plague, or large scale corrosion of our society. In fact we came out of that depression and launched headlong into the largest global war in the history of civilization. We emerged from that war a superpower.
I think that hardship galvanizes nations under a common banner. We can put things into perspective, find out what’s important and move forward united to make our country and the world at large a better place.
It is the nature of capitalism to have these sort of ups and downs. The economy can’t always be going up, and not everyone can be rich.
Even at our worst moments in this country’s history, our standard of living has always been tolerable.
For instance, we’ve never gone through something like China’s Great Leap Forward or Cultural Revolution. A period where literally millions died due to the lack of empathy that government still to this day maintains for its citizens.
I think that we will weather this storm, like we have others. Times like these reminds us what luxuries we have that we can debate about seemingly irrelevant topics, and disagree on personal matters of morality rather than the essentials of survival.
Monday, October 13, 2008 at 3:32 pm
the ‘bachelorette party’ has a candidate…and its name is vanity…its platform, self-importance
hi eebs. ever ripped?
good post. i’m so sick of the partison bickering that i basically don’t agree with anyone. not that that is necessarily appropriate, but when someone is passionate to the point of blindness, i discount what they say, view them as irrational and continue to bathe in my warm contrarian jacuzzi.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 12:38 pm
First of all, Cheers to jim’s honesty.
Secondly, where is the magic middle ground? If we want change we need to be affected, shaken, riled up even. But as you said (and it’s a good point) we cannot let that argument over-run our lives and what’ s important to us. Let me say this another way—I have seen people (like my father, for instance) who spend zero time worrying about the state of affairs in the world. I am not saying he is ignorant to what is happening. He reads the newspaper, he has formed his own intellectual opinions but when push comes to shove he does not let it burden his life. His standby motto is “The world was coming to an end a thousand times before.” I respect his ability to give up that ultimate control but I also think somewhere deep down this too isn’t right. Unless you demand nothing of the world you live in. And that’s my dad. He loves me, his son-in-law and my mother (and his cat). Beyond that he doesn’t see it as affecting his life or overall happiness. And I am undecided if that’s ok or not. As a member of this country, this world is it ok to remove yourself and your contribution to the greater whole? Is it ok as long as you don’t bitch about stuff? Your thoughts Ian?
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Joey- i see your point, and completely agree with you that, relative to other challenges in other countries, we are still VERY well off, and also agree that the falling down process works to unite a country.
What I wonder about is the durability of our republic, when we combine challenges with an increasingly polarized and complacent population. Democracies rarely outlast two centuries, which makes us a pretty old one. Why do they devolve into something more sinister? I don’t know- but one possibility is found in this amazing quote by Jefferson: “Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction.” So I wonder if our comforts (as you correctly pointed out) are part of the problem? I think it is also likely that assuming for a national rebound will only keep us from really tackling core challenges. Maybe we’ll only keep this ship going if we fight for it (not to imply that you aren’t but rather speaking broadly). More on that in my response to Lauren E.
a_corn:
ahaha I am putting your quote on the front page.
lauren E: a perfect example, and if you’re asking I would say that way of going about life is problematic. This issue is a sticky one. On the plus side, being removed helps a person to be less likely to get unnecessarily worked up, and also keeps them from feeling like they have to shoulder the weight of the world. But I think there are more negatives here than positives. A nation full of informed people who don’t act- that accomplishes nothing good. It’s like the population telling the powerful “we know what you’re up to but we won’t stand in your way.”
Somehow there has to be a balance (a boring cliche that is almost always true): somewhere in the middle between being locked inside a safe castle, and the martyr who thinks they have a place in every fight. Personally speaking, I would say IF the fight has to do with monumental issues like justice and liberty and not just policy A vs. policy B, then the more fight, the better.
-ian
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Conservative Soapbox……
I understand the points about being passionate for what you believe and being fired up/riled up, etc. and I will never downplay its importance. But if anyone is like myself, those feelings don’t last unless my relationship with Christ is strong.
I just feel that the fundamental conservative (is there REALLY any other kind?) must have their foundation on the Jesus Christ of the Bible or it’s either mis-directed or quickly fades away. Conservative values must have a worthy foundation or they will crumble, too.
What else can keep us fearless to stand in the face of many with ideas and beliefs that are now looked down upon with such anger and hate? What else will instill the steadfast resolve when we are faced with repeated defeat, hypocrisy and lies? What else will keep us THIS kind of passionate for years on end? Is it simply easier to just fall to the side and numb out?
Politics just might be too far “gone”, in my opinion. Even ultra conservative talk show hosts, who GIVE 90% of conservatives their opinions and ideas, blast those who don’t chose either democrat or republican! Your vote is basically wasted, they say. Liberals sure aren’t going to change! Their socialistic ideas are roaring ahead full steam with the current system!
Go back through time 4, 8, 12, 16 years and read and listen to all the “change” talk. When I hear the word “change”, I get nauseated. Are all these american lemmings REALLY convinced that there will be any kind of change? It’s like we are all in this virtual “Matrix” world where nearly everyone is clueless of what’s really going on. I can hear Keanu… “uhhhhhhhhhhhh”… “whooooaaaa”.
The so-called “Conservative” party has had 8 years to abolish abortion, protect the sanctity of marriage and shore up our borders (just to name a few) and they have done NOTHING! Unbelievable when you think about it. If the proclaimed “conservative party” didn’t/can’t do it, who will?
The people who I believe at least have a chance are WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too far right for the increasingly zombie-like populous to EVER endorse. Being “far right” is now another name for “wacko”, “idiot” & “nut case” (I prefer the latter because I love nuts).
Basically, I believe things are going in the direction God said they would. While things will NOT improve, we can at least be focused on what’s right, stay positive and lead others in that direction, too. I refuse to be scared and worried like many I’ve talked to following this election.
I know who wins in the end, I’m on that side and I NEVER worry. That’s a peace that anyone on Earth can freely take.
Friday, November 7, 2008 at 11:54 am
Hey Toys-
I agree with lots of what you have to say. For me- my motivations and beliefs are short lived and hollow without a continual relationship with Jesus.
I disagree that liberalism and socialism go hand and hand, and I also don’t think socialism is as bad as some make it out to be. While I disagree with it as policy for this country, it’s not anywhere near the greatest evil and happens to work in some smaller countries. I guess my bottom line is, we already have socialistic tendancies in this country, and I’d rather money be spent to help people than to kill them in other countries, and then pay again to rebuild (Iraqi) bridges and buildings that we just bombed for a false cause. Idealistically I’m a radical for a government decreased in size and reach, and I do object to socialism for quite a few reasons. But no party in power is serious about decreasing the size of government, so at least spend the money on aiding life instead of destroying it. Do I hope for increased handouts? No, but sometimes we have to work with the reality given to us, and that reality- whether it be driven by DEMS or GOP- is a GIANT federal government.
I think your perspective on choosing to be optimistic and refusing to be scared or worried is the right one. Christians need to take a deep breath and remember who their God is. Some of them are so quickly terrified by rumors and spin. Agree or disagree with Obama, followers of Christ are tasked to be about love and service to the hurting in the world. I see a mainstream Christian church that has become divisive and petty over issues that have little to do with right and wrong and more to do with familiar vs. unknown.
thanks for the comment!
Friday, November 7, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Good points, taaa.
Your last sentence was good until the “familiar vs unknown” part, which lost me.
What exactly do you mean or… what are YOU personally saying?
Monday, November 10, 2008 at 11:19 am
Hey Drawers!
You’re right- I didn’t explain that very clearly. I guess I feel like some of the things many Christians object to are just because they’ve had no exposure to them- as in there’s a tendancy to call something evil when it’s really just not understood, or maybe just not preferable to another option.