What an interesting America we currently live in. An America where a hoax virus has infected over eight million citizens, killed over 220,000 and adding to the score over 700 a day. An America where ‘the truth isn’t the truth’ (R. Giuliani 8/18) and the President cannot bring himself to denounce racism, white supremacy, or the radical conspiracy theory of ‘Q’. An America where the killing of unarmed, and subdued, black citizens is called justified and police unions defend their right of ‘qualified immunity’. An America where white supremacists are filmed driving through otherwise civil demonstrations brandishing loaded firearms and shooting paintballs at the demonstrators. And we then wonder why the gatherings become violent and result in death and destruction. And now, an America where the death of the alleged shooter of a MAGA leader in Oregon, during a counter demonstration, by U.S. Marshals is called ‘retribution’ by the President (Trump 9/20). We have degraded into tribal warfare. So here we are, a member of the MAGA tribe is injured therefore we must retaliate; we must have retribution.
What ever happened to the America which stood on the rule of law and which the basis of a democracy was founded on the open exchange of ideas and the power of the electorate? And why, has America collectively lost its sense of humor?
Retribution, retaliation, and revenge are actions which will result in an inequal and opposite reaction. Hitler authorized Nazi troops to enact retribution on towns and villages for the killing of single Nazi officers, e.g. Lidice Massacre (Czechoslovakia, 7/42). Italy’s Mussolini used the same tactics to quell unrest and ‘dissidents’. Post WWII the reverse retribution on Nazi sympathizers and to Mussolini himself was swift and brutal. Retribution is a sword which cuts deep both ways. Sometimes it just takes a while, but the resulting backswing can be vicious.
Can we, as a country and as individuals, pause for just a moment and take stock of where we are and where we are going? The strength of this country is its people, their diversity, courage, and independence. Not all things are not right with America. Unfortunately, we no longer want to discuss them, find consensus, and together chart a path forward. We act as if when someone is ‘wrong’ they have personally wronged us; maybe, just maybe we think too highly of ourselves and our opinions.
Maybe former Sec. R. Perry (11/19) was correct when he pronounced Trump was God’s ‘chosen one’ to be President. Maybe the Almighty has become weary of us not treating each other with respect, fairness, and equality. Maybe we needed a polarizing catalyst to force the facade to be violently ripped back for us to see our hypocrisy, laid bare before us and the world. Although painful and uncomfortable, maybe we can stop and regroup as a country to rectify the now glaring issues in-front of us. Maybe the extremist, in every tribe, can be controlled by the majority of those within who are now disenfranchised and forgotten. Maybe those moderates can reach across tribe lines and find common ground and cast off the paradigm of extremism. Maybe, just maybe, this country’s best days are ahead of us. Maybe, but only if we stand together against those who see the path forward as their path and no other. #NeverFearTheDream
simplebender 