Is there a gas leak in here?
What the hell is going on lately?
You’ve got Joe Wilson screaming at President Obama. Serena Williams melts down at the US Open, swearing at and threatening a line judge. Kanye West jumps the stage at some MTV awards show taking the microphone from the surprised winner and berates the crowd because Beyonce didn’t win. On Saturday, thousands ( not millions, not even hundreds of thousands) marched on Washington, still quivering with anger and screaming that they want their country back and that Muslims were taking over Washington. Bury Obamacare With Kennedy signs were distributed through the crowd. Classy.
Last night I flipped on the Yankees game and there on the screen was a writhing mass of players, flailing away at one another. Base brawl. This ugly edginess that has been so apparent of late had even reached into the very thing I was hoping would be a refuge from all this craziness.
Why this anger, why now? I wish I had answers. There has definitely been a coarsening of society, a loss of the niceties and manners that once defined civil society, something that has been pointed out a lot lately. Maybe it’s that people feel they have lost their voice and that the only way to be heard is to scream. Maybe it’s just the fact that with all media being omnipresent, every word, every act is recorded. There is no timeout, no stepping back from the glare of the spotlights to stop and think about the effect of one’s actions. Every action causes a reaction and suddenly, while one is still dealing with the initial action, there is the reaction to be faced. And the reaction to that reaction. And so on and so forth until the universe folds into itself and there is nothing but a great void.
Okay, that’s the worst that could happen. But the fact remains, we are a nation spoiling for a fight at the moment. Can we simmer down without boiling over? I don’t know. Hope so, but the idea of thoughtful, civil discussion on any matter seems like a pipedream at the moment. Especially given the invective and prodding from guys like Beck and Limbaugh whose very livelihoods depend on this anger and division being kept alive. I just hope we can all take a breath and find common ground to stand on. Let’s just hope our better angels haven’t flown the coop…
Just remember the words of Voltaire:
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
Redtree Times 
Nicely said. I have lately wished for a magical volume control so I can turn down all the noise and get us focused on the true discussion underneath. I have had many political discussions with people who are on the other side of the aisle. By the end, we usually find that we agree more than we disagree. We need to stop demonizing the other side and discuss common ground and shared solutions. There will always be differences, but nothing gets solved if all we continue to do is yell about them. Love the Voltaire quote.
Thanks, Jen. You’re right. We have become so polarized that we focus so much on the things that differentiate us instead of looking at the commonalities that we share, both as humans and Americans. I don’t know how this can be done though at this point and that makes my heart sink. I think the type of dialogue you speak of with folks from the other side of the aisle is a start but I have the feeling the folks you’re talking with aren’t the rabid birther/deather/Obama hating town-hallers that drown out all rational discussion. The question is: How do you engage these people in civil discussion based on rationale and fact, not on fear and bias? If you have an answer for that, there’s a Nobel out there waiting for you.
Thanks again, Jen. Good to hear from you.