I entered into a conversation today about current events with the clerk at the health food store: we both wanted to understand why our culture has grown so increasingly coarse and savage. When I said it was because of foolish and wicked policies pursued by certain of our nation’s leaders over the years, I received an answer that surprised me. Let me paraphrase, briefly.
“It doesn’t matter who’s in power–they’re all the same! Republicans and Democrats, right and left, conservative and liberal: they all believe exactly the same things, they all do exactly the same things, they all pay no attention to the people, and so I don’t care about politics because we simply have no power and nothing we say or do can influence those politicians in any way!”
“All right,” I said, “let me relate to you something that one of our Democrat state assemblymen said on TV in a newscast, years ago.” It was circa 1980, in response to a rather nasty pedophilia case. “Let me tell you what this guy said, and then you can try to name one conservative, one Republican, who would have said a thing like this.”
“It doesn’t matter what he said! They’re all alike! Any other politician would have said exactly the same thing!”
“But I haven’t told you yet what it was.”
So what did this man say? He said, “We must also consider the interests of the child sex abuse community.” As if it were a voting bloc that he was interested in courting.
No, I haven’t made it up. That is what he said. But it made no impression on my friend the clerk.
“They’ve changed our country in all these awful ways,” I said, “because the people never stood up to them and stopped them. Too many just sat back and removed themselves from any concern for public business. They gave up having any say in what is done.”
“Well, I don’t care! I’ve removed myself! I refuse to take any interest in politics at all. Because they’re all the same and they don’t care.”
I just couldn’t budge her.
How many Americans think like that? I guess it takes a load off their minds: nothing we can do about it, ever, so why bother to try?
But I say that if we really and truly can’t find any decent leaders, then it’s high time we grew some of our own. Because nobody ever won anything by waving a white flag and giving up.
In my humble opinion, this starts with sexual morality. When leaders, political or religious, wink at sexual immorality, the impression is cast that it doesn’t really matter and that the rules don’t apply. Sexual morality, at its core, is about the sanctity of life. Take away regard for the sanctity of life and anything can happen, look to Germany in the ’30s and ’40s as an example.
As you are aware, there’s is not a whole lot you and I can agree on politically. Lee… but the general theme of this post I agree with… surrendering does nothing to affect change. But there’s also another thing as play here. The political climate is so nasty that anyone wanting to contribute in elected office has to undergo a detailed vetting process for not only the job itself but also the skittish judgement of the public who yanks on even the slightest perception of moral infractions going back to your first steps in front of your mom and dad.. and it’s NOT just the media’s fault. Why should I run for office to try and do some good when I am going to be judged as to whether or not I am qualified to be good in order to do some good? And all that judgement comes before the inevitable battle that your definition of “good” is different from everyone else’s definition, hence the debates to follow to win your cause.
But while your clerk there reflects a frustrated apathy… a sister feeling too prevalent nowadays are people who hate government, hate politicians, and love chaos; modern day anarchism… yet they receive the fruits of the democracy which they hate.
You’re right about that: there is a streak of anarchism on the loose today. But I don’t think it’s real anarchism, that rejects all government. These are persons who wish to overthrow society so they can rule it.
I can understand their frustration, we have been disappointed time and time again by our political leaders. It seems almost impossible to change things from the top-down. The system is such that it makes that nearly impossible, and people don’t like to upset the status quo. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t try of course, but maybe the better way is the bottom-up approach. Politics is downstream from culture. If we can affect things at the grass roots level, it will eventually work it’s way up. That wont happen overnight, it’s a long term strategy that takes time, patience, and perseverance to make happen.
In part – but only in part – your cashier friend does have a point. The two parties have become two sides of the same coin: they’re headed for the same goal by different paths. They’re both looking for the Phoenix to rise from the ashes of chaos to usher in their new world order. But as we followers of the one true living God know, He wins!
Please don’t confuse the Nothing Party’s leadership with the Republican voting base. We crummy little registered Republicans are the reason Donald Trump steamrollered 16 GOP Nothing candidates in the primaries.
The big difference between the two parties is that the Democrat leadership truly reflects the party’s far-Left lunatic base, while the Nothing Party leadership pokes us in the eye every chance it gets. I really don’t know how they stay in power!
So even if the leaders of the two parties make for one big happy corrupt family down in Washington Disease, their respective voting bases are very, very different!
The GOP leadership is a perpetual embarrassment to GOP voters.
Remember what Ronald Reagan once said: “I never left the Democratic Party. The Party left me.”
A lot of Republicans like me feel just like that.
And I might add that a lot of conservatives like me feel confused and angry at Big-Time Professional Conservatives who don’t seem interested in conserving bloody anything!
(Well, that woke me up__!)
Absolutely! I was referring to the professional politicians since they’re the ones we supposedly send there and pay to do a job, that is to represent us and our values and ideals. The problem is, they don’t. We, the people, have been trampled underfoot. Somehow these politicians have adopted the idea that we don’t matter, and neither do our values and ideals. It really has become a swamp with very, very few exceptions. Power has become their god.
Well, waddaya know. It appears they’re conflicted. LOL!
https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2018/02/16/girl-fight-for-the-lady-pond-feminists-protest-over-decision-to-let-transgender-women-use-ladies-only-pool/
“Transgender women”=men
Apparently, feminists are not LGBTQ friendly. Maybe it’s just me, but I find that hilarious!