The Choice For A Nation
It is hard to fathom the portrait these 2020 election results paint on the canvas of these United States of America. How can so many of us stand by, embolden, support and enable a President devoid of a moral compass and the capacity to embrace dignity and grace? Have we not seen enough of the political vitriol and deceit in the name of self-preservation and power, and not the greater good of the people and their well-being? In my lifetime, I have never witnessed the degree of mental and physical anguish, human divisiveness and subjugation, and probably most disconcerting, the willful malfeasance by our democracy’s so-called stewards of civility, equity and selflessness — Congress. At this telling juncture in our great Nation’s history, where more than 150 million citizens performed their most democratic duty — more votes than any other election in U.S. history that I’m aware of — we the people appear to be in a crisis of the soul.
There is a loud and clear cacophony of hate, willful discrimination, inequity, and injustice metastasizing throughout the fabric of America and bringing out the worst of our humanity. Our streets and hearts are in peril, and this historic election highlights a significant portion of our citizenry, unfortunately, but indeed, celebrating and embracing division, shortsightedness and cruelty toward their neighbors — many of them identifying themselves as people of faith — of God (or whatever Higher Power that provides their moral foundation) — while inexplicably striking down their supposed brothers and sisters in Christ. How did we get so lost in ourselves? When did so many of us lose the ability to reason and love? My hope and prayer remain that the Great Purveyor of Depravity over the last four years is in his final, waning days on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. No one could have predicted the level of pervasive carnage, ineptitude and perpetual, malicious intent being mass produced from arguably the most storied and respected corner in the world — The West Wing. The reality is that the American Presidency has been historically sullied, and it will be incumbent upon all of us, regardless of red or blue, to lift the deep stains left behind by the Ambassador of Hate.
Our next President, the new Congress, and, most importantly, the body politic across the U.S., must band together like we never have before, to lift us out of the darkness and into the light of compassion, dignity, diversity and inclusion, respect and moral fortitude — the deep rooted and remarkable hallmarks of a true democracy. We have a great choice ahead of us. Do we choose to rebuild the best of our human spirit and become the type of patriots and citizens most deserving of the democracy we claim to covet and admire or do we choose to continue to drive us off the cliff of no return that is on the horizon — the path of irreparable harm and perpetual despair?
By God’s grace, we will both realize our power and eradicate the plague that has infected our collective moral consciousness. By sheer urgency, we will honor the many lives of those lost unnecessarily to COVID 19–233,000+ lost souls and counting — and those brown and black lives lost to a broken, discriminatory police and justice system — Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner…. By choosing science over fiction, we will save lives, breathe new life into this Earth and its climate, and offer our invaluable caregivers, front line workers, and public health agencies unyielding support, deference and resources. By celebrating our differences, we will no longer nurture nor tolerate hate speech, bigotry and institutional racism. Indeed, it boils down to the type of Nation we ultimately value and, therefore, choose. Let us hope we go the way of the righteous.
