I have taken a couple of months off from writing. It was
more accident than intention – busy-ness collided with overwhelm to result in a
kind of free floating randomness to the summer. Not altogether a bad thing. But
not conducive to the regular posting I had hoped for. Part of the problem, at
least as I rationalize it in the rear-view mirror, was the piling on of things
about which I wanted to write – but wasn’t quite sure what I thought. I am
trying to let the writing follow the thinking – not always with complete
success – but that means thinking faster when life happens faster. And life has
been moving pretty fast this summer! So, herewith, a couple of random things
I’ve been thinking…
It is somewhat surprising to me that a man as smart and as
politically savvy as Dan Cathy was not a bit more circumspect in his statements
in response to the questions of an interviewer from a small Christian radio
station. Surely he knows the ubiquity of words once spoken in the highly
politicized, media rich environment he does business and lives in. Don’t get me
wrong – he has the right to his opinions, and the right to speak those
opinions. But he does not have the right – nor do his supporters – to be
surprised when those opposed to his views make use of the very same right to
speak and act in opposition! It seems to me that the issue in question – and
I’m not talking chikin – is clearly known to be so polarizing, that any
statement from either side needs to be carefully considered. If the desire is
to effect the outcome, it is probably not going to be by making public
statements. There is, at least it seems to me, little chance of a controlled
burn in the tinder-dry context of this matter. It is time for the exercise of
responsibility, not just rights. And, perhaps, for relationship before either.
In other news – nothing new. I am learning nothing of the
positions of either candidate for the presidency – except that the other guy
would be a disaster for the country, the world, and the universe. Whoever the
other guy is. It is sad that, in an age of almost universal media coverage that
could be used for so much helpful analysis of real differences, we are being
fed – by the campaigns and their mainstream and cable media outlets – sound
bites of terror, caricatures of opposing positions, to say nothing of
distortions and outright lies made all the more egregious because it is all
fueled by virtually unregulated SuperPACs with their own agendas, not always
visible or understood. Is this really the best we can do? Really? If so, the
future of public political discourse –
whoever wins – is not promising. We can save ourselves a lot of time and money
by just writing tomorrow’s headlines today. “President A says “X.” Opposition
leader B says “Not X.” It leads to the political mathematics of nullification.
If A=X and B=-X then A+B=0.
I was grateful for the decision by both campaigns
to at least suspend their campaigning in the wake of the “Dark Night” shootings in
Aurora earlier this summer – although, cynic that I am about most things
political during this silly season, I’m sure the political ramifications of
doing so occasioned more than a single conversation and not a little heated
debate, including discussions on how it might be spun for political advantage.
Everytime I hear about shootings of this kind (they are becoming common enough
that the plural is justified), I find myself wondering when we might at least
be able to talk about limiting access to the weapons that enable such
devastation to only those who have a demonstrated need for them. Surely the
founders did not have this in mind when they codified the right of individuals
not in the military to keep weapons for the purpose of self-defense. This, of
course, made sense in a time when random invading armies and personal militias
had little regard for borders. And if we can’t yet talk about some kind of gun
control, can we at least talk about ammunition control? How can it be a good
thing for the common good that massive amounts of single-purpose ammunition is
available for purchase over the internet? It is probably just me, but I am
thinking that anyone who really needs these kinds of bullets is probably not
going to be ordering them on internet!
Still on Aurora, I salute the men and women whose stories of
self-sacrificing bravery are still emerging. That kind of instant, almost
instinctive courage – bravery, even – in the face of what must have felt like
certain death gives me a sense of hope for my fellow human beings. There are
those of us who would lay down their lives for friends, family – even
strangers. There is still something of Image in us.
Anyway, it might have been better to let these thinkings
fade with the summer heat. But, where’s the fun in that? Hopefully, I have
exercised my right to be wrong in a responsible manner.
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