A Time To Reflect, and to Re-Evaluate:
As it seems to be with each approaching election cycle, social media explodes with bashing. Granted, there has been considerable bashing ever since the last Presidential election - even more than normally follows such a momentous thing, but what has it achieved? We are also in the midst of a pandemic - a worldwide emergency that begs for a sense of outreach, and community.
Recently I have been doing a lot of reflection - primarily because I have been engaged in reading books that have sparked such reflection, which brings me to my next point: the Vietnam War. I know that many of you, who read this blog still remember that time in our history. For those fo you who are too young to remember, follow along and learn something.
The era of the Vietnam War was a turning point for America - but it wasn’t the war that sparked it. It was the assassination of a President - President John F. Kennedy. It was also a time of the Civil Rights Movement, and eventually the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy. It was a time of upheaval in our country. We had soldiers being spit on for their participation in the war, and we had “conscientious objectors” who fled to Canada to avoid fighting in the war. And we had protests in the streets - both for Vietnam, and for Civil Rights. And then we had Woodstock.
What has change is the way we protest what we disagree with. Now it is bashing - primarily on social media; but also on the news stations: CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and so on. We have countless radio talk shows that fill the airwaves with vile dialog - generally limited to rankings rather than any kind of civil dialog. And the only “dialog” that occurs is Bashing. This side bashes the other side, and the other side bashes this side. The only dialog is in the accusations - some true, and most agendized. In the end the only thing that has been created, is Hate - and an increasing division among our citizenry.
During the protests of the 60’s, and early 70’s the protests were angry - primarily among those protesting the war. The protests of The Civil Rights Movement were essentially peaceful - on the part of the protestors. Those who were against the protestors were incredibly violent. When Dr. Martin Luther King spoke in protest, his voice was that of a southern Black preacher, and the words that flowed from his mouth were illuminating the changes that were needed - but he never spoke in hatred. When Robert Kennedy was running for the Presidency, his words were effective as he spoke about the issues that needed to be addressed. And both men spoke of solutions instead of bashing.
Then there was the music. It spoke of the issues, but it also spoke of a better way. Then Woodstock happened. Yes, everyone was stoned, and then some, but the music prevailed - and some it of talked of peace - and that became the focus of the movement. What most people overlook about Woodstock is the “peacefulness”, and community. In a field were gathered 500,000 people, in the hot sun, and torrential downpours of rain. They shared with one another. Even more notable were the food line - yes, the food lines. Each day 500,000 people were fed, and at each feeding each person waited in line [peacefully]. Even the State Police commented, to the New York Times, at their astonishment of how this many people could gather for three days (under any circumstances) and remain completely violence-free. And from that, peace happened. The war in Vietnam finally ended.
My point here is that we no longer talk of solutions. We only throw around blame. We agendize everything that happens - on both sides. Neither side can do anything right in the eyes of the other side - and that is not new to this administration. It has been going on for decades - but it continues to escalate.
So I propose a new paradigm: a few news organizations have recently made the decision to not run anything live from President Trump - in an attempt to have time to fact check everything that’s said. personally I love the idea, and I would love to see the news organizations do this with every politician who speaks. But what I propose is that we, the general public, have a censorship of our own - and that begins with a stop to the Bashing. If you want to debate something that someone says, present the [accurate] facts - and present them unbiasedly, and without hatred in your heart. When negative words are spoken in hatred, or anger, counter them with a positive look, or simply ignore them - as in DO NOT RESPOND. Break the cycle. Change the paradigm.
For all of you who truly hate what this administration is doing, do something about it. Don’t bitch, or bash... “do something” to effect a positive change. Also, in case you haven’t figured it out yet - every time you engage with anyone who is in this state of anger, you are only strengthening their voice, and their power. If you want to diffuse their power - including that of this administration, disengage from the banter. Instead, use that energy to find solutions - and focus on those. Let’s be the first to stop hating....
_David