Can We Agree on Two Simple Things? Part 2
Please check out my most recent blog post, Part 1, for the context of this one
A couple of days ago, somebody told me this story: “I saw the funniest thing this past Sunday; I think it was even Easter. Out for a walk, on my way to meet some friends at the diner, I notice this guy parking his Prius in the only handicap spot, in front of a big church. He’s had one of those official “handicap” signs hanging from his rearview mirror and all, so everything was cool. But then the guy with a mop of gray hair gets out and takes off running - like he just robbed a bank - and he has the gall to run into a church. What a friggin” hypocrite!”
And thus, a pair of blog posts was born.
But there’s a catch. The above fictionalized tale is partly true. That would be the part about me running into the church from the handicap parking spot. I made up the story from the perspective of the fortyish-year-old guy I noticed walking by as I was getting out of our car. What he wouldn’t have known, is that three minutes earlier I had dropped my wife off at the main entrance to the church with her walker - and I was concerned about how well she was doing since she recently just started walking again.
It’s amazing the degree to which we can be misled when we only get one part of a story. Now add to that the potential for using any story for corrupt purposes. Maybe the guy walking past the main door of the church, a minute later, saw me catch up to my wife and her walker. I wonder if he would tell his agnostic friends at the diner - THAT part of the story?
We are all at least tempted to extricate and exploit the parts of stories or observations that fit into our own belief system, while ignoring the parts that don’t.
The only reason I threw in the “Statement #2” about the handicap placards was to give an example of how we’re all prone to make judgements based on incomplete or misleading information. I really wish I could have explained to the bystander that I’m not really a “lowlife.” I just looked like one.
Moving right along, can we agree with the following statement ?
“The moral and ethical fiber of the United States has frayed significantly over the past twenty-five years as progressives have pushed their agendas.”
Judging from the responses I’ve gotten over the last couple days, people have very strong feelings about this statement. I think it’s safe to say that most comments came from those at least leaning progressive. None of my more conservative readers responded yet, maybe because they agreed with the inference of my statement, or because some people don’t like to leave comments in general.
I wonder if any of my readers had noticed that I used the word “AS” in the above statement and not the words “because of.” I did not say that there was a connection between the moral / ethical changes in our country and the liberal agenda, but just that they occurred over the same time period. The inference however was real and intentional on my part - to demonstrate a new manipulative tool of cable “news” commentators, Fox in particular. I will admit that at best I sample ABC, CNN, MSNBC,BBC, Fox, and NPR - so my limited observations should be kept in perspective.
What I’ve been seeing more and more over the years is the tendency to mix facts with opinion, and then add a wheelbarrow full of organic grade BS. The net result is RAGE and when it’s produced on an industrial scale, it is extremely profitable. Commentators like Tucker Carlson are masters of these manipulations and viewers end up mesmerized, like watching a first class magician. And then - they excitedly share what they’ve “learned” on social media - NOT A FACT CHECK IN SIGHT.
How would the sentiments and responses been different if I had interjected “AS the conservatives pushed their agendas” or “BECAUSE the conservatives pushed their agendas?” I suspect I would have gotten a few more comments.
For any who question the suggestion that there has been a widespread moral decay in our country, think back twenty-five years ago. If a presidential candidate, thrice married, couldn’t defend the seriously incriminating photos or accusations of affairs with a porn star and also a Playboy model, he would have been a non-starter. If voters had easy access to a recording of that same candidate, saying he liked to grab women by their “p***y” - and “if you’re a star you can get away with it,” he would have been shamed into oblivion not nominated for a second term.
I can’t imagine anybody I know, especially any Christians, voting for Bill Clinton back in 1992 , IF there was a recording where he admitted having affairs with a number of women, or pictures of him with a porn star who alleged that they had had an affair. The enormous smoking guns about Clinton came out AFTER he was president.
I know the lion’s share of politicians from both parties, entertainers, big sports figures, and CEO’s have their share of baggage - but at least you usually have to dig for it and it all pales compared to what we’ve seen recently. The moral and ethical deterioration in America is real and yes it has happened while liberals were pushing for things like- “everyone being treated as equals under the law”. . . while “kids were learning about the history of our country even if it included Jim Crow and Stonewall Jackson,” and “while most strove to make sure that our standards were not forced on others.”
(Thank you all for your comments which I snuck into the above paragraph.)
Our moral fraying also happened while conservatives were pushing their agenda and maybe even because of it. Speaking of agendas, I’m pretty sure I know what republicans tend to be against, but I have no idea of what they are actually for, beyond more fossil fuels, more guns, a tighter border, and an explosive growth of unwanted children. Which items on the conservative agenda have anything to do with the teachings of Jesus Christ. HE used to be the GOP’s most revered figure.
Another reader made some very good points via email as I was writing this blog - “Progressives sometimes go to extremes but in most cases they are on the side of compassion, which those on the “religious right” seemed to have abandoned. At one point in my life, I was way too judgmental, forgetting - that is God’s job.”
And after one more attempt to internalize that, . . . I will sign off.
So the Prius driving, tree hugging, liberal sidelined church going, woke hypocrite was you? Thanks for the laugh and please get more like you to vote in Wisconsin.