Identity, Loyalty and Three Rays of Hope -Part 2
The Most Fundamental Common Ground We Need to Embrace - is Reality
As I eluded to in the first half of this post, each of our lives is built on a unique foundation which disproportionately effects who we are and who we become. None of us set out to go down some wayward path. A misstep or two, plus a couple feel-good moments might be all that it takes for us to start ignoring our rearview mirrors. To be sure, a new sense of self based on outward influences might be alluring, but it usually carries unintended consequences.
In Part One, I addressed the slippery slope of moral decline, so blatantly exemplified by many of our right wing and evangelical churches. I pointed out that once a person becomes a card carrying member of one of these churches, the gravitational pull toward their center, becomes almost insurmountable. Toward the end of the post, I mentioned a couple of outliers that are making very courageous steps in the right direction.
The Badass Brigade
Today I’d like to move the focus toward a large heterogeneous group of individuals whose resistance to change, might be connected to a well-entrenched survival tool. A timely example was provided as I read of a Milwaukee resident earlier this week. He was out walking his dog “Max,” when they suddenly encountered a sizable coyote only twenty feet ahead. His dog let out such a loud and guttural growl, that even the owner was startled. With tail between its legs, the coyote responded as intended, leaving Max with head held high.
I’ll use Max as the archetype of what I’ll be referring to as the Badass Brigade. Within the B.A.B. are groups as diverse as the military, past or present, those in law enforcement, professional athletes, motorcyclists, street gangs, and multiple subcultures within our borders. Each of these groups carries a strong sense of identity as evidenced by the widespread use of uniforms or tattoos confirming allegiance. And they all share a collective sense of bravado.
Regardless of the fact that each of these groups is comprised of unique individuals, a disproportionately large percentage of them would avoid appearing weak - at any cost. Being macho and tough-as-nails is their identity. Many have invested most of their lives in service to maintaining that sense of self. And the degree to which they shed any of that virility or even the perception of it, would leave them diminished as a human being.
We have close to a hundred US military personnel (past or present), who have been charged for actively resisting the peaceful transfer of power January 6th, 2021. Each of these men or women have officially sworn to “ . . . support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.” Their allegiance was never meant to be to one individual. The option of ignoring other co-equal branches of our government was never on the table. It behooves us as Americans to ask - what the hell happened?
Could it be that so many people with a heightened sense of machismo have been fed an endless diet of misinformation and peer reinforcement? Could it be that they’ve never in their entire lives seen such a bad-ass president? They can feel surges of testosterone with every word that Trump utters. That’s vitally important to this crowd, especially when the typical Fox News viewer is 68 years old - according to Quora.
“The bark has to be powerful, when there’s little bite left”
Could it also be - that they’ve heard thousands of times that the Democrats are weak on defense, weak on the border, weak on the economy, and that Biden himself is the epitome of weakness? Facts and accomplishments don’t matter when the only choices presented are either weakness or strength - especially when strength of character isn’t relevant to the conversation.
Fox “News” has become the uncontested champion of knowingly disseminating false information. No one has to take my word here. This was made convincingly clear during the recent Dominion law suit hearings. They culminated in the network coughing up the better part of a billion dollars to keep the suit from going to court. “Shockingly,” neither those hearings nor the January 6th hearings made it to prime time Fox “News” - even though all of the hearings were almost exclusively testimony from die-hard republicans, while under oath .
According to the US Census Bureau, 7 % of our population are veterans. They enjoy an over-sized influence on those of us who haven’t served, because of the major sacrifices many of them have made on our behalf. Like every one of us, they each have their strengths and weaknesses. One of these is “group think,” which is obviously critical in the midst of battle. But it is also terribly dangerous when directed against our own country’s leadership and its institutions.
“Vote Vets” - an empowering voice for America
“Started in 2006, VoteVets PAC and VoteVets Action Fund have been the home for progressive veterans, military families, and their civilian supporters for over 15 years. It is the first organization of its kind and the largest, with over one and a half million supporters in all 50 states. VoteVets uses public issue campaigns to relentlessly lift up the voices of veterans on matters of national security, veterans’ care, and everyday issues that affect the lives of those who served, and their families.”
“We wanted to change the way our nation talks about war, how and why we send our military into harm’s way, and what we can do to prevent future conflicts, particularly through strengthening our diplomatic efforts. We believe war is always a last resort, not a first option.”
“VoteVets holds true to that mission today. We work to address all threats to our national security, including but not limited to:
Ending the forever wars
Preventing the spread of nuclear weapons
Combating the spread of disinformation and the rise of violent extremism
Giving the best an equal opportunity to serve
Reversing climate change, which threatens global security.”
I encourage each of my readers to check out the VOTE VETS website (click red) for a prime example of the great work being done to undermine the spreading of misinformation through our ranks.
Stay Well - and may reality be with you.
Great post. Until just recently, I thought vets might be the one group who could pull all of us closer together. I no longer have complete confidence in that occurrence ... but, still, supporting Vote Vets is very important and could very well be the tipping point of 2024.