“Some men, they drink up their whiskey
Some men, they drink up their wine
They drink till their eyes are red with hate
For those of a different kind”
Today is April 8, 2012. It is Easter Sunday, for those who follow the Christian religion. (Disclaimer: I am one.) It is a “High Holy Day.” On this day, with its particular significance, I woke with the quote above ringing loud and clear in my head.
We have become a nation divided, rather than a nation united. For reasons I do not understand, we seek to point out how one group or another is “different” than we are; perhaps they worship in a different manner (or not at all), dress differently, have a different political/social view, skin color, or have affections we don’t share. Our politicians currently seek, not unsuccessfully, to divide us with these differences and fuel distrust -even hatred- of those “not like us.”
Rather than work on the many serious issues that face our country and our world at this time of severe economic and social change, they loudly proclaim their indignation at those of a different kind. Our elected, or want to be elected, representatives seek to draw our attention away from major problems and focus us instead on scapegoats they easily find in our society. As a model of government, they are adopting Hitler’s Reichstagsgebäude, rather than a democratic solution to the real problems we face.
This is wrong. The American people do not want, or need, to hear how this or that group is “causing” our problems. Rather, the real Americans want to hear and discuss how we can work together to resolve the issues we face, be they economic, social, or environmental.
Americans today face very real problems. We have a troubled economy, wars for reasons we are unsure of, social unrest fueled by 24/7 media coverage, and a populus rift with societal differences. The last things we need are arguments over a woman’s right to her own body, a candidate’s religion, or the right of adults to love their chosen partners.
America is a young, vibrant country. We are the worlds first true democracy, and as such, we can reasonably expect changes in how our democracy is defined, how it works for all of us. What we need are politicians who lead, social discourse that is inclusive rather than exclusive, and an acceptance of facts rather than fears.
My prayer this Easter morning is from Mark 12, verse 31: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”.