Gunslinger

Have you yet realized just how polarized we have become as a nation, as communities, and worse still as individuals? In my more than half century of experience interacting with others I have generally enjoyed spirited discussion on a variety of topics, even political and religious discussions. Until recently, regardless of how intense these debates have become, in the end, we could just agree to disagree and move on. Not so today. Disagreements invariably result in personal attacks, especially online.

Suddenly to disagree with anyone on political issues is tantamount to insulting their heritage. Not only that, but every issue is either right or left. In the past I recall that most liberals and conservatives varied greatly on the issues, depending on the particular circumstances, life experience, even the mood of the day. That is no more. Any liberal takes the left stance on virtually every issue; political, social, even historical, while every conservative draws a line with ever stricter boundaries.

Have people changed? Has the friend you've known all your life suddenly become completely intolerant to others points of view? Has your family suddenly been divided at holiday gatherings, not by the adult and children tables, but the left and right tables? Have you, yourself, become increasingly vitriolic in your responses to others' opinions?

If the latter is true, is this only with respect to responses to emails or posts on social media, or are you just as vocal and belligerent face to face? My guess is that you are much less likely to be verbose in person than in print, and even less likely to be insulting in person with someone you know, versus in print with someone you don't! Is Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of internet communications polarizing our relationships?

The answer is yes, in spades. Just yesterday I read a post by an acquaintance who I believe to be intelligent, informed, and concerned that began "This man is deeply evil and stupid. Why must we balance the budgets on the backs of the poor when the rich not only caused most of our deficits but benefit from continued tax breaks....." This particular post referenced the Governor of Wisconsin, but unfortunately this is the norm for discussion on the news of the day. When discussing more specific beliefs and belief systems, people are even more disdainful and not only for public figures. The same or worse has been said about me for commenting or espousing conservative thought, and I have to admit I find myself, if not publicly, at least privately believing most progressives to be ignorant, if not literally traitorous.

Where is this taking us as a civilization? Many economists, particularly right leaning economists believe America is nearing the end of our status at the top of the food chain in world status. Most think the dollar will lose its' reserve status in the next few years, which would immediately reduce our standard of living by about 25%. I can't say whether or not these economists are right or wrong, but I can see our so called American exceptionalism fading, along with our intolerance to others points of view. We are exceptional precisely because we are so varied in our heritage, in our beliefs, in our vastly different abilities, all the while co-mingling without the class system of Europe, the hordes of Asian peasants, or the squalor of the third world. Our melting pot and our political experiment has until now worked to provide the absolute best standard of living the world has ever known.

How much longer will be able to say this? How much longer will we remain a free people? Do we still believe, as a society, in the free market system that produced our standard of living? I think not. Far too many of us, and far too many in leadership positions believe our strengths to be our weaknesses. Close to half of the Supreme Court Justices believe the Constitution to be outdated and not applicable to modern times. Apparently most people scoff at the beliefs and opinions of those who hold a different opinion from their own! I believe this is the key. The loss of respect for others opinions is the first step in the lack of respect for others heritage, others' value to society, and the inherent inalienable rights recognized by our founders. Once we lose sight of who we are, how we came to be, and what made us exceptional, we will cease to be exceptional. That may have already occurred.

Technology is wonderful but brings with it the responsibility to manage ourselves as individuals if we are to continue to be a manageable society. If our ability to communicate instantaneously simply reveals our lack of tolerance for those unlike ourselves, then we are doomed to destroy our greatest asset...each other! It is easy to sit in our living rooms and blame the politicians for our troubles, but it is the people who determine the course of our nation. Our experiment has given us the unique ability to govern ourselves for more than two centuries and has worked beyond all expectations up until now.

Great Britain lead the world from a relatively tiny Island nation for just as long as we have by the will of its' people's determination and spirit. Rome ruled the world by virtue of its intellect. It is not our vast natural resources that have made us the leaders of the world. Russia is bigger with just as many resources and didn't last as a leader in the world but a few decades. South America was discovered first and very well could have become what we are today, except for those few exceptional men who believed that all men are created equal, have inalienable rights, and the ability to govern themselves with these beliefs as the cornerstone. We are about to throw that all away one relationship at a time. In the words of the venerable Stephen King's gunslinger, "we have forgotten the face of our father."