Blog Post #21
A wake-up call, perhaps?
The the results of the the recent election surprised many, but not some. Do the results reflect who Americans really are? Do we really believe all those things we said we believed in our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution we adopted a few years later. We, Americans, have been trying to figure this out for the last 250+ years. Other countries see the recent election as a reflection of who Americans really are and they will be even clearer about this if we abandon Ukraine and then the rest of Europe. Do we really believe that the cost of eggs and gas is more important than the quality of life for others in America and the world? Do we really believe that gangs of immigrants are crossing the border to rape and murder Americans and take their jobs, the ones that most Americans refuse to take? If our new president follows through on his campaign promises, as he sees it, this will be a golden age for Americans and perhaps it will be for the haves, but I doubt it will be for the have-nots. Many believe that this will be a time when the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Will we come together as a people? Many doubt this for good reason. Why would we?
America will get undoubtedly , what it bough in the last election. Changing all of this will only come up when we accept who we really are and stop pretending that were something that we are obviously not. We are a people who are angry and frightened and unfortunately we have created a society where racism and misogyny is baked in. Are we willing to see ourselves more clearly and accept who we really are?
Those who really believe in the values enshrined in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution need to become engaged in the change process. You may need to do some grieving before you can do this. Allow yourself to grieve. Grief is usually a combination of sadness and anger. Vent these feelings with others not at them. Find or make a punching bag or a pile of wood that needs chopping. When you feel better, which you most likely will, engage in the process of making things better in our world and our country.
Ron Breazeale, PhD