words
A Facebook post, five years ago 2019.
I’ve said this a few times, but maybe not like this.
Character is reference to the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. I feel like mine are pretty high and I admit to an expectation that those around me or who represent me will at the very least register somewhere on my scale morally. Moral qualities and human decency do influence my choices. Especially if they hold our democracy and our freedoms in their hands.
So, no I don’t want a “character” from a novel, play, movie or a tv show in the highest office in the land. This isn’t a movie or a tv show. This is life. Our lives. OURS.
Before this even with a Republican in office, I never worried about democracy. I never worried about the rights and freedoms we hold dear that many valiantly fought for. Never worried about our safety. Ok, maybe a little bit with Cheney. I now have no trust that those things aren’t compromised and being slowly stripped away.
Let’s take a new look at morality and ethics and what that might look and feel like and turn this around. For this former Christian now Buddhist, we are way off course and I’m hopeful not so far off that we can’t recover. We have to.
May you be safe. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be of ease. (And yes, even for the one in the Whitehouse and those who are looking past his indiscretions.)
*****
Still, and more.
So much more to say, too often I don’t. But then I feel complacent and responsible and as half of the county, at least, worried about democracy, freedom, our safety domestically and internationally. Has complacency delivered us to where we are today?
About a month ago I asked on FB, define morality, ethics and character. Three responses. I guess I get it. I’m exhausted by the whole thing as well. Tired of the nonsense, the misinformation, the lies and the unfortunate reality of who we are as humans and citizens. For me, also not the time to be silent to try to slip back in a safe cocoon, bubble, whatever you choose to call it. It’s life, real life. To not be engaged, complacent, to not speak up, is a silent acceptance of the adversity and danger that is before us.
We jumble up words. We jumble up or redefine what some words mean or maybe even what the value of those words one day meant. Morality, ethics and character.
The thing is, most of you who will (or might) read this will be white. The level of exhaustion of those marginalized by the lack of understanding or interest in protecting those marginalized by us pales in comparison to theirs. So you scroll on by. Maybe you think about it, but your fear or lack of interest in the conversation speaks volumes. Kind of like the quote I saw,
How you treat someone who votes differently than you speaks volumes about your character. Some might say, how you vote speaks volumes about your character. Okay, I might say.
Or this one, some are angry because they are being judged by the content of their character, not the color of their (white) skin.
See there, words jumbled.
The idea of or the concept of those three values that I was raised by have not changed in my now 64 years of life. Today, for me I hold them even tighter even more important than the example I was given lived by my parents and Grandparents. So much so that, this Liberal over the last 6 to 8+ years feels more conservative than some of you I thought might have been my conservative friends. I see your acceptance of in my view, a lack of character, a lack of ethics and a lack of morality. All so far removed from what I thought we all believed those to be and mean, that I have to ask, what happened? How is it that what I believe these 3 to mean is diametrically apposed to what your choice tells me you believe them to be.
Now, I believe that I have been more than reserved on this. I’ve not said what I have felt or really wanted to say. I’ve not been as direct as some have been or are toward the current administration. Or your opposition.
So here it is. I am so tired of this asshole and he’s not even in office yet. Yes I called him a name!! Since calling people names and being nice was over with him since, well since him. Even though his flock are the ones to ask ME what happened to that notion. Seriously? Step back!
Again, I will say, if you find anywhere, that previous to this I have called that one or anyone a name, posted something that is mean point it out and I will acknowledge that I didn’t hold my tongue as well as I thought. This post doesn’t count because I am admitting the name calling. If you feel this isn’t ‘nice’, I ask you to explore your reason for that thought before you plug me with it.
This isn’t about nice, this is serious. This is our life, our livelihood and the future we leave those who come after us. I don’t have my own children, but I have children in my life that I worry about every day their future, the safety, their security. And with what is before us now, I question every bit of it.
DO you NOT hear what comes out of his mouth? Does none of that matter? This racist, misogynistic, convicted felon, adjudicated sexual offender who speaks so disrespectfully of anyone, no matter their station every single day, every single minute. The media has normalized this insidious behavior. The child whose sole purpose is to cover his own insecurities and inadequacies disparaging everyone around him. Unless they are giving him money, while suing everyone for saying or reporting the truth?! Is this a new job a new income channel? Can we all set back and sue those who disagree or look at us differently? F!!!!
If you like me are exhausted, image in those he marginalizes every damn day, immigrants, women, Black, Brown, LGBTQ, Military, educated career professionals, doctors, lawyers, scientists. He is smarter than all of them? Give me a F****** break!
He is morally, ethically and characteristically bankrupt and next month will be the one running the country.
An embarrassment of our acceptance of a lack of decency.
This is who we are.
God speed.