Systemic political Pyrrhic victories won upon extremism, regardless of ideology, are tearing down this nation. With basic civility vaporized, checks-and-balances laid waste, and the fourth estate’s credibility deconstructed, we have resorted to hurling hate and vitriol because we have grown to believe that having a side and winning is all that matters.
Politics isn’t entertainment nor a sport. Unlike football, decisions forged through politics make a difference. If we continue to devolve into only the winning side wins, we’ve lost. A nation is all of us, not just some of us. If we take pride in seeing the losing side suffer, we are only looking into a mirror and pointing at ourselves for what we mock is our nation as a whole. Can we disagree? Yes, but to destroy the fabric the ties us together leaves nothing and it seems we can’t even agree on that.
To be perfectly clear: winning isn’t the answer to ending the destructive dystopia we find ourselves in today. The real answer requires us to rediscover and relearn the means for productive discourse, realize and respect different perspectives, recognize and reconcile our collective past, and restore and rebuild our faith in each other to collectively forge a path through this morass of darkness.
(originally posted to Facebook on 30 September 2020)
