A New Decency (11/8/20)
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This week I’m taking a break in the typical Sunday School format with a reflection on this week in America. No matter what you believe, yesterday was a historic day worth recognizing in its own special way.
Today, I’m not writing about one “side” or the other, I’m writing about what I hope to see in our country in the next four years as we attempt to unify. If you’re tired of politics this week feel free to pass this up, but I hope for those who do read you’ll find encouragement in the fact that there’s an opportunity ahead for all of us.
I love this country, I love its people, and I love all of you who read this newsletter each week.
What an exhausting week!
Over the course of the last four years, I’ve slowly begun to ignore politics to the extent that I can. I’ll admit, I’m fortunate and privileged for that to even be an option for me.
This hasn’t been because I think politics isn’t important, but rather because I discovered that my energy levels and overall happiness were infinitely higher without consuming the negative political environment that’s existed in our country.
My best analogy for this is that politics is like harmful software running in the background on your computer. You don’t always know it’s there, but it’s active and taking up valuable energy.
But this week I was locked in with the election coverage more than I’d like to admit. It took up tons of mental energy and it felt completely unhealthy. I even bought into some of the division that’s been sown in this country.
Yesterday surprised me because I felt that weight lifted in a way I didn’t expect. It’s not because I have some great belief in what’s to come with fundamental changes in America’s laws, but because I believe decency is on track to being restored in the rhetoric of leaders of this country.
If I can feel that weight lifted, I can’t imagine the weight that’s been lifted for those who feel actively unrepresented by the current administration.
This is a landmark moment for those people, and I’m beyond happy that they’ll be able to clear some space in their life. I hope they now feel confident that they’re safe and protected. It’s incredible to see a woman (and even further a Black and South Asian woman) as the Vice President-elect and to know what that does for women everywhere.
But even if you’re a white Republican, there’s good news for you. All of us have a unique opportunity ahead to free our minds from politics for a more stress-free life.
What I’d Love to See
Instead of spending more time thinking about this election and the last four years, I’d like to share what I hope to see in America in the next four. Of course, there are some policy things I’d love to see, but today I want to focus on what immediately matters: decreasing the distance between political poles and bringing people together.
Dream with me:
I’d love to see President-elect Biden continue to focus on unification. So far he hasn’t really acknowledged President Trump’s claims of fraud in this election, and I’m glad. This is mental energy wasted, and if there are legitimate claims it will be the court’s job to make those decisions. It’s President-elect Biden’s job to focus on unifying our people and navigating the road ahead.
I’d love to see President Trump concede the Presidency to Joe Biden. President Trump certainly has the right to recounts in some states. This was indeed a close election. He even has the right to legally challenge races if he has proof of fraud. But so far there hasn’t been proof and the race looks out of reach. Every President in the history of our country has conceded the Presidency with grace, and I’m hoping President Trump will do so as well when the time is right.
I’d love to see the Democratic Party actively listen to the people who are so turned off by what they have to offer. I say the Democratic Party (and not the Republican Party) because even though they won’t have a majority in Congress, they’ll be looked at as leaders with a member of their party in the Oval Office. The simple act of listening is as powerful a force as you’ll ever find. People want to be heard. If we’re going to see steps toward unification, it’s going to start with the President listening to those who voted for him and those who didn’t vote for him. Based on Biden’s remarks so far, I’m hopeful for this.
I’d love to see the Republican Party move on from Donald Trump. I know most Republicans have taken a liking to President Trump over the last four years, but in no way has he ever felt like a traditional Republican. The party has a chance to return to its roots with a new leader who uses respectful rhetoric and has a vision for more than just one person. One of my main critiques of President Trump is that he’s a painfully short-term thinker, willing to sacrifice long-term good for his own desires. I’d love to see a strong Republican candidate run in 2024 who has few ties to this current administration. Given the close results of this year’s election, I’d expect that type of candidate would do well.
I’d love to see a de-escalation of news media on both ends. I was encouraged to hear from the Murdoch family (owners of Fox News) that they wish to “place country above profits” and report that there is no basis for widespread voter fraud despite what President Trump has said. I hope the other end of the media will hold up this end of the bargain to create a scenario where news begins to lean back toward fact-based reporting that values truth over ratings. I will note that of all my hopes, this one feels the most unlikely to happen.
I’d love to see people stop saying things like “the right,” “the conservatives,” “the Libs,” “the Democrats,” “the Republicans,” or anything else that fits into that category of rhetoric. It’s divisive and only serves to create division with an “us vs. them” mentality. Instead, I’d love to see us adopt more thoughtful language. Attributing a point of view to an entire party or group of people isn’t only inaccurate, it’s discourteous.
I’d love to see people stop treating politics like they’re rooting for a sports team. We’re not meant to be “fans” of politicians. We’re fans of teams and players in sports, but despite how invested we may be, the end results have no significant consequence in our lives. In politics they do, and I know that sounds like an argument TO be a fan and to take things MORE seriously, but it’s not. If we treat politics like sports we act in a way that devalues the emotions that others who disagree with us deal with. If we treat politics like sports we obsessively watch what’s going on at every waking moment, which is harmful to our mental well-being. If we treat politics like sports we take serious subjects lightly, but with passion, creating a perfect storm for hatred and a “whatever it takes to win” mentality. In politics, people should NOT do whatever it takes to win. Politics are not sports, and if you’re looking for something to replace sports in 2020 just sign up for Robinhood.
I’d love to see trust restored in our government. If anything is clear from this election, it’s that our political system is built on trust. Trust in the integrity of our elections, trust in the civil actions of elected leaders, trust in the Constitution of the United States. Right now people do not trust our government. It’s a long road back to a feeling of trust, but it starts today.
Joe Biden is not going to be able to fix our country. Trust in politics has been eroding for years and it’s going to take years to get back to where we were. But it starts now, and it starts with a President who is able to recognize the need for unity instead of division. There are many differences between President-elect Biden and President Trump, but to me, this is the starkest.
Today, if you’re a Republican and if you’re a Democrat, I hope you feel encouraged in the prioritization of unity.
Admit it, you’re tired of unpleasant political rhetoric.
You’re tired of heated, impersonal debates on social media, you’re tired of flags flying with candidate’s names like their a sovereign nation, you’re tired of people screaming at each other because they disagree about something.
It’s exhausting and it comes from both ends of the political spectrum. I choose to believe that our elected leaders are not here to strip away our way of life, but that they’re here to create a balance that’s been missing.
Perhaps that’s naive, but it feels less naive today, November 8, 2020, than it did on November 3, 2020.
That’s all this week, thanks for attending!
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See you next week,
-Ryan Mulholland