These past months have not only provided time to contemplate whether we’ve been visited by a plague of biblical proportion/meaning, but also to consider what’s going on with our country. Partisanship permeates virtually all discourse and the symbols of our country and its history are being eradicated as signs of what’s wrong instead of glorified for all that’s right; one part of which is the guaranteed freedom to take such a position no matter how misguided.
What’s most troubling is today’s lack of respect for authority, history and the law. Lack of respect, including for each other, may be the root cause of many of our issues. Lawlessness and lack of respect for law enforcement often leads to confrontations that end badly. On rare occasion do issues begin without cause and unfortunately, some have gone beyond lawful enforcement. Like other trusted professions (e.g. teachers, clergy) there are a very small minority of police that act in an unacceptable and sometimes illegal manner.
They must be held to very high standards of conduct and dealt with firmly under the law. We should not vilify the entire profession who protect our lives sometimes with their own. They need our support in terms of resources and training, not a lack of respect which makes their job more difficult. Further, our leaders must make new laws where they’re needed and change laws where they’re no longer desired. Selective enforcement or simply ignoring them doesn’t contribute to respect for the law (e.g. immigration and drug policy).
Respecting history is important. I believe that explicit displays of oppression should not be glorified but that one needs to judge individuals by the standards of their time and not by our ever-changing sense of what’s right today. For example, Abraham from the bible had more than one wife – was he a bad person since today polygamy is not generally acceptable? George Washington was a major slave owner. Is that fact alone cause for changing the name of our country’s capital and other places named in his honor?
Can any of history’s characters pass such a test? Judged by whose standards? Do we ignore their contributions in making us the greatest country ever to exist? Not all is to be proud of but is undeniably our history (e.g. treatment of Native Americans, slavery, internment). However, let’s not forget the good. We’ve come a long way and there’s further to go. However, such progress was because of our history not despite it. Erasing it leaves a void in understanding who we are and where we’ve come from and the risk of repeating past mistakes.
Change can come about in different ways. The ballot box is one and lawful protest is another. Violence and looting aren’t. They’re criminal and harmful to their alleged cause.
Respect for different points of view and the ability for compromise is essential. Lack of respect for our symbols, history, laws and those charged with enforcing them will be to the detriment of all. It’s our choice.
William Schuster
Aiken
