being frank

After I wrote last week’s article, I found myself doing something I promised not to do again; I went back to watching the news. It was mostly out of curiosity, as I wanted to know what the various channels and online outlets were reporting to the general public a mere two months before the midterm elections. The main takeaway was that everyone was in quite a state. Discussions about party rancor, the pros and cons of every political candidate, and (of course) what was going on within the current administration. Every branch of the US government seemed to be either underperforming, overreaching, or doing its best to outdo history with its relentless (and often pointless) acts of subterfuge. Even after a small dose of all that political dissonance, I found myself to be in quite a state.

And yes, that got me to thinking.

 

The State of Anxiety

There’s no doubt that we’re all anxious. We’re unsure about where we’re going and unhappy about where we’re at. We’re concerned about where our finances will end up, and under stress wondering if our job will still be around in the next couple of years. We’re worried about the weather, about the future of our children’s health, about our disregard for our alliances, about the conflict with Iran and the treatment of our service members – and what do you mean the DOJ has threatened to demolish the Kennedy Center?

In almost every single instance, these concerns are out of our hands. They are part and parcel of the responsibilities inherent to the men and women who serve in the US Congress. And as I’ve written before, the time is rapidly approaching when changes to that legislative branch will not only be available but feasible. It’ll be a unique opportunity for us to express the state that we find ourselves in by using our vote to announce the state in which we wish to be.

But yeah, we’re all in a state.

The circumstances from these anxious misadventures create ripples that reach folks living in US territories, near and far. They may have delegates in the US House of Representatives, but they carry no voting power. And they have no one in the Senate to address their fears or alleviate their concerns. So any political events that occur here would likely create seismic changes over there. And like a tsunami, the force of those waves will depend on how genuine the government’s concern really is for its territories.

So regardless of where we happen to live, we each possess a voice, and our connection to this American Experiment allows us to possess an opinion in which we may form (as stated in the dictionary) “an estimation of the quality or worth of someone or something.” But we must be mindful of the voices who shape that American chorus. For the concerns of thoughtful people often get lost in the noise of meaningless rhetoric, but stupid loves to be heard out in a parade.

 

In Living Color

As I waded through the abundance of online content creators, I was reminded of yet another perennial stumbling block: We’re all still hung up on colors. Regardless of who we are or what we believe in, some people insist on wrapping themselves in some form of color. Whether it’s for a club, a gang, a political party or a subset of the human species, people are hell-bent on wrapping themselves in colors.

I bring this up because it is especially consequential during this time in the political cycle, where colors have taken center stage. So much so that the names individual states were granted during their admission to the Union now take a back seat to one of three colors. So if the predominant belief within a given state of the union is for a particular political party, then that state becomes a color. Never mind that there are citizens within that particular state who may be diametrically opposed to that political party. They will be seen and treated by virtue of the color their state now represents. Even the very color of their skin can take a back seat to the color of their political allegiance.

Yes, that’s the state this country finds itself in today.

 

Final Thoughts

Granted, things may get worse the closer we approach election day as people are guided to become either more politically or psychologically charged or emotionally repressed. During this time, political loyalty can become almost fervently instinctual, especially when people feel their territory or beliefs are being threatened and they lose sight of who may bear the brunt of their actions. It almost becomes a Pavlovian response; someone sees a color or the face of an opposing candidate and all the preconceived notions related to it fill their mind to where anything that is in contrast will immediately be rejected or reviled.

There’s a great line from a song that says, “I don’t want to spend my life being a color.” Granted, it was in reference to the color of one’s own skin, but it nonetheless brings to mind an admonition that we should take to heart.

We are all human beings, and our character and beliefs go far more deeply than any color. Although our political or sociological beliefs may be a part of our identity they are not our sole identity. In this country whether by birth or by choice, first and foremost, we’re all Americans. We live in neighborhoods bound by a notion of community and a belief that our children may, as Martin Luther King once said, “live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” This also begs saying that no proper future for our children belongs under the color of a political party, but rather under the guidance of our humanity and moral fiber.

We’re only as good as the people with whom we surround ourselves in life. And during this upcoming election, we have an opportunity to use our vote to choose those people from our communities whom we believe would be able to represent our vested interests – not those of a color or of a state of mind.

Before November rolls around, I would exhort you to spend some time with your thoughts. Separate yourself from whatever state of mind you happen to be in and decide how you’ll be voting. In politics, there are no colors, only shades of ignorance. Choose those public servants who can help rebuild a nation that will reflect the state you want this country to be in tomorrow.