by CJ Clark, Featured Contributor
Yesterday, I saw a car with two bumper stickers. One was a 2012 sign endorsing “Hope” and “Change.” It had the convoluted red, white and blue logo that replaced our hundred years old flag which, apparently, wasn’t good enough. I thought to myself, “Yep, we’ve certainly had change, but hope – not so much.”
The other sticker said, “Don’t Watch FOX.”
And there we are – the reason we are in this pickle. We’re being told what to think, and we don’t have the curiosity or interest to do our own research.
That’s not a partisan statement; we are all guilty of staying within our comfort zone, reading and watching media that fits our own politics. We do it for lots of reasons. We are too busy. We don’t want to be challenged. We don’t like what “they” are saying. We want to put our head in the sand. Or the classic, my vote doesn’t matter anyway.
Ouch.
I have been an executive in large organizations over a lifetime of work and there is one thing I have learned….in large organizations there are no right answers.
Large organizations are highly complex with multiple, often competing systems where one move causes unanticipated ripple effects elsewhere. Anyone who thinks there is one right answer for our country, and the problems we face today, is wrong. Just plain wrong.
For any of us, as U. S. citizens, to take what a media anchor says as gospel is blatantly irresponsible. What is worse is taking what a politician says as truth, without asking some fundamental questions – Why? How? What else? What have we forgotten? What have we overlooked? What is the other side of the story?
I guess I could bemoan the fact that we are not teaching our young people about the complexities of our country. I suppose I could regret that we have so many special interest groups who tout their own agenda which may or may not represent the greater good of the country. I thought the terrorism since 2001 would wake us up, and it did. For a couple weeks.
But we need to be looking forward, not backward. We need to stand up for our country while she still stands.
It is too bad that the quote I want to use here comes from a fictional character, but it is profound. President Andrew Shepard, in the movie The America President, said to the country,
America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You’ve got to want it bad because it’s going to put up a fight.”
He goes on to say that his opponent is only interested in two things, “Making you afraid of it, and telling you who is to blame for it.”
That explains today’s media approach in a nutshell. Each politician and each media outlet churn up fears, and tell us that, if you vote for their candidate, they’ll make it all okay. If you vote for the “other guy” your worst fears will come true.
We have an opportunity to do things differently. We have an opportunity to diversify our thinking, learn about some of the real problems, and engage in educated debate about what will serve the interest of our country and her people best. We cannot satisfy everyone. We cannot provide everything everyone wants – the result will be chaos.
Our laws are devised to protect our rights. Before we criticize them, we need understand them.
Our people aren’t perfect. Before we blame them, we need to find out why they did what they did.
We don’t need to be led by sound bites. We need to look beyond and ask questions.
We can’t keep plugging our ears when someone makes a statement we don’t like. We need to ask them about the fundamental basis of their belief, and respect that it is different or perhaps learn something we didn’t know.
Citizenship is a privilege and a responsibility. We need to respect and honor it. We need to educate ourselves and make the best, most cogent decision that we can possibly make.
Our future depends on it.
