What are your most inspiring and disappointing moments in following politics?
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There have been volumes upon volumes written in treatises on the nature of governments. And while I will not use this space to argue the merits of John Locke or Friedrich Engels, it’s been my observation democracy relies on a certain amount of faith to funWhat are your most inspiring and disappointing moments in following politics?
There have been volumes upon volumes written in treatises on the nature of governments. And while I will not use this space to argue the merits of John Locke or Friedrich Engels, it’s been my observation democracy relies on a certain amount of faith to function. Not a religious faith in the fantastical or the mystical, but a secular faith which believes in the people who are our neighbors. The practical reality is a functioning society is held together by tenuous interconnected threads. It’s a belief the people we live with will more likely than not treat us with fairness and kindness, and if they don’t there are ways to make things right. It’s part of being a “community,” and the basis from which other sorts of faith in concepts like justice and equality flow from. We live in a community that’s built skyscrapers which touch the clouds, and put people on the Moon. But it’s also a community which many times fails us is some of the most tragic and unnecessary ways imaginable. Our closest neighbors have all too often disappointed us in their decisions and values, especially when those qualities are all too often based in ignorance, fear, and hate. When I'm feeling good about the direction of the United States, when there’s something which genuinely seems like progress, it’s like a scene out of West Wing where the music swells and one can almost sense an American flag flapping mightily in their heads. However, in recent years, this feels more like a prequel series to The Handmaid’s Tale, where the very nature of truth and reality is under assault with a significant part of our community either not giving a shit or giggling at the madness. As election day approaches, I’ve thought about those moments. I’ve thought about which points in time I’ve been at either spectrum of emotions. So I thought I would posit these questions tonight: Which moments in politics have been resonating points in your life, for either good or bad? Which moments stand out as times which made you angry, made you cry, or made you pump your fist in the air in victory? Read more