Them and Us

“They” are wrong. “They” are messing up the nation….or the economy…or the schools….or whatever. Just who on earth are “they?” The progressive/liberal/statists have been very successful with many facets of their subversive agenda, but in one critical area they have won by capturing the language and the national point of view. Our nation was formed and founded on the foundation of individual liberty. The lefties have managed through the decades to transform us from a country of individuals to a gaggle of groups. Our national microscope sees only groups. It is impossible for a government … even one as large as ours … to deal effectively with 310 million people. As a result, we have become through political discourse and government action a collection of groups whose agendas and “needs” suffocate individualism.

The nexus of this column was begun by a caller to my radio show (Tue. & Wed., 6-7pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo www.wspd.com ). A previous caller asked when and why did the Black vote leave the Republican Party and become a reliable voting element for the Democrats. During my response to him and subsequent callers, I frequently referred to the African-American demographic voting bloc as “them.” The caller who inspired this column was an African-American lady who objected to my use of “them” as demeaning and unnecessarily exclusive. In addition she added that she preferred to vote “green” when given the ballot opportunity and resented my assumption that she was a “given” for the Democrats. In essence she rebuked me for failing to acknowledge her capability for making individual choices.

She was right. My tendency when examining voter patterns and preferences is to do so in identifiable and measurable demographic groups. Despite my charming caller’s protestations, 90% to 95% of African-American voters consistently support Democrats. The overwhelming numbers may result from a vast collection of individual decisions or may reflect a “herd mentality” that involves habit and group-think more than personal decision making. African-Americans are not the only sector that assumes an identity superseding individual characteristics. Soccer moms, seniors, Latinos, Evangelicals and farmers are all “thems” that we marshal to attempt to understand the political dynamics…..or purchasing patterns of our citizens. Within each of those groups are individuals or outliers who follow their own reasoning or consciences to different ends than their cohorts. So, even as we justify or rationalize demographic clustering for measuring purposes, we inadvertently ignore or submerge the individualists among them.

It is rather easy to understand why someone would be offended by their automatic inclusion in a group. It is overt stereotyping after all, and denies their uniqueness. As individuals we all seek to establish our own identities. We do not want anyone to speak for us or to presume that we may act in a totally predictable manner. This line of reasoning does beg the question “why do so many people fall into group-think patterns of action if indeed they desire to be acknowledged as individuals?” Although I do not wish to pursue this line in the space that remains, I suspect that we may find ourselves entwined in the “Nature versus Nurture” dispute. While we believe that we think and act independently, we may be strongly influenced by our personal histories and our social milieus. We stand alone with others who are similar to us.

When a hypothetical constitutional government such as ours was intended to be, undertakes responsibilities and tasks beyond its constitutional mandate, its enlarged portfolio necessitates that it cumbersomely engage with groups. Any modicum of effectiveness or efficiency would require the bloated government to broadly identify and define those groups. Thus, for example, one can discover well-educated African-American young people from high-income families reviving preferential treatment and financial benefits when they go off to college because their broadly defined group has been designated as a victim of discrimination or deprivation. Our society and many of its governments have determined that stereotyping certain groups is wrong and should be sanctioned. Yet…government itself is a gross abuser of stereotyping as the example above illustrates. How many harmless patriotic Americans are listed on some government agency “watch list” because they purchased a firearm or witnessed a parade?

It is our nature (or nurture) to view others stereotypically until we get to know them as individuals. Our frames of reference for encountering others who differ from us must rely on anecdotal and incomplete evidence until we can know the others personally. Typically many of our stereotypical assumptions are discarded as our new relationship develops. That is not the case for government. Government NEVER progresses to the personal or individual stage of relationship. As a result, governments utilize, enhance and institutionalize stereotypes. Governments are routinely guilty of hate crimes….stereotypically speaking about “them,” of course.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tue. & Wed., 6-7pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo   www.wspd.com

      

Harvest Time

Harvest time is a special time. The seeds and plants that were started in the spring and grew throughout the summer mature to yield their bounty for a long cold winter’s sustenance. Here in Northwest Ohio our specialties are corn and soybeans. The tiny seeds formed eager shoots to rise through the rich soil. The shoots climbed skyward as their roots plunged deeper and wider. The corn began to tassel and the ears were forming while the soybean pods proliferated on the shorter plant. Growing a plant to maturity is a complex process that must take into account the quality of the soil, the nutrients available for the seed, warmth and coolness, moisture and seed depth, and planting dates plus weather factors. Not every year is a bumper year, and not every year is a wasted year, but the wonder and the magic is that over the years, the result is favorable and the people are fed.

An idea or a concept has a similar cycle. When the seed has been planted, the work to encourage its maturity has just begun. It must be placed in fertile soil and nourished so that it may thrive. The elements and environment must be reasonably predictable for the idea to reach maturity otherwise it may drown or wither if the conditions are unfavorable. Once the seed has sprouted by attracting advocates, the feeding of the idea must persistent to keep the concept alive. The more it grows the more branches and leaves it develops. Each leaf, each extension increases its chance for survival and maturity because the individual additions become nourishment centers of their own while feeding the base or the root. The growing plant shoots more seed as it matures and pollinates others in its vicinity. As the plants begin to ripen, the entire field is loaded with fruit and waiting for the harvest.

The roots grow deeper and the plants grow taller. The fruit continues to develop and mature. The plants withstand some severe storms and shortage of rain, but the deep-thrusting roots hold fast against the wind and find moisture for the plant. When the harvest begins, some of the seeds are jostled to the ground as the combine or corn sheller passes by. The stalks are bent and stripped of their bounty, but the roots remain firmly in the ground where they are joined by the newly harvested seeds that escaped the massive machine. As the rains fall and the sun shines, the randomly fallen seeds voluntarily begin to sprout and initiate the cycle once again. The day of harvest is the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November.

Let’s hope the yield is great and the produce is unblemished. The plants will grow under ideal conditions. The most outstanding crop flourishes under stress. The farmer who directs the planting will judge the results by the fruit that is produced. May your growing season be perfect, and may you harvest a bumper crop. May the country, state and community benefit from your efforts. Plant, sprout, grow, reach, flourish and yield.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tues. and Wed. 6-7pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo. www.wspd.com

 

Good Grief!

Good grief! Have I stumbled into a lousy re-make of “Groundhog Day?” As I view the GOP debates and listen to the “informed” pundits, I recall that I’ve heard all this garbage before. This movie should be titled “The Lesser Evil Again.” For more than 150 years the two old parties have followed similar paths at differing speeds to lead us to the same result….socialist state followed by fiscal collapse followed by either violent anarchy or tyrannical totalitarianism. Yet, the pundits, our “leaders,” and even some frightened constitutional activists plead with us to accept the lesser evil because another path would lead to losing. Here’s a news flash: winning with the lesser evil guarantees that we lose…not just the party, but everyone loses.

The most predictable behavioral aspect of American voters, self-identified conservatives and progressive-leftists alike, is their predictability. They continually select lesser candidates in order to avoid losing to a worse candidate while sacrificing principles for short-term political gain. Clearly, our elitist statist leadership is exactly what we deserve because we appear steadfastly committed to handing them the reins of power. We are engaged in a march toward national suicide because we continue to promote and elect career politicians whose lack of political courage places their fingers on the trigger of our demise.

Most of us prefer the familiar over the unfamiliar. Our tendency is to continue repeating our behaviors until circumstances force us to change. For example, during the past several election cycles U.S. voters have allowed the mass media to define the candidates and design the criteria for choosing. Media buzz-words such as “extreme,” “frontrunner,” “electability,” and “isolationist” are sprinkled through the broadcast or story to tilt the coverage and audience perceptions. By choosing which candidates to vet and which elements of their pasts merit reporting, the media construct the public images of the various candidates. Many of us who consider ourselves to be politically aware and astute, nevertheless, swallow the media meme, and we choose our preferred candidates based on the media definition of “electable.”

A recent Battleground Poll suggests that roughly 55% to 60% of the voters in the United States self-identify as “conservative.” Any discerning observer would view that number skeptically because the term “conservative” roams all over the philosophical, ideological and political map. Many conservatives truly desire a constitutional government that confines the federal beast to its enumerated powers. Others appear to be “OK” with a massive federal apparatus that wanders far beyond the Constitution as long as private-sector markets remain unhindered. Another group of conservatives are focused on lifestyle issues and view the federal machinery as a force for coercing and limiting certain personal choice. It seems, therefore, that a conservative majority of voters in the 55% to 60% range is meaningless. Divided priorities, “winning over principles,” and accepting media definitions merge together to create a majority comprised of a collection of poorly defined or articulated minorities.

It appears that while many profess to desire change…especially a return to constitutional principles…they are unwilling to fully commit to candidates who have the principles and the courage to implement the new direction. Their attitudes are similar to the MBA graduate who dreams of becoming CEO but is afraid to leave the comfort of the mailroom in order to enhance his career. So-called constitutional conservatives pine for principled candidates who honor ALL of the Constitution, but hesitate to vote for them for fear of “splitting the vote” or backing a possible loser. So, as a consequence, they vote for the “lesser of two evils” and elect a certain loser while insuring that the nation, too, becomes a loser. Weak-willed voters and weak-on-principle candidates are a combination that will lead to the collapse of our nation. It is impossible for weakness compounded by more weakness to withstand the tides of chaos and destruction. Despite the principles of mathematics wherein two negatives yield a positive, the opposite is true in governance.

Normally I have a good head of hair. I sometimes cut it very short to make it easier to work around the farm, but it does not qualify me as presidential material. Neither does a winning smile nor a resonant voice guarantee that one has the capacity to govern a massive nation. Many years of political service may actually be a detriment for a candidate who is committed to reform because she or he has become too familiar with the status quo. Looks, appearance or poise are not the best criteria for a political leader. Principle, character and consistency are the traits that we should seek for our elected officials.

The lesser of two evils is definitely lesser and obviously evil. We can no longer permit our nation to be in the hands of lesser types who lack a moral and principled compass. We must choose courageously if we expect our elected officials to act with courage.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tues. & Wed., 6-7pm, 1370 WSPD   www.wspd.com