Ponderous Simplicity

I've watched in somewhat horrified amazement as Donald Trump has become the front runner in the Republican Presidential Race. For weeks I've been thinking -

What?!?

Why?!?

HOW?!!

 Articles are saying it is because Americans want change. Others state it is because of the economy. Additional, articles argue it is because of racism.

But I don't think the deep underlying reason has to do with any of those things.

This week it hit me - Trump is America. He epitomizes so much of what we as Americans are. All of us. You, me and the person next door. Attention seeking, finger pointing, blame shaming, personal responsibility avoiding, want to be heard Americans.

Perhaps you are planning to vote for Donald Trump. Perhaps not. It doesn't matter. We all have a part in what America has become and engendered those behaviors that have led to someone that has little thought, except for himself, as a presidential front runner.

We want a voice. And we want to be heard. Social media does a wonderful job of giving us a false voice. Of attention that is fleeting but seems to give satisfaction. I've found it interesting as I scroll through my Facebook feed. One thing I love to look for are recipes. I enjoy cooking and get bored with the same things over and over. So I look for new recipes that are pretty easy with no ingredients that I can't say let alone find in my local grocery store. There are a lot of recipes posted on Facebook these days. If you take a look, you will also notice, usually hundreds of comments on a post, with a number of those posts complaining about how unhealthy the recipe is, how A instead of B would be easier or better or whatever, or a complaint of some kind. Most probably don't really care if the recipe is healthy or not, haven't tried method B to know it is better than method A, but they want a VOICE. They want to feel heard. So they say SOMETHING....ANYTHING.

A recipe post on Facebook may seem insignificant so let me expound a similar type of thing but with a much more significant post. I would argue the same principle applies when there is a news report or post on someone being killed by the police. I'm not saying that brutality by police officers doesn't exist but when the report is made of an officer involved shooting or killing, social media goes wild. There are immediate posts about police brutality, that it was unjustified, that it was justified, that we need to call for action against the police. And oftentimes it even goes on to fuel protests and riots against police and police officers. Do we take a minute to think, that we can't possibly know the whole story? That if we personally, or one of our family members were in danger, we would be grateful for a police officer that risked their lives to help us? That the only actions we can control are our own?

We have become a reactionary country -  waiting for something to pounce on to scream about, to complain about to protest because we feel unheard. Unfulfilled. Unwanted. And we blame the country, the president, the police, other people, our friends or our neighbors. It is everyone else's fault but our own. We blame and then we shame or blame shaming. It makes it easier to avoid looking in the mirror. To seeing ourselves. To taking the time to have an actual conversation with a person in the room.

Recently, there was a couple that had tried to treat their child's meningitis on their own. And their child died. I saw post after post calling this couple all kinds of names and saying all kinds of things about them. It is a tragedy what happened. But why are we shaming this couple? They made a mistake - a huge mistake - that I'm sure they recognize at this point. Though if they don't, shaming them isn't going to make them realize it. We all make mistakes. Most of us would never want our mistakes, big or small, projected into the wide world for all to know.










But we shame to make ourselves feel better. To feel like by climbing on our shame box that we escape to a certain degree our own failings. Or unconsciously to say to ourselves - "Well I make mistakes but not THAT big of mistakes." So we post and complain. Post and blame. Post and run away from personal responsibility. And then we wonder why Donald Trump is a prime candidate for president?

Now don't get me wrong - I'm not pointing fingers at anyone from my own soapbox. I'm right down in the muck with you. I blame. I react. I seek attention from means that aren't fulfilling. I run from personal responsibility. We all do it in some ways and we always will do it. What has happened though, is we aren't even conscious or willing to SEEK for personal responsibility and accountability. To stop blaming organizations, people, beliefs, etc. for what is wrong with our nation and communities. To stop and take a look at ourselves personally to see how we are supporting others, our community and nation.

Let me give you a personal example. I've only voted once in my life. Those of you that know my approximate age, know that means I've not voted a number of times I should have. I've made all kinds of excuses for not voting (because I really do think the whole politician and election process is a joke) but what I was really doing was avoiding my personal responsibility to this country to make my voice heard and to take responsibility for what is happening in this country. By not voting it was easy to say - "Well I didn't vote for them. The voting process does nothing. I can't make a difference." (I'm striving to repent of my ways, am registered to vote and will vote in the upcoming election). Now, I recognize I do live in Utah and my vote may seem not to make a difference, but I can make it make a difference for ME by accepting the responsibility I have as a citizen of this country.

We each can make a difference. Every single one of us. But not in the way we think. We can make a difference by not ignoring our personal responsibility. We stop pointing fingers and blame shaming. We don't post just to say something....anything. We realize its less about posting and more about actually doing. We stop saying that everyone else, or someone else, or a specific minority group is the problem and we take a deep, long look inside and identify the things we can change, the things we can do to make America a better place.