A Matter of Character

Today I saw a Facebook clip of Kamala Harris talking to a young person in distress. Her genuine concern, her constant eye contact, her authentic empathy without a trace of demeaning pity, her clarity that she is there for this person, her reminder of the person’s own inner strength and resources— really, this could be a training video for how to sincerely (no acting here) be there 150% for our fellow humans in need. Which means all of our fellow humans. 

 

On the other side of Red/Blue divide are those reprehensible Repugnitans (not all— a few finally drawing the line) who are using the devastating hurricanes to spread further misinformation and yet more insane conspiracy theories ("the Democrats learned how to control the weather and purposefully targeted areas with Republican voters"). The same folks who used AI to make a fake photo of Donald Trump, the man who has proven time and time again that there is not an empathetic cell in his body, wading through the flooded waters to help someone. Using the suffering of others to further their campaign of misinformation to dupe the folks who let themselves get fooled. 

 

I just find it extraordinary to believe that according to the so-called polls, some 50% of American voters vow to choose narcissism over empathy, cruelty and spite over caring and compassion, babbling at over listening to. I’m so weary of all the explanations, all the rationales, all the excuses that try to justify an otherwise normal human being making such a choice. A dog or 3-year old kid would sniff out in a nano-second the difference between a caring Kamala and tantrum-throwing Trump. 

 

“Every time history repeats itself, the price goes up.” There’s so much at stake here politically, culturally, ecologically, economically, but at the root of it all, we are simply voting to elect the character that we want to represent our own morality and ethics. Even when (not if) Kamala wins, close to half of our country will still be sharing this world with us and though I rarely meet them face-to-face (that I’m aware of), still I am astonished that they exist and will most likely continue to believe the lies they have been fed and are feeding themselves. As a teacher, as a citizen, as a human being, this hurts my heart. 

I keep believing in our best selves and here is an enormous population trying to prove me wrong. 

 

I’m looking for the words that strike deeper than my personal whining complaint and rant, however justified. They are not coming. 

 

Perhaps it comes down to this. People, stop the chatter in your head. Use your nose like your trusted dog, trust your intuition, like your 3-year old child. And vote accordingly.