Just when you think…
The leaves on the trees are brilliant, the cool morning air is refreshing, and there is the anticipation of fall favorites like Halloween and Thanksgiving – and the end of the political campaign season!
As much as I try to avoid it, it is hard not to be confronted multiple times a day by not just political commercials, but vicious attack ads. And with each new election cycle, the bar continues to sink lower as some candidates demonstrate just how far they are willing to go to defeat their opponents.
All of which makes me wonder: Is there now nothing that is out of bounds? Have we adopted the rationale that, at all costs, the ends justify the means? And in doing so, have we completely abandoned any ethical or moral line that we are unwilling to cross? If the honest answer to that last question is yes, then what does that say about us, both individually and as a society?
Respect, dignity, integrity, fairness, empathy, and compassion are values that form the foundation of the world’s major religions and civil societies. What will the actual cost be if we are willing to let these values erode? Clearly some serious soul-searching is long overdue.
What is the line for me? What is the line I will continue to advocate for – and, more importantly, refuse to cross?
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, makes a compelling case for the consequences we face if we continue on our present trajectory. King argued that we cannot build a more just, peaceful, and compassionate society by abandoning justice, peace, and compassion in the process.
For the good of our own souls and the well-being of our communities, it is more critical than ever that we firmly embrace the core values of respect, dignity, integrity, fairness, empathy, and compassion. The question is whether we are willing to live by them, especially when doing so is difficult, inconvenient, or politically unpopular.
BP