It doesn’t really matter what the question was, or who he was talking to when Donald J Trump made that statement: “You think this country is so innocent?” From my best recollection, I have never heard a president actually acknowledge the sinfulness of so much of what America actually does. It grieves me that some other government leaders actually criticized President Trump for making the statement, as though the admission of human fallibility, even for the greatest nation on earth, would somehow diminish our “so called” greatness.
I could point out the “collateral” damage of innocent bystanders during our militaristic tirades, I could point out that we don’t need Middle Eastern oil, I could point out that there were no weapons of mass destruction, I could point out the children with hand grenades, the villages with old people, the sweat shops in Asian countries that manufacture our cheap clothing by exploiting child labor. And, I could point out the obtuse decadence and indifference of billion dollars a minute Super Bowl commercials, and everything else in American culture, while there is poverty, hunger, and homelessness right here at home in the United States… ad nauseum.
I understand. The equation is not usually quite that simple. I mean, it would take Christian sacrifice to do away with gasoline, or to simply walk away from gasoline that requires bloodshed, and simply move on to electric cars and scaled down transportation. Well, it would be simple, not easy, but simple. And in my opinion, sports in the 1970’s was a great avenue for cultural assimilation and the “team” value of cooperation. Not today. I don’t think so. I’m the lone voice who now says the national obsession with sports had made us blind, callous and indifferent to the rest of the problems that our country is facing, at home and abroad.
And don’t misunderstand, I still take umbrage with some of President Trump’s intentions and methods. I disagree with ending Internet neutrality, for instance. It may not seem like a problem now, but I see the potential for abuse for commercial gain that could essentially shut down traffic for informational, educational, and alternative news. I see it this way. Everybody traveling on the same information highway has to follow the same speed limit. If you’re driving a big truck full of movies from Net Flix, you pay more for abusing the infrastructure, but you still don’t get to go 120 mph by putting everyone else in a special lane that only goes 25 mph. If there really is plenty of bandwidth, then that shouldn’t be a problem either. And incidentally, my internet service is already severely affected at regular intervals by nearby bandwidth hogs. Abandoning net neutrality would be a sin.
And that’s the point. We all know that we are an imperfect people mostly struggling to do what’s right. And, I assume you understand there are perverts who are evil and just out for themselves and their money and their kicks and their satisfaction. We all know, but do we really need to hear the words? Damn right you do. And, so do I. This country has lost so much perspective because of our self-righteousness that stating the obvious and showing contrition, is the first necessary step toward reconciliation, and opening our eyes to see what the important if sometimes tough decisions really are. It’s not even about whether you are left or right. It doesn’t really matter what your religion is, or your gender. Because, until we are honest with ourselves, as a nation, about our own sinful shortcomings, we will not be able to see where we can and should compromise and negotiate with the people we disagree with.
So thank you, Donald J Trump, for offering that resounding acknowledgement on behalf of all the American people. You have grown a lot of respect for yourself, and for this country in so doing. It truly is the first real step to making America… greater than it has ever been before. It’s just that simple.
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© 2017 – Jim Casey
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