View Points by Dr. T

What is the “New Normal” in political discourse?

Tensions rise, as does the tone and pitch of the voices in the room. There is no listening, only shouting. There is no dialogue, only debate. The shrieking and shoving escalates to battle lines drawn and what was once a democratic process of discourse and decorum becomes a raucous room full of rowdy constituents pushing, shoving and throwing chairs. Has this become the “new normal” in political discourse? It seems bullying, name-calling and vitriolic hate speech will continue to be a part of our lives for the next 6 months (at least), as we have crossed over into a land that used to be called “off limits.” The sexual conduct and/or misconduct of our public figures were not fodder for discussion in public. At least it didn’t used to be. It wasn’t condoned as polite, mature or common knowledge to be placed at the center of the public debate. My, my, my how things have changed.

Politics have always been a dirty business, no question about that. However, the types of displays we are now being exposed to on a regular basis, including classic forms of racism, race baiting, misogyny, xenophobia, nationalism and absolute hate have crossed lines and opened up historic animosities that we as a nation have so fervently attempted to move beyond that we didn’t notice we weren’t moving at all. Even so-called progressives have begun to eat their young. We are going backwards not forward and with mantras like “make America great again” or “we want our country back”, it is clear that the progress we thought we had made was halfhearted at best and merely empty platitudes or wishful thinking at worst. It is time we come to the recognition that we have not really come all that far as a nation. If America is supposed to be the light on the hill, watch out, ‘cuz folks in this country have lost their righteous minds.

There are people on TV calling for a Revolution! People who don’t know where they’ve been cannot know where they’re going. How can those people lead us to where we’re supposed to be going? There is a crisis of leadership and the spewing of lies all around keep the under-educated mis-informed, and make the educated complicit in their own demise. The folks who don’t want to be on one side or the other will be run over by the riotous and the raucous shouts for Change. Change for whom?– Change to what? Change that has no intention of including everybody is really no Change at all. All Change is not “good” Change, especially when it’s only for the sake of Change itself.

Gil Scott Heron wrote: “The revolution will not be televised!” back in 1970.

The revolution will not be right back after a message about a white tornado,
white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.

The revolution will put you in the driver’s seat.

The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.

This is NOT the revolution! This is an election, and it will profoundly affect us all. You better get involved!

Up Next Week: The Papa and the 3 wishes