" What's Wrong With Glitz ? "
Rev. Peter E. Bauer
Well, it's certainly been an interesting election campaign thus far. We have had a candidate offer to potential voters and their families helicopter rides and tickets to the movies. This is rather creative marketing for a political campaign. Why bother to talk about any specific policies when you can appeal to a great deal of anger and the desire for a quick fix ?
Somehow, the response of " we are going to look into this situation " is not really satisfying when you are considering policy recommendations regarding terrorism and immigration. Yet, right now this type of response is being rolled out consistently for the masses to hear and to digest.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said " the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. " This year, fear is taking center stage. We are fearful of everything from a potential next terror attack to determining who we allow into the United States. What is this election really saying about our current priorities as a people ? When a Muslim woman is being escorted out of an arena and hecklers are shouting to her " Do you have a bomb ? You really wonder where sanity has gone ?
As Bob Dylan observed
" So many roads, so much at stake
So many dead ends, I'm at the edge of the lake
Sometimes I wonder what it's gonna take
To find dignity "
Yes, dignity where is it ? Regarding the Muslim woman who was told to leave the political rally, another candidate was heard to say:
" Well, I don't know. Maybe it was just a Friday night "
It's good to know that we have reduced everything to juvenile sophomoric behavior on the level of toilet papering houses.
Currently, this election race is being waged by candidates who are running against someone who refuses to play by any of the established rules or even acknowledge that there are rules. Why I feel bad for Jeb Bush - The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/...jeb-bush/.../1f5f16... This type of dynamic really makes it impossible for anyone to attempt to discuss serious policy regarding how matters should be handled when they are being decried in derogatory terms.
We are being constantly treated to the spectacle of glitz. We will offer you a lot of simple suggestions. Money will be spent out of the personal fortunes of the candidate so that no one will really complain about the atmosphere of " bread and circuses. "
Democracy is really losing out here. How are voters making intelligent decisions amidst the rhetoric of " making our country great again ? " Pardon me, but weren't we already the most prominent country in the world ? If not, why is it that so many people want to come and live here ?
The glitz and the one-liners may be entertaining. But after a while you start to feel like that this whole election including the debates, with some exceptions, are starting to feel like a reality show.
Sting would remind us:
" Some would say I was a lost man in a lost world
You could say I lost my faith in the people on TV
You could say I'd lost my belief in our politicians
They all seemed like game show hosts to me "
Clearly now, there are a lot of game show hosts; there is a lot of carnival barking. As citizens and as a country, we deserve much better. We need to reject this kind of simplistic dualistic drivel that is presented as serious political discussion and demand that candidates " do their homework " and not insult our intelligence.
Keep the glitz for the theatre.
Remind us again why elections really matter.
May it be so.