Most every year in our 16 year existence, the Intramuralist has published sort of a “state of the government” post to accompany the official State of the Union (SOTU). It’s ok if you didn’t watch last night; while we strive to watch every national address by every President regardless of party, it’s hard to pay attention to politics these days, for multiple reasons, many that were emphatically on display last night.
Also, to be clear, last night’s speech was not technically a SOTU address. It was officially an address to a joint session of Congress in the early weeks of a new president’s tenure; such is a tradition Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump (45) and Joe Biden each previously followed.
Regardless, no less, of the title of the early year, annual address — and regardless, too, of who has what level of control — regardless, even of party — our assessment of state has been continually summarized as too partisan, too influenced by money, too big, too financially imbalanced, and too far removed from the Constitution.
This has been true for way too long.
But after witnessing last night’s address — and in my opinion, the embarrassing behavior by multiple members of both parties — we have a new summarizing statement:
The state of the government’s elected lawmakers is unhealthy.
Such was obvious almost immediately from last night’s address…
With all the stand ups, sit downs, jeers, cheers, brags, bravado, sulking and celebration, sometimes I felt like I was back in a junior high gym… minus only the acne, perhaps.
(And before someone attempts to suggest how all of one side’s behavior was completely acceptable, they will have to substantiate why it’s sagacious to wear a hat saying “Trump was right about everything” or to refuse to stand when a 13 year old cancer survivor was having the night of his life. Please. Grown adults can act better than we did in junior high.)
I indeed wish it was better. I wish it was healthier. I wish our elect spent more time problem solving, choosing humility over hubris and collaboration over blame. I wish we knew more what they are for rather than who they are against. I wish they worked together.
I wish the elect treated one another better, learning how to disagree without denigration, learning how to shake hands regardless of agreement.
“How can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?”
Such were the words of one of our three most recent presidents in his final SOTU address (I’ll refrain from sharing his name, as many will only accept the above pending who said it).
Friends, we certainly do not have all the answers. I don’t believe one person or party has all the answers either. Each has had their chance.
If our politics are thus to reflect the best in us, my strong sense is it won’t start via power or policy or partisanship or thinking one party is all right, one party is all wrong, and turning a blind eye to the malfeasance of the other. That malfeasance exists.
My equally strong sense is that if our politics are going to reflect the best of us, we need to be healthier… especially in how we treat each other. That was the problem on display last night in my opinion — how grown adults were so obviously callow with one another.
We are healthier when we commit to treating all people with respect, kindness and dignity.
Allow us to add a most important insight: disagreement is not dissolved when respect, kindness or dignity are offered.
Respect, kindness and dignity only make it so that those who disagree with you can actually hear what you have to say. I thought that’s what we want.
My deep desire, friends, is to actually take some productive next steps, if possible… treating each other better, making the government healthier, and staying out of those junior high gyms.
Respectfully…
AR