If the government is not irreparably broken, then how can we fix it?
Today’s suggestion is simple. Actually, it’s elementary. The elect need to “go back to school.” No, they don’t need to enroll in the closest Econ class (although that might be helpful). They need to go back to kindergarten.
Follow me here… In recent years and certainly weeks/months, the elect’s behavior has been absent of several key, elementary virtues. The Intramuralist has been increasingly disturbed by their behavior; several of you have voiced similar dismay. How they talk to each other — about each other, how they treat one another, and how they sometimes speak to us — especially if they think we share an opposing viewpoint — has been awful… all this from supposedly intelligent men and women. Once again, neither intelligence nor party allegiance matters. The President, Congress, and leaders of all parties have been terrible at being clearly, consistently truthful and offering regular respect to others. Truth and respect are elementary virtues — taught to us in kindergarten.
Borrowing from Robert Fulghum’s insightful, 1988 classic, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, allow me to suggest a few specifics our otherwise intelligent elect have forgotten. In order to fix our government, these need to be generously employed:
- Play fair.
- Clean up your own mess.
- Don’t hit people.
- Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
- Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
- It doesn’t matter what you say you believe — it only matters what you do.
- Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts.
- Ignorance and power and pride are a deadly mixture.
- Yelling at a living thing does tend to kill the spirit in them.
- Always trust your fellow man.
- Always trust God.
- Always love your neighbor.
Allow me to also add a few more of my own…
- Be honest.
- Say what you mean and mean what you say.
- Listen first and foremost; when you think you must speak now, take a deep breath and first listen a little more.
- Restate what you think you hear.
- Act justly.
- Love mercy.
- Practice humility daily.
- Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
- Learn how to both ask for forgiveness and to forgive.
- Don’t say anything in one audience you’d be embarrassed to repeat to another.
- Don’t spend what you don’t have or have no plan to repay.
- Be liberal in offering respect — be conservative in offering criticism.
Regardless of proclaimed intelligence, our elect have forgotten what’s elementary. My current sense is they don’t even fake it well. And unfortunately, too often too many of us join in their reindeer games.
Wait… I have one more suggestion I learned in kindergarten. Well, actually, I didn’t learn it then because it wasn’t available. But when I was in kindergarten, there was no way to arrogantly broadcast my opinion, have likeminded others affirm my disrespectful articulation, and then never be forced to wrestle with the validity of my own perspective.
As our elect “go back to school,” will someone please advise them to stay off of social media?
Respectfully,
AR