The (un)Common Good

My Gen-Z teenager said yesterday that she didn’t want to be a witness to any more historical events. She wants a tasteless, odorless, colorless, plain cheese pizza of a 2021.  I agree.

The past four years have been painful in so many ways.  As the mother of a transgender queer child, watching the Trump administration take over 65 discriminatory actions against LGBTQ Americans has been a stake to my heart.  Watching others support those attacks with their voices and votes, no matter how politely, has been brutal.  But in addition to the impact on our own family, seeing the lack of empathy that has overtaken our culture is shocking. 

The defense of the murder of George Floyd (he had a record).  The defense of babies taken away from their mothers (they shouldn’t have come here).  The resistance to a living wage (just work harder).  The abuse of the planet (business comes first).  The outrage at vandalism of property (lives lost are secondary).  The jaded acceptance of deaths due to covid (it’s the individual’s responsibility).  The lack of concern for others’ safety (I have a right not to mask). The refusal to provide access to healthcare (that’s socialism). The dismissal of the US Capitol rioters (they were imposters).  This has become common and it is not good. 

And it is not pro-life.  All these attitudes lead to death.  More than ever, we know that the position of POTUS is critically important. Some used to say, "the real power lies in Congress and the president is mostly a figurehead." When a president lies about election fraud, millions of people believe him even when all evidence is to the contrary. When a president encourages violence, thousands act, even though it is illegal. When a president uses dehumanizing language, millions lose empathy for their neighbor, even though their religion commands mercy.  For all the railing against radicals – however you define it - this dog eat dog culture is what I find most radical.  

I pray that the next four years, we find our way back to truth, not because we are followers but because we find a part of ourselves that got lost these past four years. The truth is: pursuing the common good, not maintaining our own comfort, is how we make America a more perfect union.  God help us.  

For a well sourced list of the discriminatory actions taken by the Trump administration since January 20, 2017, see https://transequality.org/the-discrimination-administration