Will Kindness Be What We Need After the Mid-Term Elections?
Political fundamentalists are killing America and shattering the American spirit. The promotion of the fixed hyperpartisan mentality that “I am right, and you are wrong,” that the opposing political party is, at best, stupid and misguided or, at worst, made up of evil power mongers, is destroying this nation.
America will fail as a democracy and constitutional republic unless we change course and become better listeners, willing to engage in conversation with those we disagree with; not with the attitude of crushing our opponents, but with the courage and curiosity to entertain different perspectives. Unless we revive our capacity to open our minds and hearts to truly hearing those with a different point of view and reawaken our capacity for compromise, for compassion and empathy, for kindness, we will implode … ALL of us.
Political Fundamentalists – Helping or Hindering?
Political fundamentalists expose themselves as people who do not truly love America, but who are damaging America in a deep and tragic way. Their loyalty lies with a political party, rather than our country. They are addicted to being right, addicted to being on the winning team, causing division and chaos, when our country needs healing. Those who work to divide America, work to destroy America. They are the opposite of a patriot.
Those who promote political fundamentalism, whether politicians or various media outlets, engender intolerance, hatred, contempt, and in some cases violence. But more tragic than that is the fact that Americans are allowing themselves to fall prey to those who feed off this discordant mentality and behavior.
The answers to why some people practice and perpetuate this divisive attitude are as old and cliché as they come. It is the oldest trick in the book – divide and conquer. It is about power, control and greed. Acknowledging that some people in politics, ON BOTH SIDES, and the media are, in fact, power mongers is important.
Are we Electing the Right People?
In many cases, we are electing and re-electing the wrong kind of people. They are people interested in power over, rather than power with. They are people with a dictatorial mindset. People who love this country do not attempt to tear its citizens apart, but instead seek common ground, while acknowledging and embracing our diversity. And people who love this country do not allow themselves to be pitted against their fellow Americans but seek instead to connect with one another in a spirit of inclusiveness and respect.
We are not each other’s enemies. The forces that seek to divide us, the forces that seek to destroy our humanity, the forces that seek to exploit and hurt and perpetuate the infighting … THIS is the enemy. Distraction from our true power, our connectedness, our common ground … THIS is the enemy. And even in this fact, to effectively confront our common enemy head-on, we must be willing to do it with compassion and a strength of heart so deep and determined that it makes us infallible.
Refocus With Kindness to Heal
The way to develop this deep strength of heart, this unfailing compassion, grace, and confidence is to focus our attention inward. The healing starts from within – with each one of us having the courage to confront and integrate the conflicted parts of ourselves. The loud and obnoxious voice that announces and insists that our point of view is superior, that we are on the “right” side, and that our team must win at all costs, is the voice we need to compassionately understand and confront. This voice comes from a wounded place within us, a fearful place. It comes from our deep need to belong, to feel validated, and to feel a sense of purpose in the world. All of these are valid and healthy human needs, but they become perverted when we think, speak and act from a place of unreasonable fear.
It is only when we generate the courage to confront our intolerances and come to terms with our prejudice, our own fears and weaknesses, and our own self-righteousness, that healing begins. The moment we have the courage to admit that we are part of the problem is the moment the forces that split us off from our innermost truth begin to dissolve, and we begin to be part of the solution.
We must encourage one another in this task of self-confrontation, self-exploration, self-awareness and the development of self-intimacy. And we must demand that our elected leaders and representatives work to reflect our desire to live in a country that is not irreparably divided but is instead a home where we can thrive and experience our potential for love and kindness as human beings.
Let us not allow those who seek to destroy our country through political fundamentalism distract us from the task at hand, which is awakening to our own unique gift and delivering that gift with open arms and hearts to our community, our nation, and our world. Let us become Kind Warriors.
