Gut Check

Two weeks brought Americans two tumultuous events. First, the tragic passing of liberal icon, and our most senior member on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Then, then sudden revelation that our President was battling COVID-19 from the hospital.

Both of these strike at our emotions. However, some Americans may have felt differently with each event. Some may have been unmoved or even celebratory in the passing of RBG. The same can be said when Trump revealed his diagnosis.

You know what is in your heart, and you know exactly how you felt when you heard of both instances. Examine your conscience and ask yourself why you felt different. Then, come to the understanding that you are taking politics too seriously. We are humans. We are here on the planet as a collective unit to love and support one another. When you are unable to channel empathy due to one’s political beliefs, you are the problem. Not the opposition.

Please stop taking politics to heart. Life is much more than Republicans and Democrats. Plus, leaders on both sides do all they can to stir up our emotional animosity so we fight in packs, to galvanize their support. Don’t fall prey to this.

I am not suggesting you abandon who you are and what you believe in. I am simply telling you that it’s time to take the temperature down. You would never mourn the loss of a friend, colleague, or family member differently simply due to their political beliefs. Subsequently, you’d never turn the other cheek and refuse to help someone in need just because they don’t align with your ideology. So, why then do you excuse your behavior with politics?

You are not supposed to be a representation of the party leaders who display their childish antics for the world to see on a continual basis. You’re job is not to mimic them and their cowardly ways. You are supposed to be an individual who leads by example. You are to be someone who shows compassion, empathy, and concern for anyone you come across. So, please spare us the nimble minded excuse that you have permission to act the way you do because the other side acts in similar context.

When you die, if you believe in a higher power, you will be judged exclusively on what you did. You will not be judged against your peers, or strangers. You will not be given a pass simply because others acted in similar ways. You are the only person that will matter when you face that final moment.

Finally, I was going to conclude by addressing some of the vitriol I’ve seen from media outlets, keyboard warriors, and personal interactions in recent weeks. But, you’re not worth my time and energy, because you are the problem. How can we be united as a nation when some in this nation can’t even display common decency and selflessness anymore?

The love of a neighbor doesn’t come with stipulations. Forgive them father for they know not what they do.