July 4, 2013 Part II

During the presidential elections last Fall I heard a lot about “American exceptionalism”.  I personally find such an attitude prideful in the extreme.  But setting aside the arrogance of such a world outlook, I do not see any evidence in the pictures of exceptional thinking, of exceptional problem solving abilities, nothing exceptional about planning for protecting the liberty of the women, children, elderly, and young people who had no say in a decision about war.  I see nothing exceptional at all, unless I count exceptional self-interest.  And, of course there is the exceptional level of greed. 

And then there is the raging battle over the “freedom and liberty” to own guns without restrictions on that ownership.  That is exceptionalism, for sure.  It is exceptionally irresponsible.  It is exceptionally cunning of the NRA and gun manufacturers to twist the message of a horrific slaughter of little 6 year olds at Sandy Hook Elementary.  They have done a remarkably exceptional job of making a tragedy involving mostly children not about them but rather, about adults and their freedoms according to the Second Amendment.  And I find it exceptionally cold, calculating, and greedy, almost beyond what I can comprehend.  It is also exceptionally difficult; no, not just difficult, but impossible, for me to understand how gun owners are not sickened and horrified at what a gun with a high capacity magazine did to little bodies.  I still worry about whether or not the parents were able to hold their dead children.  I hope they did not get to see the children right away, because those little bodies had to be shredded.  If that thought alone does not inspire all of us to demand regulations about gun registration, what will?  I assume the answer is nothing. 

And I, for one, find that exceptionally distressing and sad.  Reducing speed limits in school areas is acceptable to us.  Doing background checks on teachers and others who want to work with children is not only accepted, but demanded. There are parental filters for television programs and computer sites.  All of this is done in the name of protecting our children.  But suggesting a return to a level of gun regulation previously in place and our Constitution and founding fathers are, in my opinion, symbolically removed from their current pedestal to be elevated to a new status of idol worship. 

It appears we are exceptionally devoted to what the founding fathers intended (as interpreted to support our political and/or religious point of view).  Many adamantly maintain that these founding fathers were exceptional Christian men.  (For myself, I would prefer not to take the word of even the most prominent, well-respected historians on that matter.  I would want to know what their slaves said regarding how ‘Christian’ those founding fathers were.)  And now, in addition to the veneration of these men and a dedication to our founding document that, as I see it, bears a semblance to consecration, it seems there is a growing fervor also for guns.  For some it has morphed further, into vehemence against those, like myself, who do not share that zeal for guns and the right of Americans to any and all sorts of guns and ammunition.  I have heard us referred to as the ‘enemy’, no less!

To those who feel so strongly about just how free we are, about how we are the greatest nation on earth, the idea of reflecting on our shortcomings would be considered exceptionally disloyal, exceptionally unpatriotic.  I do not subscribe to that view at all.  When my daughter was very small I had a friend whose children were then teenagers.  I always respected Nancy’s ability to identify her children’s faults and share them so openly.  None of us who were her friends thought she loved her children any less for admitting they were less than perfect.  In fact, I saw it as something I wanted to learn from as a parent.  I thought it a benefit to her children.   They would receive instruction on how to be aware of their human imperfections; on how to work towards minimizing those faults and maximizing their strengths.   

Through Plato’s writings we know Socrates’ wisdom when he said that “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  This attitude works for me.  And I believe it is valuable not only in our individual, internal lives, but very constructive when applied to our community lives as well.  So for me, I hope that by next year’s celebration of our independence, we have examined our societal life and determined that all policy should focus first and foremost on the impact on children, or those, like the elderly, who are equally powerless.  In short, any who should, in a country so frequently referred to as ‘Christian’, and  one described in terms of positive ‘exceptionalism’,  be valued above things, certainly above weapons, and whose lives are better because the rest of us are more than willing to impose some limitations on our rights, some morally fair limitations.   We are willing to view these limitations in the same light as other everyday boundaries we accept for the good of children.  And I speak not only of American children.  I refer to ‘children’, period.  Were that to happen, wouldn't that be a true example of ‘American exceptionalism’?

I found a quote of the Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran (with whose work I am insufficiently educated) that summarizes it beautifully:  “Keep me away from wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children.”  (Emphasis mine.)