Has Discourse Run Its Course?

A video was forwarded to me last night that compelled me to respond. I never reply to mass forwards within our family, but this one touched a nerve. It wasn’t that the message was attacking the Presidential candidate I’m backing, but rather how easily the content and tenor of the message lulled the readers into not thinking for themselves and truly considering just how they were being manipulated by the message. Let’s not give up on critical thinking and discourse. It’s vital.

The video that got me fired up.

The forward asked whether we were bothered by the video. My response:

___________

This video bothers me.

It bothers me that we allow ourselves to succumb to superficial claims that fear monger and play off our deepest seeded racist thoughts.
It bothers me that it’s been viewed 4.5 million times and otherwise smart people don’t think through just how this video manipulates our innermost fears and potentially secret thoughts.

I’d like to believe that we’re all smart enough to dig a little deeper and look beyond the color of ones skin, the origins of ones name or whether they are willing to wear a lapel pin. Frankly, my mom taught to do just that and I’d like to believe she’ll do the same.

I’d also like to believe that we don’t all get judged based on the words that come out of our acquaintances’ mouths. Who among us hasn’t been friends with someone who was a stark raving racist? Were you not embarrassed by what was said? I have been on both accounts, but I wouldn’t want to be painted with the same brush. Should I have stood up and renounced them as a friend right there? Maybe, but I didn’t. Does that make me evil? Does that make me any less fit to represent and lead a diverse group of people?

[note: Obama has renounced Rev. Wright's remarks repeatedly. Take your pick on which article you want to read. Kudos if you make it through all 464,000 mentions.]

Obama has symbolized a new type of politics. Whether you agree with his points of view or not, he has brought over 5 million new voters into the political process. He has mobilized a generation that has been dormant since 1968. For the first time in forty years we have a generation of people believing not just in our country, but in what our country stands for and what our country can achieve. They’re believing in the ideals that symbolize America. People are being reminded of what makes our country great. We are a country that judges people on merit, that gives everyone a fighting chance to make something great of themselves and that protects our right to hold differing points of view from the majority. We live by the golden rule. By taking ten-second sound bites of all the things we as well as our friends have ever said, could one make a video that shreds your true beliefs and ideals apart? Damn right they could.

Let’s start using our heads before we succumb to these trite, banal attacks. These attacks may work on elementary school playgrounds, but we should be above that. Let’s hold ourselves to a higher standard. Let’s hold ourselves to a standard that we’d like to see in our leaders.

As for your vote, that’s for you to decide. But, please, don’t throw it away by allowing yourself to be so blatantly manipulated. Use your head. Look at the issues, look at their platforms and make an informed decision based on the issues for which you care most deeply.

Yes, the video bothers me.

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