“Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right”—
The 2020 election looms mercifully in the coming days and it can not come soon enough in my opinion. The tireless volleys of insults, untruths, and obfuscation are emotionally and intellectually exhausting. I just want it all in the rearview mirror and no doubt I am not alone in that sentiment. The entire process has become so divisive with combatants seeming to retreat further and further away from each other on the political spectrum. As a result, I find myself lost, or perhaps more accurately forgotten, in the middle. Either way, I sadly do not feel represented.
At what point in the devolution of our political structure did it become unfashionable to simply be fiscally conservative and socially moderate? Further, at what point did the simple concepts of compassion and humanity become partisan? I never thought wanting a government of elected representatives able to make sound fiscal decisions that prudently sustain the future of our democracy, able to compassionately support those less fortunate, while recognizing and celebrating the inherent beauty of diversity that lies within our borders, would make me feel like an outsider in our political system.
This is a frightening time for our nation. We are gripped by a pandemic that has shaken our economy, humanity, and our families to the core and our government, once the envy of the developed world, has hobbled itself by self-centered, partisan behavior on both sides of the aisles. If the current state of affairs in the House and Senate are not “Exhibit A” for term limits, I think it is safe to say we will clearly never get there.
At some point in decades past, when we weren’t looking, “public service” morphed into “self-service” predicated primarily on self preservation. Today’s politicians seem to have forgotten who they are serving and their actions — or inactions — have consequences for the constituency. They have forgotten that the deal that might best serve the majority is the deal where both sides have to “throw up in their mouth just a little” to get something done. In other words, everyone gives up something to serve the greater good. Regrettably, that is not the world we live in today regardless of whether you watch CNN or Fox. We live in a polarized world where politicians need to pander to the religious right or the progressive left in order to maintain their seats. A great swath of folks are forgotten in that paradigm.
They say that God speaks in mysterious ways or at times in whispers, so I was a bit surprised to hear from him while watching reruns of The West Wing (S3:E6) last night while cooking dinner. Early in the episode, there is reference to a passage from Ephesians 5:21 which counsels us to “Be subject to one another….”. This reminded me that at our core, as a people, as citizens we are meant to come together in community, to support one another. In my interpretation this extends from the family to the office and yes, to those whom we elect to represent us in Congress. When we subject ourselves to one another we are able to find the middle ground that is so critical to serve the greater good. Regrettably however, and I will borrow from the Stealers Wheels here, I find myself with “clowns to the left of me, jokers to my right” here I am, stuck in the middle.
Vote.
