Senseless Minds...??

I want to start by saying that there are so many thick layers of issues about this election and the state of America, as I’m sure we’ve all realized by now, that for a long time I couldn’t even think of what to write about. Therefore, I decided to just mention a couple of things that I have learned about people and the natural tendencies of our “modern” society while watching this whole election process unfold. I realize that what I have to say may not line up with what others think, so feel free to argue.

            The first thing is that our society is frighteningly gullible. On Facebook alone, there were (and still are) numerous media sources that completely twisted the truth in favor of one candidate or the other, and people just ate it up completely, thinking that they were watching/reading something “unbiased” or “the truth.” For example, many videos were constructed of parts of speeches that were cut out and then meshed back together to then be taken completely out of context. I find it very ironic/comical/scary that with the plethora of fast and sophisticated technology at our fingertips, people still choose to not do their own research and prefer to let liars and bigots deceive them. While watching “The Waldo Moment” I picked up on this when I noticed that absolutely no one from the audience or crowd listening to Waldo dared to argue or fact check him. Sure, Waldo said things that the common masses already knew and agreed with, but I don’t think that Waldo would have been able to take over the world if people really, like really, considered his statements and educated themselves (and discussed issues!)  instead of blindly jumping on the Waldo train. It’s obvious that many people did just that during this year’s election.

            Secondly, we as a people tend to be so prideful in what (or in this case, who) we believe in that we readily retaliate against any opposing force. I’m not saying everybody is this way, but I don’t think one can deny the fact that this is one of the main reasons this election was so nasty. All the name calling, labeling, prejudice, and hate only escalated as the months went on. This is because we as a nation decided that you are either a republican or democrat, then either a Trump or Hillary supporter, along with all the stereotypes attached with either label. It’s as if our eagerness to put labels on others has made us forget the importance of debate, of dialogue, and real person to person communication. In “The Waldo Moment,” there were several scenes where Waldo supporters retaliated against non-Waldo supporters, such as the shoe throwing scene, and also at the end when the “police” punished Jamie for expressing his disgust against Waldo. Those scenes made me think of the many times protesters at Trump rallies were beaten and thrown out. Where was the debating? The sharing of ideas? I’m not trying to bash Trump or his supporters at all, I’m just using their rallies as an example. So in conclusion I am dismayed about how this election unfolded, but not completely shocked. We’re all human and we make mistakes. We have flaws, including our elected leaders. Even Waldo has flaws. I don’t think we can just “create” a non-human entity to lead us perfectly. The fact that we are not and cannot be perfect fundamentally makes whatever we create not perfect. However, I do strongly believe that we have the ability to decide every morning what we will do and what kind of attitude we will have. Having contempt towards our ELECTED leaders will accomplish nothing. I know this is cliché, but if you really want change, be the change.

“For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.” –Romans 1:21