“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.” – Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities
Those words could easily be the opening lines of an editorial in any newspaper in any city or town in America. Who could argue that today is the best of times. Who could deny that that today is the worst of times.
When Dickens penned the opening of his classic novel in 1859 he was talking about an earlier time when in 1789 the poor of France stormed the Bastille and ignited a revolution that paid homage to our revolution of 1776.
It really shouldn’t matter that there have always been times like today in the past. In fact we should be inspired to see if we can change the course of history so the people of the future can’t say that we failed to do anything.
Mass shootings, school shootings, terrorists at every corner and a people who are divided by ideologies…political, religious and otherwise. It’s almost to the point where we can no longer say that this is the best of times.
It is far too easy to blame it all on Donald Trump. It’s just as foolish to point a finger at the Hilary supporters and say they are sad losers.
I think we are all to blame. While some of us thought we were on the Yellow Brick Road heading to the Emerald City, we lost our way. We are in the deep dark forest of despair. Some of us who don’t participate in mass rallies to support political characters are saddened by our current predicament.
The Scarecrow had no brains, but he was far smarter than all of us. We are the stuffed ones filled with straw. We only hear what we want to hear. We only believe what we’ve been told to believe. The left hates the right. The right hates the left. The left makes a fist and challenges the right to a fight. The right makes a fist and offers a similar challenge to the left.
How much better off if the left hand and the right hand were to work together.
The Tin Man had no heart, but he was far more compassionate and understanding than all of us. But that does not mean that understanding is indiscriminate. A loving heart is balanced. A loving heart knows that the hungry fox should not be given the key to the chicken coop. A loving heart understands that “no” is not a bad word.
The Cowardly Lion might have lacked courage, but he had far more courage than we do. He knew the difference between right and wrong. As a citizen he would have castigated ALL our politicians. He would have called them out for being self-serving sycophants. He would have pulled the curtain away from them and showed the world that not one of them was a wizard.
Trump’s rhetoric is hollow. His name calling is childish. In short he is a hollow man. But, his political opponents are as childish and hollow. The venom that they spew is as equally dangerous as the putrid pronouncements from the White House.
Hatred is the entree of the day. Hatred is sapping our energy. Hatred is leaving us depleted of all hope.
When the vicious animals on the right and the rabid animals on the left realize their battle will destroy them both, they will turn on the rational people who still think, who still have heart, and who still have the courage to stand strong against the raging tide of the political tsunami that is threatening to drown us all.
I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.
– Robert Fulghum
Along The Yellow Brick Road 