It seems that the wholesome, cordial, compassionate and principled world in which I was born has become rude, crude, abusive and uncivil. I have read that energy follows thought and that we create our own reality. However, when our thoughts are influenced by negativity and lies, our collective reality becomes adverse, dubious and hostile. I realize that there has always been a negative undertone in our culture, but what is unsettling is that this negative undertone has risen to the surface and is spreading to the detriment of us all. When I look back on my 60 plus years, I see notable moments where this negativity was breaking through. The moments I will be listing are not the only moments they’re just the ones that standout to me. Here we go.
1980’s – Tennis star John McEnroe engages in unsportsmanlike behavior, ranting, raving and name-calling without consequence.
1982 – David Letterman takes over the “Tonight Show” from Johnny Carson. Letterman’s irreverence challenges and changes what’s acceptable on TV.
1987 – the movie “Wall Street” tells us that corporate raids and hostile takeovers of businesses that took a life-time or more to build is not just ok but clever and celebratory, and that “greed is good.”
1988 – Rush Limbaugh’s radio talk show becomes nationally syndicated spreading negativity, half-truths and even lies.
1992-1999 – TV show “Melrose Place” in which a bunch of self-abosorbed young professionals are only concerned with their own personal goals, drives and desires, and have no concern of how they treat others.
1995-1999 – Newt Gingrich becomes Speaker of the House and undermines political decorum and democratic norms thereby hastening political polarization and partisanship. He used combative, hateful language, and false accusations. He was charged by the Democrats with eight-four Ethics violations and reprimanded.
1996 – Roger Ailes heads Fox News. Ailes was a Republican consultant beginning with Nixon and ending with the Trump campaign when he died in 2016. He used false allegations, distraction and television production techniques to promote his candidates. He used a false narrative and partial facts to promote Republican talking points on Fox News which is currently rated as 85% untruthful.
2017 – The Trump administration enters the Whitehouse and includes despicable persons, Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller.
2019 – The House of Representatives impeaches Trump for Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. The Republican majority Senate acquits.
2020 – Impeached President Donald Trump fires several public servants who told the truth under oath just like a third world dictator.
Is it too late to return to decency in America? I hope not. Will electing a respectable President change the downward flow into total incivility? Let’s vote and find out!!!
reilly m gray 