Two words have been on my mind in thinking about the state of our country and politics this past week: Bullying and courage. We have too many bullies and not enough courage. There is a lot of media coverage on the bullies with very little pushback on them.
The bullies, whom we have enough actual research about, and for many of us, personal knowledge, that a bully is often someone who is scared others will discover they are afraid or lacking in some way. All of us feel this way at times, but don’t lash out or try to intimidate others because of those feelings.
The bullies are easy to spot right now. They are the people in power, or not, who are wanting to tell the rest of us it is their way or the highway.
We have the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, the 3%ers, and other organizations pushing essentially that white makes right. Only a bully would show up at a Statehouse or peaceful protest wearing masks to hide their identities and carrying assault weapons.
We have right wing and extreme right wing media who push hoaxes, unscientific theories, and fear of people of color on a daily basis. Only a bully would say one thing to the masses while doing the exact opposite to keep themselves safe, such as being vaccinated against Covid.
We have elected members of State Legislatures and Congress pushing the Big Lie, lying about voter fraud, and working hard to ensure only Republicans are elected through extreme gerrymandering and harsh voter suppression. Only a bully would be so afraid to put their legitimate ideas out there with no actual debate while making sure their ideas win no matter whether the masses decide otherwise.
We have the former president Trump and his family, the biggest bullies and purveyors of lies of them all. He and his family have eroded the status of our great country, facilitated the death of hundreds of thousands of people, gave permission to white supremacists to act out, and encouraged (and possibly helped plan), the act of sedition against the U.S. Capitol and a duly elected Congress.
And finally, we have an extremist Supreme Court who is showing us their true colors and their long term goals, which sadly, does not include upholding the Constitution, the laws of the land, or precedence.
That is a whole lot of bullying behavior by some very powerful people.
Where are the people who will stand up to these bullies?
Where is our George Washington? Our Alexander Hamilton? Our Abraham Lincoln? Our Harriet Tubman? Our Cesar Chavez? Our Susan B. Anthony? Our Winston Churchill? Our Gandhi? Our JFK?
Where are all of the courageous people who can rally the people to do what is necessary to combat and send these bullies packing?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Those courageous people are us!
We have to be engaged!
We have to be woke!
We have to be informed!
We have to stand up!
We have to vote!
I invite you to be courageous with me. Together, we can stand up to these bullies and return our country, with all of our faults and challenges, to being the shining beacon on a hill.
But, that will never happen if we allow the bullies listed above to continue to call the shots.
So wake up, get up, and get going. Let’s work as a team to help our country live up to the ideals we have come to know as the American Way, where we are all created equal. Where we have the unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 