Political Theater

For as long as I live, I will never forget February 4, 2020.  Not just the date of the yearly SOTU address, but the date that I realized that my right to state my opinion ceased to exist.

It began with the President listing his achievements (which he believes to be the best that has ever been in the existence of mankind, mind you), and giving a spotlight to several special guests.  Some of those individuals inspired patriotism, such as the father returning home to his family, and the last surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen.  Some were about celebration... a child that survived after being born at 21 weeks, as well as another little girl that received a scholarship to attend the school of her choice so that she would have an opportunity to excel.  There were tearful moments as well...seeing a father and mother mourn the loss of a daughter killed by ISIS; a man who had lost his brother to a senseless murder by an undocumented immigrant; the lady and her son who had lost their husband and father to the ongoing war in Afghanistan... I will remember that thirteen year old boy put an arm around his mother with a look of concern and compassion, even though he had lost so much as well.  The President also gave a high honor to a man dying from cancer that has spent decades sharing his political thoughts and opinions, such as they are.

No matter what side of the aisle you may be on, those moments meant something.

Each guest had a story.  Each guest was given a moment that we, as fellow citizens, shared in their celebration or pain.  Those moments were a part of what makes America the amazing country it is.  No matter who you are or where you come from, you are part of the fabric that weaves this great nation together.

Then, the "paper rip heard around the world".  I don't know if it was pre-planned as some have suggested, or that it was a culmination of frustration and anger.  I have no idea what was in our Speaker's heart or mind, but what I witnessed was a childish fit of temper that completely disregarded and destroyed those moments of those honored guests.  Although I'm usually careful to keep my political affiliation private on social media, I posted my thoughts on Facebook in four sentences made of five words.  "Disrespectful.  Childish.  Emotionally unstable.  Pathetic."

1.  Disrespectful = the lack of due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.  

I was in my mid-twenties when President Clinton was impeached in the House.  I remember the anger and frustration of the Republican party when he wasn't impeached in the Senate.  However, what I know (and, in some manner, took for granted) was that our government officials would still show the respect and honor due to the Office of the President, regardless of the man's character, choices or policies. Former Speaker Gingrich showed that deference to the Office of President Clinton.  

For eight years, I heard ranting, raving, some ludicrous accusations, anger and frustration with President Obama from those on the right side of the aisle.  However, I did not witness former Speakers Boehener or Ryan show disrespect for the Office President Obama held.

Our present Speaker has not shown any respect for the Office of this President.  It didn't escape my notice that our Speaker broke tradition when she announced our Commander in Chief.  

Speaker Pelosi Announcing President Trump 2020

I also remember this reaction in the 2019 SOTU:

The Pelosi Clap-back

Disrespectful.

2.  Childish = having or showing an emotional or intellectual development appropriate to someone younger. 

I think a clearer statement would have been a lack of self-control, which is childish behavior.  Yes, we all have a boiling point and we all can "loose it", so to speak, but to do so on such a public platform is simply not what adults do.

3.  Emotionally unstable = extreme emotional outburst.

All I could think of when I saw that reaction, and then heard her reasoning: "it was the courteous thing to do, considering the alternative."  What was the alternative, I wonder?  

As a woman, I was disgusted by a behavior that men have been accusing women of for centuries... we're too emotional to handle the important things.

I feel that her reaction set women back decades.  Here is an reasonably intelligent woman, third in line to the highest office in the country, and she pulls a stunt like that.  To me, it doesn't show strength, but weakness. It gives misogynists an opportunity to further denigrate women.  "Must be her time of the month.  Oh, she must of had a hot flash." 

4.  Pathetic = Absurd = ridiculously unreasonable, unsound.

The only thing that paper rip did was further divide a country that is already bitterly embattled.

Because I stated my opinion in the form of those four sentences on Facebook, I had four relationships damaged, possibly for good. I truly hope not, and I grieve because of it.  

One was with a woman that I thought of as a favorite aunt or a second mom.  She's known me since I was eight years old.  Forty-three YEARS.  I spent hours in her home and consider her daughter as a younger sister.  However, that relationship, crafted over decades, didn't matter.  I needed to be taught a lesson.  She informed me I had been blinded by Satan, saying that I had become a "lover of my own self instead of a lover of God."  A meme she shortly posted after declared that anyone who cared more about someone tearing up a piece of paper didn't care about civility, but power.  

Two other relationships were with former students of mine.  I had been their music and/or piano teacher from the time they were in first and third grade, respectively until their seventh grade years.  They were quick to remind me of all of President Trump's failings, bad behaviors, inconsistencies and lies.  One of the students symbolically mocked me because I called the constant comparisons between the President and Speaker playground arguments.  "He did it first.  He's mean.  He's disrespectful. What he's done is so much worse".

The last one, which upset me the most was from a piano student's dad.  Ironically, I've known him for the least amount of time, only a year or two, but have taught his child for almost four.  Like the others, he educated me on all of Trump's bad behaviors in a meme that ended with telling me to "take a seat".  That ending statement, although not his own personally, was obviously what he wanted to say to me, and that was to shut up and sit down.

What bothered me was that those statements so quickly posted on my wall completely disregarded the relationship I had built with those people.  Some I'd had for decades, some for only months.  Relationships that I'd nurtured with nothing but kindness, understanding and respect.  They were out to prove that not only was I obviously stupid, but horribly wrong... that I had no right to state my opinion, because they assumed I'm blindly loyal to a man, party or news organization that only demonizes their side of the aisle. (Which is not the case, by the way.)  That I needed to sit down and shut up.

This is what political theater does.  It causes false assumptions, fans the flames of hatred, resorts to childish playground antics and arguing that further divides our nation.

One of President Lincoln's best known speeches is from his address to the Republican Party's nomination to run for Senator of Illinois.  The best-known quote is this:

"A house divided against itself, cannot stand.  I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free.  I do not expect the Union to be dissolved-- I do not expect the house to fall-- but I do expect it will cease to be divided.  It will become all one thing or all the other.  Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new-- North as well as South."

Post Script:  Lincoln lost the campaign to Democratic incumbent Steven A. Douglas, who accused Lincoln as being "an abolitionist for saying that the American Declaration of Independence applied to blacks as well as whites".

However, what some may not realize is that these words have been around for millennia.  In fact, Jesus Christ is the Author of those words.  The quote is found in three of the Gospels, Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25, and Luke 11:17.  Matthew 12:25 says "And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."

After this moment, I'm not going to post any opinion that can be viewed as "political" on social media.  I refuse to be a part of the theatrics, drama and division of this country.  Yes, I have a right to state my opinion, but I've learned that in respect to politics, civility, kindness, respect and tolerance are no more.  In fact, they no longer exist.