Now is the time of reckoning for Americans. Yesterday, Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice. In December of 2019, Article I passed by a vote of 230-197-1, with one member voting “present.” The second article passed by a margin of 229-198-1. Thirteen months later, while the Democrat majority in the house had shrunk, the vote was 232 to 197 as ten Republicans crossing the aisle to side with the Democrat majority.
Notice the number of votes to impeach increased by two.
The devastating worldwide pandemic COVID-19 marked 2020. COVID caused or attributed to more than 300,000 American deaths. The nation experienced lockdowns and economic turmoil—divisive rancor reverberating through media and social media while the people listened in isolation. In May of 2020, George Floyd’s killing set off protests across the U.S. and the world. The protest heated throughout the summer of 2020 and became riotous in many cities. The confrontations took place at police precincts, monuments, the Whitehouse, the federal courthouse in Portland, and retail businesses.
Meanwhile, the media and politicians focused on the election. All matters were politicized. Instead of working together to solve the issues of justice, real people were rhetorically demonized. We, the people, were compliant in this process. We tuned in or logged on to score points for our team rather than listening and working together.
Tragically, churches across the USA were caught up in the division. In some cases, religious leaders added fuel to the fire by claiming “moral high ground” or “speaking prophetically.” The pollution of religious nationalism fractured people of faith. Forsaking the call to seek the Kingdom of God first (Mt 6:33), leaders cuddled up with the powerful. The religious left could not comprehend how someone could back a man like Trump and dismissed half of America as “people clinging to their God’s and guns.”
A different kind of protest rose through the political rallies of President Trump. Thousands gathered for political rallies and listened to the President speak for hours. The question is, was he speaking to the people or for the people? People showed up on capital steps in states like Michigan. These people were protesting the lockdowns mandated by their governor. Then on January 6th, a large protest in Washington D.C. led to the Capitol building’s storming.
There is a lot of shouting, but is anyone listening? American’s have become posters and protestors and have forgotten how to listen to one another. No matter which candidate you supported in the last two presidential elections, half of America voted against your candidate. Protestors usually focus their anger on the institution they think is causing their problem. There were protests at both ends of Pennsylvania Ave this year. A large group identified the President as the problem and threatened to breach the Whitehouse sending the President to the bunker. Last week a large group identified Congress as the problem and successfully breached the Capitol building, sending the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate to the bunker. Did anyone bother to hear the cries of the crowds? Rather than listening, each side identified the other as a terrorist or a mob. Demonizing and demoralizing another person will never bring about justice and peace.
Rather than de-MORAL-izing others, what if we listened to the cry of our neighbor? We can start by assuming our neighbor has a set of values that are informing their actions. Very few people are genuinely amoral. We callout immorality based upon a value system we hold sacred. What is sacred to your neighbor? Maybe, you share some of the same values. Do we agree that all people were created equal? Perhaps you aren’t sure about the word created, but everyone is equally valuable. Right? And everyone should be honored.
This is where we get stuck. If someone has been disrespectful, we naturally think that person should be shamed, and their memory wiped from the planet. We have to worry about the precedent. History is watching. What if we set a new precedent? What if we returned evil with good? What if we honored the least of these?
Our government reflects who we are as people. The United States was established as a democracy but as a republic or a representative democracy. The founders recognized the danger of democracy becoming mob rules. In our country, we champion the rights of the minority. What we see in our government is not just a representation of our vote, but it reflects We the People’s values and attitudes. If we do not like what we see in the president or the congress, we must vote for change and change our attitudes and values. The government will never learn to listen to us if we do not listen to our neighbors.
The only censorship that will not become oppressive is self-censorship. Only by guarding our own tongue can we truly change the tenor of our country. At this point, no person has been banned from social media platforms for being too encouraging. We should take personal responsibility for our posts. Big tech CEO’s are not qualified to make decisions regulating speech. I don’t say that to be mean, but first of all, I do not think they ever dreamed they would be put in such a position of power. Second, who can make these decisions without exhibiting some bias? The power of these platforms comes from the people. As a people, we can change by unplugging, by becoming listeners, not just one who sounds off, by rejecting sensationalized reporting, and most of all, by being good.
How can we be good? Good Americans must start by recognizing freedom and independence are two different things. The rugged individualism and independence that is a part of our social imagination warp our view of what it means to be a free people. A people who are free from tyranny must recognize the tendency within each person to become a tyrant. A person who has been made free will fight for the same freedom to be made real for others.
New Hope 
Matt, one of the things I hear in your article that causes me to evaluate is your article is the need to listen to others. Perhaps you are right that independence and rugged individualism are present in our society. Is independence in your way of thinking also freedom? All of these things, freedom foremost, come with responsibility. There has been very little responsibility for actions taken in our country for many years. (My thoughts) Therefore, with freedom comes responsibility.