Those who expend great effort and write with zeal to mar the man’s image and recast a light on the tragedy of Chappaquiddick are filled with hatred and righteous indignation. What good is morality-based conviction when the agenda is virulent, vengeful and hell-bent on proving the other side wrong and unworthy of praise?
Political persuasions indeed get in the way when witch hunters and do-gooders alike unite and pounce. Political persuasions indeed get in the way of most things most all the time. Like-minded groups congregate to chastise their victims in a so-called show of unification, but it remains an ugly display of narrow-mindedness and intolerance. Venom, no matter the source, creates a way and means to justify all kinds of divisive actions, be it a divorce, an impeachment, a lynching, or a country's legacy of war.
When we fail to recognize the good in a complex man, we fall short of our capacity to observe the mysteries of life with an open mind. When we fail to pardon the sins of our neighbor, we fall short of our capacity to sympathize, forgive and learn from our past mistakes and regrets.
When musical pop phenom Michael Jackson died, many Americans were appalled at those who sought to celebrate his life as a musician and artist. The matter of guilt or innocence? No matter. Some crimes, such as child molestation, place a permanent scarlet letter on a person’s soul. When that person happens to be a scarred public spectacle, all the more hate-worthy. All the more demonized. All the more worthy of redemption. All the more bewildering.
When former Vice President Dick Cheney dies, I’ve read, the left will rejoice as much as the right has in the passing of Sen. Kennedy. How immature. How useless. How sad and how utterly American.
Americans are famous for having a short-term memory and Americans are equally famous for holding grudges. Like the aisles that separate congress, it all depends on which side of the bread you butter. Or if you use margarine, it depends on whether you use a spoon or a knife. Or if you are on a low-carb diet and have given up bread, then you’re probably not fully informed, or you listen to too many talk shows, or you’re just weird (I mean in a good way), or chemically imbalanced (I mean in a bad), unless you're on meds, of course, then it's OK or at least your condition has been diagnosed and you're being treated, so then society should be able to handle you and compartmentalize all your off-kilter idiosyncracies and bury your transgressions.
Whew.
Maybe you take life too seriously. (Conservative) Or not seriously enough. (Liberal) It depends really on your denomination, your gender, your background, whether you're a vegan or you've ingested enough protein today. Are you White, Black, Hispanic, Native American? Do you vote Republican, Democrat, Independent? College-educated, high school-educated, self-educated? High self-esteem, low self-esteem, no self-esteem? Married, divorced, single? Lobotomy, half-lobotomy, no lobotomy?
We just keep using these labels to define ourselves and identify our differences when really, labels have never taught us anything new. It's the same old bathwater and same old baby.
Perhaps "The Day the Liberal Died" is a better headline, sure to sell more papers and ignite more fireworks at the office water cooler, but I'd like it if yesterday somehow could be remembered as "The Day the Label Died."
Let’s channel some positive energy in the direction of the Kennedy family this week. They sure could use it. And so could we.
