Look…Up In The Sky

20 Feb Look…Up In The Sky

I made a mistake.

 

I watched the evening news the other day.

 

I suspect I’ll get over it.

 

In time…

 

I compounded my error by then going on social media.

 

I won’t get over that.

 

Angry, venomous, hate filled, and contentious.

 

That’s the more congenial contributors.

 

The people who really have opinions are much worse.

 

Which begs the question, how did we become so divided that we lost any semblance of propriety – or even a partial willingness to entertain other peoples’ opinions?

 

I have a theory in that regard.

 

I can’t back it up with hard data – but I believe it nonetheless.  

 

Want to assess a company’s culture – look at its leadership.

 

Want to assess a country’s culture – look at its leadership.

 

Want to assess the world’s culture – well, you know where I’m going with this….

 

The bareknuckle mentality begins at the top – works its way down.  Becomes part of the social fabric.

 

History teaches us that the ebb and flow of leaders is unpredictable.

 

But one thing is certain – it’s in times of real crisis that they are most needed.  

 

I think now would be a pretty good time to source a few – beginning in the good old U.S. of A.

 

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we had a few elected leaders that prioritize country first, political party second, and themselves third?

 

Or a few that worked first on establishing common ground rather than scorching the earth underneath the opposition?

 

Yeah, I know, it’s wishful thinking…but I can dream, can’t I?

 

So, if Superman or Superwoman suddenly could swoop down, what might be their ideal superpowers?

 

This might be a pretty good starting point:

 

• The power to inspire – to show us a future all of us will believe in. A vision of what “can be”
• The ability to listen – not just to underlings or to the sycophants, but to the people
• The toughness to make hard decisions – not just the popular ones that might shift the latest poll numbers
• The capacity to accept feedback – even when it’s not what they want to hear
• The willingness to protect the citizenry – against enemies foreign and domestic (and feel free to interpret that anyway you choose)
• The humility to accept the notion that they are a servant of the people – not the master
• The understanding that their party’s interests are not always going to align with what’s best for the country – and to always make the latter their priority
• The courage to surround themselves with people who will challenge them – not just those that will lionize them
• The grit to hold every compartment and every elected or appointed official accountable, beginning with self
• The commitment to uphold the constitution 
• The willingness to compromise – to negotiate – to seek common ground with other factions without the requisite rancor
• The recognition that a free press isn’t free when it’s polarized – or politically motivated – or so biased that it has become a joke for most of the public. It’s free only when it focuses on delivering facts – not advancing a narrative
• The willingness to learn from mistakes – not gloss them over in order to CYA
• The heart to demonstrate authentic compassion for the citizenry – not just manufactured role play
• And finally, the capacity to build trust in all of us  – trust that this, the greatest experiment in democracy in human history – can indeed endure

 

For those that hope to read political affiliations into the comments above, good luck.

 

Show me a candidate capable of even an abbreviated list of these powers and they would have my vote – regardless of party.

 

I believe there are many that might join me.  Fed up (finally) with the nonsense.

 

The notion of “country first” shouldn’t be a campaign slogan. It should be the minimum requirement for every political candidate – whether that’s Congress, the local school board, or the president of the United States.

 

I hope there are a few superheroes out there.  

 

I hope they’re willing to serve.

 

I hope I’m smart enough to recognize them.