The last several weeks on the national political stage have been discouraging. The footage has rolled and my confidence in the actors and their methods has been eroded. The observers and their willingness to take the talking points of their preferred side has also been demoralizing.
Time and again I was reminded of a passage by Chesterton describing pessimism and optimism.
He spoke of the two evils of pessimism and optimism. The evil of pessimism is not merely that one chastises but that one does not love what he chastises. The evil of optimism is the willingness to defend the indefensible in that which one loves. 1
Both are a vice and both show their face in ugly ways.
The vast majority of the participants played in these two camps. The senators lined up, the media lined up, and the people lined up as well.
When the Ford accusation came out, one side, at its worst, took it as an opportunity to attack Kavanaugh, whom they had already decided to hate. The other side, at its worst, took to defending the accusation as no big deal, if it was true, or deriding the process.
Few seemed to care about what was true. And what is true matters profoundly. I did not see many thoughtfully and carefully weighing accusations or reports. I saw any and all thrown as bombs to hurt and defame.
I did not see much kindness toward Ford. I saw a woman's pain being used as a tool on national screens. I saw deep hurt, pain, and trauma thrown into a public arena instead of being walked through in a private place. What a shame. We should be better than that.
I saw a man strive to defend himself, his name, to an audience that seemed to care more about the political expedience than the plausibility.
I saw great examples of pessimism and optimism. Two examples for how to live and respond. Thankfully, our choice is not a binary one. We are often told that it is. "Pick a side." But in this case, as with many others, their is a third option: realism.
Realism, a la Chesteron, is a desire for the truth. It is characterized by a vigorous effort to find it and a courage to stand with it. It also seems that the realists are less often the cynics and more often the kind ones. More often, the ones that talk with nuance and experience heartbreak in the midst of complicated situations.
I long for the realists. The ones that see the broken people and hurt for them. The ones that long for truth and not just political points. The ones that will not allow the cultural moment to sweep them away and dictate their thoughts and actions, regardless of which side they belong to. I long for the ones that care about what happened, in any situation. I long for the ones that keep their eyes clear.
These fights will not end. The past couple weeks have been escalated and vicious. There may be a hiatus but you can be sure this gridiron game will happen again.
And when that day comes it will be shouted again, "There are two teams. Two tribes. You must pick one."
As one who knows the maker of the universe and the mystery of Christ, I am responsible to search for truth. I do not get the luxury, or handicap, of being given a political playbook and a team jersey.
Instead, I will sift for what is true, painstaking as that may be, and endeavor to stand there. Even though both sides will be shouting and demanding a binary choice.
I have attached a video of one speech I noticed that longed for realism. If you know of others, regardless of party affiliation, I would like to see it.
Chesterton, G. K. Orthodoxy, New York, Dover, 2004. page 61 ff