Fear Vs. Hope, Round Two

Just submitted this to the Kansas City Star as an application to be one of their Midwest Voices contributers:

As we wait impatiently for the start of our 44th President’s term America remains a divided nation. Some of the stark divisions defy logic and arise from beliefs so entrenched that I wonder if any consensus can be formed. Constructive debate occurs in the gray areas, and we seem to be a nation whose views are black and white.

As an example, gun owners continue to engage in an unprecedented, and given the Supreme Court ruling from last June, unwarranted buying spree. Some brief research into their internal debate reveals concern over a coming “gun grab”. The insiders say that such legislation will at a minimum mirror the assault weapon ban of 1993. How such a ban would be framed in light of the recent and unprecedented affirmation of the individual’s right to bear arms does not get discussed, nor apparently considered. Fear rules the day in such debates, and it seems, drives revenue.

This isn’t surprising given that our government spent much of the last seven years stoking our fear. We succumbed to the fear mongers and were manipulated to vote and act in ways that were often against our self-interest. The terrorists were lurking around every corner, gay marriage would tear the moral fabric of our society and our right to privacy provided a safe haven for those that would hurt us. The Bogey Man was under our collective bed and only a vote for the Right would protect us.

Fear’s reprise came in the Presidential Campaign when Governor Palin framed our President-Elect as someone unlike us, a terrorist sympathizer, a man with, God forbid, a Muslim name. And the fear mongering worked to some extent. Here in Missouri during the campaign’s final two weeks the McCain/Palin campaign unleashed a torrent of negative ads on radio and television, reversing Obama’s lead in the polls and ultimately winning the state. Senator McCain may owe his victory here to Joe the Plumber’s warning that Barrack Obama wanted to punish his success. Right.

And yet for many of us hope springs eternal. The President-Elect leads with a thoughtful and inclusive style. He continues to make excellent choices for the members of his team. Those choices even get a modicum of praise from the Right. In fact, by unveiling his choices for the Treasury Secretary and his financial team Mr. Obama reversed the fall of the stock markets and provided relief for retirement accounts across the country. It has been so long since we have seen leadership that many of us forgot what it looked like.

Yes, the world remains a complex and frightening place. Real threats to our nation and our globe exist and must be dealt with. Only by acting with intelligence and reason and remaining adaptable can we effectively manage our problems and defeat our enemies. Despite our tendency to see in black and white, the challenges we face are rendered in thousands of shades of gray. Mr. Obama seems to be a man possessing the exact skill set necessary to manage this future. One can only hope.