Civil Dissent in America

Civil dissent in America

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

         Teddy Roosevelt was born into a family of privilege, whose roots in America date well before the American Republic was formed. His family and their descendants were and are the bedrock upon which this nation was formed. His tenure as President occurred in an era where protests were virtually unheard of. Yet, from the above quote, we see that he held a very liberal interpretation of the rights of citizens to gather and express their disapproval regarding their government and its policies.

         I think of this now in light of the many protests occurring in major cities across America. Those involved are expressing their displeasure with the results of the last presidential election. While I agree with their sentiments, I have to question their timing. What good does a display of moral outrage do after the election has already occurred? Were they to show this type of enthusiasm before an election, I would commend them for their passion and interest in the affairs around them. But, like sporting events, when the game is over, it is over regardless of who likes it or not.

     There are hard feelings, in a divided nation, brought about by one of the more divisive elections in modern times. But, time and events will soon cool the rancor. Most folks will get back to the more important tasks of raising, educating and providing for their families. Few have the time or the energy to engage in protracted and esoteric philosophical debates about how the relative merits of governing is approached in Washington D.C. Few, outside of the beltway, really care. Washington is indeed viewed as an ungovernable swamp by most of the electorate. The grand irony is that the people, voting in the recent election, sent most of the self same creators of the swamp back to Washington to continue their practices. Go figure.

         And as for the strained relations across the country? That too will soon pass. As a youngster, I was involved in the democratic tong wars of Buffalo and Erie County. Given its heavy democratic plurality, the city of Buffalo contests were usually internecine warfare waged within the Democratic Party. Sentiments were at a fever pitch during these contests which usually pitted neighbors against each other and created family feuds that lasted across the generations. It wasn’t unusual to see a fist fight break out in a bar, when one side or the other was a wee bit to personal in the comments about a person’s choice of candidate or political philosophy. It was just lively visceral communication amongst people who had lived and died along side of each other for generations. After the primary contest, those passions soon cooled too, as the harsh reality of making a living and raising a family reasserted itself. And the hard fought local sporting contests soon subsumed political interests. After all, what is more important to the average workman, a far away president and the shenanigans that usually occur in Washington or the local ball game of some sort? Witness what a warm and welcome embrace the last world series received when it drew our attentions away from that awful national, mud pie-slinging contest.

         I say these things not to denigrate anyone’s political passion or choice of candidate. I have always admired anyone who was passionate enough to take up a cause and go and work for that interest. We don’t have enough people like this any more. But I do suggest that we will continue on as a nation, with whomever is at the helm, as long as we collectively remember what America is and the right and protections that the Constitution affords us. Brave men and women fought and died to help define who we are.

         So, we need to take a national breath, settle down a bit and get on with the complicated task of confronting the many difficult issues that face us as a nation. By all means, make your self heard on the issues of the day. Work hard for those whom you deem worthy of representing you in the halls of power. But do so with the constructive end point of making America a better place to live.

                                             -30-

                                       (749 words)

                                 Joseph Xavier Martin