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There will need to be a whole lot of forgiving — but not forgetting — applied to the wounds inflicted on the composite American psyche after this scurrilous election cycle. The presidential, Congressional and gubernatorial races in Indiana, as portrayed by television advertising, have been outright combinations of professional wrestling, the "Twilight Zone" and an off-the-rails eighth-grade cafeteria food fight. In fact, I feel like I have just slandered those three institutions by associating them with the 2016 elections.
I am sorry to say we will probably see more of it, regardless of who wins the White House — and I’m an optimist. All of this rancor is diminishing the office of President of the United States, the Congress and faith in state government. Anger has replaced reason. Accusations have replaced facts. Fear has replaced trust. Civility has been jettisoned in favor of selfishness.
Somehow, as soon as possible, both major political parties must step back and see how their messages and tactics of this election cycle have abused the spirit of free speech. The “high road” has been washed out by the bilge of lies and raw emotion. I can only imagine the incredulity that Murrow, Cronkite, Severeid, Brinkley and Jennings would feel about this election if they were reporting it.
This nation is better than the political behavior we have all witnessed, but this nation is not above that behavior, as we have witnessed.
Contributing to what is a real mess in both the electorate and in the media is a poison called cynicism. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines cynicism as, “believing that people are generally selfish and dishonest.” This viewpoint makes no room for reason. On the other hand, we have questioning and skepticism. Those two modes of thought are healthy, so long as they are aimed toward a reasoned quest for truth. Good reporters, for instance, are skeptical and will get at least — at least — TWO sources to confirm or dispute information on any given news tip. Each American citizen should do the same with the news of the day. Knowledge and truth destroy cynicism. Steven Colbert addressed cynicism very well in a commencement speech at Knox College in June 2006: “Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying “yes” begins things. Saying “yes” is how things grow. Saying “yes” leads to knowledge.”
How do we fix this as citizens? I have no precise answer, except this: we must still vote. That is what our republic needs. We must use our reason, not our hate or fear of others, at the voting booth. Emoting is easy and convenient. Reasoning and thinking take work.
Let’s get to work. Let’s not be cynics. Let’s be citizens.
Stan Sollars, stansollars@bsu.edu
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