But wait! Where the heck is the leader we are supposed to be following? Are we following anyone? Is there anyone in fact to follow? Or are we doomed for the foreseeable future to consistently follow varied purported leaders, all legends in their own minds, who are as successful as the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion against Henry VIII in 1536. Henry VIII managed that one, ruthlessly, yet, here we are today with a Church of England, and the reigning monarch the Head of Church, not the Pope.
History and the passing of time have a habit of changing things around, whether we agree or not with it. It is an historical imperative which moves things along, at times good and at too many other times, much to the detriment of humanity. Most often, we get used to the changes, most brought about gradually, slipping through the cracks. Opposing voices are often muted by the realities of the time and the passage of time.
We can then pose the question. If time is apparently the deciding factor, then why should we oppose it? Assumptions of permanent change are seemingly useless, foolish, and literally and figuratively a bloody waste of lives and structure of society. If time is the inevitable deciding factor, why must we waste time, effort, and energy better spent elsewhere if the wheel of time will deposit us, inevitably, there at some time in the future?
Would such a viewpoint actually enable the reformers of society and its moral values to be more successful in their endeavors, more funding and brain power available in those efforts, or does it consign those efforts to the detritus barrel of failed historical efforts, too late, too early or totally useless? Will it, in fact, reinforce the terrible ennui and apathy of people to critical changes of the immediate times?
Desperately needed are leaders with heart, soul, compassion and sense. Not necessarily brilliant, (think I have given up on that), but one with the charisma, intelligence, and a hefty dose of altruism, an ability to truly inspire and lead. A true and necessary facet of a successful and positive society. Unfortunately, we have been dealt a bad hand in this issue.
What to do? If we cannot approach it one way, this so urgently needed change, not advisable to wait for history, then we find another approach. We eliminate the negative even as we search for the positive. We seek and find acceptable temporary replacements for the flagrantly negative supposed leaders of the time. Those who constantly carry lit matches into areas rife with explosives. We reject the selfish, the liars, the incompetents, those undeniably inimical to a good life for all.
Today, we unfortunately have allowed leaders of true caliber to drain off elsewhere. We have demeaned and degraded the idea of public service as a noble occupation and have instead allowed obvious destructive fakes to proliferate within all levels of government to the point of paralysis or worse. Demented diabolical, selfish, amoral or immoral creatures, lacking intelligence, compassion, common sense, are what we have instead.
The concept of true loyalty, to one's nation, to its people, is gone, perverted, twisted so that loyalty has given way to loyalty to self, to a camp follower mentality, with a watchful eye for self-aggrandizement. Loyalty - of the moment - has gone to the feared, the one ready, willing and able to voice the unspeakable, the hateful, the violence inciting rhetoric too many spout today, spewing virtual poison. In fact, in many ways, worse, actually, we have revitalized the nasty trope of the Ugly American, though now we are ugly to ourselves.
This nation is suffering depression. Not one of the economy, but the emotional, mental health one, dangerous to individuals and society alike, so needful of treatment. That treatment for national depression is nowhere in sight, gone AWOL. If we do not pull our own selves out of that despair, that hopelessness, we are doomed. Simple as that.
Lethal partisanship will continue to rip this nation apart until there will be nothing left of the United States of America other than some notations in a dusty now censored old history textbook and some squabbling, poverty stricken, weak nation states, pitiful pathetic remnants of a once powerful, positive contributing country, a leader of, to, the world.
Sadly, we have driven down that awful self- made road, reaching the point of no return, or too damned close for comfort. Soon there will be no room for maneuvering to return to a state of sanity, hope available and improvement possible. We must reject those who insist we follow them down that road to hell. We must.
I know we can do better. I have seen the goodness in people, especially this past year. The family has witnessed the helpfulness and caring in the hearts of so many, to the point where if we are online and the name Yitzy is mentioned, we hear a gasp. The conversation ensues. The prayers they are reciting, the concern they feel. The connection felt.
We can be good people. We are good people. We simply have grown somewhat rusty, too busy, forgotten the effort and attention necessary. We can be and are better than that.
Together, with a synergy far stronger than the sum of its parts, we can repair this world. This is the best time of the year to begin that journey, to betterment, to redemption, to the best we can and should be.
Together.
Tomorrow. Today.
And together.
Only and always together.
Together, always together.
United for good.
Together.
Together.
We can heal the nation.
HEAL THE WORLD.
HEAL YITZY!
Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah
May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu.
AMEN. AMEN
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