This past week there was a podcast making the rounds in cyberspace. It was Nicole Wallace’s weekly segment of “The Best People” this week featuring Jeff Daniels. Thank you very much Mr. Daniels for your commentary not only on Donald Trump but about society in general and how we have deteriorated. Your wisdom was well articulated, concise, and simply bang on. On a scale of 1 out of 10, it was 11. If you have not seen the interview, simply click on this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwXjFxWZTqQ
The interview touched on Daniels’ career including how he got started, his on-stage performance in “To Kill A Mockingbird’, and a little guitar playing, but there was a snippet of not only his viewpoints on Trump specifically but also society in general.
I am not a big fan of social media. I think Facebook, Twitter et al have had a net negative impact on the world. Yes, there are some positives, but overall, I feel we have regressed as a society because of it. Social media has become a plethora of gambling sites, pornography, conspiracy theories, outright lies and cat videos. It has become high tech writing on the bathroom wall.
Daniels’ comments on society supports my viewpoint. He said that bullying on the internet is the norm; that we have lost respect for the rule of law, civility, decency and integrity. As far as politicians go, we can go back to the era of Mark Twain to see how we disliked them. Nonetheless, Daniels added that politicians should represent the best of us and not the worst. This was a direct slam against Trump and everything he stands for. I am not talking about policy, but the moral fiber and character that he shows (or lack thereof) when he constantly belittles people online.
I do not care what you think of Nicole Wallace or MSNBC. I do not care if you are a Democrat or Republican. What I do care about is how we treat each other. There was a time that people on both sides of the aisle would say, “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will die for you to have the right to say it.” Now it seems to be, “I disagree with what you have to say, and I will kill you if you say it.”
We have to get away from the divisiveness that is breaking us apart. It can lead to extremes such as a civil war. This may be a ploy by Vladimir Putin all along. Have the United States self-implode. It does not have to be that way. Simply put, we have forgotten the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Daniels did not use that phrase in the interview per se, but it was certainly implied, and I thank him very much for his comments to lay down a framework to move this country forward. Thank you, Jeff.
Cheers,
Al