Remember the Golden Rule?
It's a common doctrine across most of the world's religions
I was raised to believe in the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” This meant being kind to others, telling the truth, keeping my agreements, being quick to forgive, and giving generously to the wider community the gifts of my time, talents and treasure ($$$).
I’ve spent the last six days traveling with my son and his family to three National Parks in the Southwest. It’s a huge treat for me, because they live in France and I only get to see them once a year, if I’m lucky. Not bragging—because I’m not their parent, or even their resident grandma, but my grandkids at 8 and 10 already demonstrate kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity and commitment to the greater good.
At each park, they’ve become Junior Rangers. This means getting the Junior Ranger handbook and doing the required activities. Then they take the Junior Ranger oath from a park ranger. This oath varies slightly from park to park but at the core, it’s an oath to uphold what amounts to a Golden Rule for the natural world. The park ranger says each line of the oath, arm raised, which they repeat back with great solemnity. I’ve witnessed this twice and it makes me teary each time. Their sincerity, their intent to do good, and their innocent belief in a world that makes sense.
The Golden Rule, above all, is about kindness to others, especially to those who have not been blessed with the privilege (and myth) of being a “normal American.” [Normal: conforming to a standard, that which is considered usual or typical]. In America, to be “normal” is to be white, native-born, middle class, able-bodied, single-gendered and heterosexual (ideally also male and Christian).
I don’t have numbers, but many millions of us are not white, or native-born or middle-class or able-bodied or heterosexual—or male or Christian.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around Kamala’s loss. I have some theories. Meanwhile, I am shaken to my core at what Trump’s victory says about who my fellow Americans are, and what we value.
I misunderestimated us.
Here’s what breaks my heart: 51% of citizens who voted, consciously chose to elect a president who shreds the Golden Rule on every count. He’s cruel, vengeful, self-obsessed— a liar, a cheat, a con-man, a sexual predator and a convicted felon. Those who worked with him before repeatedly say “Trump is not in it for YOU; he’s in it for himself—for the attention, power, and financial possibilities.” (And to stay out of prison and exact revenge on the DOJ.)
Are those the values your mama raised you with? Would you want this man to babysit your kids, be their Sunday-School teacher, date your daughter? If you loaned him $1,000, do you think he’d ever pay you back? Would you trust him to manage the small business you lovingly created?
Perhaps you thought, “oh, he’ll never do all that stuff he promised—that’s just his way of talking.” Or perhaps you thought that whatever he does, it won’t affect YOU. Or perhaps you just dismissed the Black lady, because you can’t imagine anyone leading the country who isn’t a white man. Accordingly, you may never have watched any of her speeches or interviews (beyond 15-second out-of-context clips) and never checked out her policy positions, which she laid out very clearly, over and over.
Last night on my flight home from Phoenix, I sat next to a woman wearing a Trump t-shirt. She looked so exhausted I asked her if she was OK. She told me that she travels every other week from Portland to Phoenix to check up on her dad, who has major health problems. Lately he’s had trouble holding on to caregivers, so she has to fill in, even though she’s got two kids at home. The costs and stress are overwhelming. I asked her if she was aware that one of Harris’s major policy promises was to make child care and home care services for seniors more affordable, and the workers better paid.
“Really?” she said, looking surprised. “I never heard anything about that.”
I did not ask if that might have changed her vote, however it reinforced my belief that Trump’s antics got so much media attention, they blotted out Harris’s campaign.
This holiday with my grandkids restored my spirits and strengthened my intention to do what I can to make their world safer and kinder. I’ll miss them when they return to France. But for once, I’m grateful they go to school in a country that doesn’t need to practice active shooter drills, and still puts high value on public education and affordable health care.
PUT YOURSELF IN THE WAY OF BEAUTY
Another wind sculpture:
I loved today's post. It's hard to find solace in this very disturbing time. Your description of the goodness in the hearts of your grandchildren as well as the distress my older grandchildren are feeling from the election results gives me hope that the next generation will do a better job of preserving democracy and taking care of our world than we have done.
Thanks Joy!!
I've been thinking that one of our primary jobs over the next few years is to help make sure that people don't say: “Really?” -- “I never heard anything about that.”
The big problem is how do we get that done??