Feelings are an extremely important part of human interaction. Without them, life would be a dull, colorless monotony. However, thinking and logic are equally important. Wise men and women, understanding human nature, have organized themselves into tribes or groups or governments and established rules, or law, to prevent human emotion from being the sole factor in governance, but rather one. Our emotions can run away with us at times and a society that values feeling above thinking will quickly find itself in chaos. We increasingly find ourselves in that situation today. One of my heroes, Thomas Sowell, described ours as the "Post-Thinking Era".
Recent events in Ferguson, MO are ample demonstration of what happens when emotion governs rather than thinking. Michael Brown's death is something no parent should have to suffer through. They have my deepest sympathy. They had no part in the hooliganism that took place, nor did they encourage it. There is never any justification for a police officer to gun down an innocent person. Nor is there ever any justification for the public assuming that the police do so. Our system of justice, our form of government are firmly established upon the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The justice system can be agonizingly slow, but it almost always gets it right. It is not perfect and sometimes we get it wrong and must learn from those few moments and improve going forward. But, in the Post-Thinking Era, we use headlines, soundbites and tweets, which offer minimal information and maximum emotion, to make decisions.
It is absolutely sickening to watch the media regularly exploit such tragedies as Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin for ratings. Shootings all over the country go regularly ignored whether they involve police of all colors, victims of all colors or gang thugs of all colors. If the story doesn't fit their exploitive narrative of white on black discrimination it is a non-story with them. The media's shameless effort to transform George Zimmerman from a Latino to a white man was appalling. (I am no Zimmerman fan--don't misconstrue my argument.) They had a preconceived narrative that they were going to force as long as possible to gin up emotion and increase their ratings. Thinking people noticed that. As the facts came out in the case and as our system did its job, the truth came out and a jury deliberated and found Zimmerman innocent of any crime. That he is guilty of stupidity is left for us to decide. Our juries are not allowed to judge people on stupidity--then we would be governing on emotion, not law.
The facts have begun to trickle out in the Michael Brown case. At this point, it is looking as if the officer was justified in what he did. However, I will withhold judgement until all the facts have come out in a court of law. Whether Michael Brown is dead because of a racist police officer or because he made some incredibly stupid decisions, we will yet find out. Either way, his parents have lost their son. The black community, upset by the shooting, had every right in the world to take to the streets in protest, mourn and express concern and emotion. Exercising our first amendment right is vital to the survival of our Republic. However, the thinking people knew that violence, looting and rioting would serve no purpose. There is never any justification for the lawlessness that took place in Ferguson. It does not matter how high emotions are running. The race baiters that showed up to exploit this tragedy for their own gain and selfish purposes are a malignant cancer that seek to perpetuate racial strife to maintain their own self-importance. It is disgusting. Thinking people will not be sucked in by their emotional rhetoric.
Unfortunately, this same level of emotion and lack of thinking is rife amongst politicians and within our government. The President, who had an opportunity to demonstrate actual leadership during this crisis in Missouri, failed yet again. To his credit, he said some good words about what was taking place. But, by sending in the Feds and Eric Holder, he screamed his lack of belief in both our system and the local officials putting the wheels of justice in motion. He undermined their efforts and gave credence to the accusation that the Missouri situation is racially motivated. Missouri's Governor Nixon, did the same thing when he called for a "vigorous prosecution" to be pursued. That statement implies guilt on behalf of the officer without the benefit of all the facts. He had the opportunity to walk back that statement, but did not. As a former attorney general he should know better. That officer is as equally entitled to a vigorous "investigation" as Michael Brown is. But, this is what happens when leaders emote rather than think.
Obama also said in his statement to the press, "Let me also be clear that our constitutional rights to speak freely, to assemble, and to report in the press must be vigilantly safeguarded, especially in moments like these." However, in moments where he doesn't like the press, it is okay for the rights of journalists to be trampled. This administration is prosecuting journalists in record numbers for not revealing their sources. Even the emotive and adoring New York Times has turned on Obama in this regard. Back in June 2013, then editor Jill Abramson said, "...the Times and our readers are quite concerned about the six active criminal leak cases that the Obama administration has pursued. That's more than all the other administrations combined. And, yeah, we are concerned that the process of news gathering is being criminalized." This is more than an inconsistency on the part of the President; it is political expediency. Most politicians of every stripe are guilty of the same thing. As long as we allow them to get away with it, they will keep doing it.
It is high time, that we as a nation start thinking and stop emoting when it comes to politics and governance. Emotion has a place in our political system, but it cannot be the THE priority. Politician's favorite tool is emotional rhetoric that cause us to feel rather than think. When politicians try to baffle us with BS, we need to compare their promises with the outcomes. Does what they say jive with what they are doing? Our satisfaction with our elected representatives is at an all-time low and yet we keep re-electing the liars who led us to where we are now. When we do not hold them accountable for their actions and results, we are excusing their behavior. Promises and good intentions are no more than that until they are backed up with the actions and results. The Post-Thinking Era is allowing the perpetual disintegration of America. Perhaps we could try adding some thinking to our feelings.
Recent events in Ferguson, MO are ample demonstration of what happens when emotion governs rather than thinking. Michael Brown's death is something no parent should have to suffer through. They have my deepest sympathy. They had no part in the hooliganism that took place, nor did they encourage it. There is never any justification for a police officer to gun down an innocent person. Nor is there ever any justification for the public assuming that the police do so. Our system of justice, our form of government are firmly established upon the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The justice system can be agonizingly slow, but it almost always gets it right. It is not perfect and sometimes we get it wrong and must learn from those few moments and improve going forward. But, in the Post-Thinking Era, we use headlines, soundbites and tweets, which offer minimal information and maximum emotion, to make decisions.
It is absolutely sickening to watch the media regularly exploit such tragedies as Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin for ratings. Shootings all over the country go regularly ignored whether they involve police of all colors, victims of all colors or gang thugs of all colors. If the story doesn't fit their exploitive narrative of white on black discrimination it is a non-story with them. The media's shameless effort to transform George Zimmerman from a Latino to a white man was appalling. (I am no Zimmerman fan--don't misconstrue my argument.) They had a preconceived narrative that they were going to force as long as possible to gin up emotion and increase their ratings. Thinking people noticed that. As the facts came out in the case and as our system did its job, the truth came out and a jury deliberated and found Zimmerman innocent of any crime. That he is guilty of stupidity is left for us to decide. Our juries are not allowed to judge people on stupidity--then we would be governing on emotion, not law.
The facts have begun to trickle out in the Michael Brown case. At this point, it is looking as if the officer was justified in what he did. However, I will withhold judgement until all the facts have come out in a court of law. Whether Michael Brown is dead because of a racist police officer or because he made some incredibly stupid decisions, we will yet find out. Either way, his parents have lost their son. The black community, upset by the shooting, had every right in the world to take to the streets in protest, mourn and express concern and emotion. Exercising our first amendment right is vital to the survival of our Republic. However, the thinking people knew that violence, looting and rioting would serve no purpose. There is never any justification for the lawlessness that took place in Ferguson. It does not matter how high emotions are running. The race baiters that showed up to exploit this tragedy for their own gain and selfish purposes are a malignant cancer that seek to perpetuate racial strife to maintain their own self-importance. It is disgusting. Thinking people will not be sucked in by their emotional rhetoric.
Unfortunately, this same level of emotion and lack of thinking is rife amongst politicians and within our government. The President, who had an opportunity to demonstrate actual leadership during this crisis in Missouri, failed yet again. To his credit, he said some good words about what was taking place. But, by sending in the Feds and Eric Holder, he screamed his lack of belief in both our system and the local officials putting the wheels of justice in motion. He undermined their efforts and gave credence to the accusation that the Missouri situation is racially motivated. Missouri's Governor Nixon, did the same thing when he called for a "vigorous prosecution" to be pursued. That statement implies guilt on behalf of the officer without the benefit of all the facts. He had the opportunity to walk back that statement, but did not. As a former attorney general he should know better. That officer is as equally entitled to a vigorous "investigation" as Michael Brown is. But, this is what happens when leaders emote rather than think.
Obama also said in his statement to the press, "Let me also be clear that our constitutional rights to speak freely, to assemble, and to report in the press must be vigilantly safeguarded, especially in moments like these." However, in moments where he doesn't like the press, it is okay for the rights of journalists to be trampled. This administration is prosecuting journalists in record numbers for not revealing their sources. Even the emotive and adoring New York Times has turned on Obama in this regard. Back in June 2013, then editor Jill Abramson said, "...the Times and our readers are quite concerned about the six active criminal leak cases that the Obama administration has pursued. That's more than all the other administrations combined. And, yeah, we are concerned that the process of news gathering is being criminalized." This is more than an inconsistency on the part of the President; it is political expediency. Most politicians of every stripe are guilty of the same thing. As long as we allow them to get away with it, they will keep doing it.
It is high time, that we as a nation start thinking and stop emoting when it comes to politics and governance. Emotion has a place in our political system, but it cannot be the THE priority. Politician's favorite tool is emotional rhetoric that cause us to feel rather than think. When politicians try to baffle us with BS, we need to compare their promises with the outcomes. Does what they say jive with what they are doing? Our satisfaction with our elected representatives is at an all-time low and yet we keep re-electing the liars who led us to where we are now. When we do not hold them accountable for their actions and results, we are excusing their behavior. Promises and good intentions are no more than that until they are backed up with the actions and results. The Post-Thinking Era is allowing the perpetual disintegration of America. Perhaps we could try adding some thinking to our feelings.
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