100 Days of Gladness: Day 33
Our country is divided. People are afraid in ways that some of us have never known before, and others have known all too well. Afraid that the national structures we’ve taken for granted are coming to an end — possibly a violent one (January 6th still rings in my psyche).
These are dramatic words, I know. But this is the truest thing I can say right now: What I fear most is mob mentality.
Notice that I don’t say “the Republican mob mentality.” Yes, it seems that, for most Republicans, Trump’s recent felony conviction has only polished his brand as a martyr for freedom. But Democrats are equally susceptible to mob mentality. I saw a clip showing a large crowd chanting outside the New York City courthouse, “New York hates you! New York hates you!”
Don’t get me wrong. I understand the sentiment. I, too, have felt the frustration and the rage. But I don’t see the value in yelling hatred into the air.
There is a revolution churning in our country.
But it need not be the one we think.
I have always held a special reverence for words. My experience shows that when we pay close attention to what we’re saying, it often results in a more mindful course of action. Which is what the whole world needs right…
