Patriotism and pride on the line
People waiting in lines can tell you a lot about the human condition.
For example: Pushing in front of someone to get ahead of others at a football game, concert or even restaurant means you are so intent on your own immediate gratification that you don’t even consider others around you.
Going next at the barber shop when you know there are at least three guys who came in before you means you think you are busier and more important than anyone else.
Getting ahead of another car by cutting in or trying to inch ahead unnoticed means you are a bad driver, and as such are a selfish and potentially dangerous individual in your vehicle.
Circumventing a crowd waiting to get inside a cell phone store first thing in the morning, and pushing aside earlier arrivals means you don’t give a dang what other people think because everyone knows you are a jerk.
Ignoring social distancing so you can move ahead in line, or get the item you want from a shelf regardless of another person already standing there means you are nothing short of heinous.
Pushing, shoving and shouting nasty things at a political rally means you are backing the wrong candidate, especially if you feel empowered to do so by their rhetoric and behavior.
Violence in any form at a demonstration means you don’t mind being a criminal. The consequences of your actions mean little to nothing.
Taking a handicapped parking space when you are as fit as a Greek god is just beyond words.
The lack of planning that everyone can get a COVID-19 test or vaccine is a bit of chaos unheard of in these modern times and is the fault of governments — local, state and national — that are inept and unprincipled. Many people are going to suffer unnecessarily, just as so many of us have gotten sick and died because of governmental lack of caring. We elected those people, so it is ultimately our fault.
All these scenarios contrast vividly with a remarkable snapshot of American patriotism.
In record number, people lined up all over the country to vote. News photos show orderly lines, without rancor, with people of different ideologies respecting one another.
Why the difference?
It is this: When we line up to vote, we are lining up for something larger than ourselves. We are lining up for the good of the entire country,
Our well-regulated voting means that we are not only proud to be American, but that we care about others.