What’s even worse than bad governance? Looking the other way

Decent people, do not avert your eyes.

I know it’s tempting. I spoke to a breakfast group of mostly lawyers and judges last week, and after covering troubling political topics from the White House to the Texas House, one woman admitted she sometimes just tunes out news coverage. “Shame on me,” she said.

“Yes, shame on you,” I told her. But I understood what she meant. And the truth is, she’s probably still better informed than most Americans.

Then, I read an Associated Press story in which a mother of three who worked at a Staten Island hair salon and voted for President Donald Trump said she hadn’t followed damning developments rocking the administration because she didn’t want to be depressed: “I don’t want to feel that he’s not doing what he said, so I just choose to not listen.”

Again, on some level I understand. For many, Trump was the last hope they had for Washington. They cast aside any doubt about his character or lacking qualifications in hopes that somehow he would accomplish the magical changes on jobs, national security and affordable health care he promised. Sometimes, denial is an acceptable alternative to losing faith.

But the only thing worse than bad governance is an electorate that looks the other way.

Now, if you’re among the 38 percent of Americans who, according to recent opinion polls, still think Trump is doing a swell job after the firing of the FBI director investigating his associates, read no further.

If you’re OK with Democrats blocking a well-qualified conservative nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court simply because, as my kids sometimes claim, the other side did it first, fine.

If you fully back the recent antics of the so-called Freedom Caucus in the Texas House — say, sabotaging a bill to prevent shaming of public school children without lunch money,

or forcing a rape victim to suffer the additional, likely unconstitutional, trauma of state-ordered burial or cremation of aborted fetal remains, I’m not talking to you. If you support Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s threat to hold the session hostage until the House passes his so-called bathroom bill telling us where to pee, move along.

If, however, you’re troubled by any of the above, stay with me. Hard to speak out

University of Texas Chancellor William McRaven, a retired four-star admiral and former Navy SEAL, said recently in a commencement speech: “Our nation, and indeed the world, is crying out for men and women of great character.”

It’s not that there’s a shortage of these people. You are out there.

It’s just that, in the age of social media, the 24-hour news cycle, high court rulings that declare wealthy corporations people, and perverse gerrymandering of congressional districts intended to protect incumbents, kill competition, embolden primary voters and disarm the general electorate — it may be harder than ever for a decent, fair-minded person to run for office, to speak out and influence policy. It may require more courage than ever for a government representative — elected, appointed or merely employed — to do the right thing.

The violence being done to bipartisanship, civility and honest debate both in Washington and in Austin is hard to watch. When I visited the Texas Capitol last week, I grew nostalgic remembering my first session as a reporter, when Democratic leadership in the House and Senate worked on hard issues with Republican Gov. George W. Bush.

Then, in the House chamber I heard moderate Republicans and Democrats, who want to focus on priorities such as the budget and education, repeatedly describe the showdown with ultraconservative blocs as “war.” First step: Vote

Once-healthy debate over law and policy is now mired in self-righteous hypocrisy. Gov. Greg Abbott, pandering to those blocs, declared a bill banning “sanctuary cities” an emergency, even though clergy and law enforcement in major jurisdictions were united against it, and the Republican sponsor of the bill acknowledged in debate there was not a single sanctuary city in Texas.

House members who routinely champion deeply held religious beliefs on other issues refused Friday to provide an exception for the beliefs of Jews and others whose faith may not mesh with forced burial or cremation of aborted fetal remains. They also refused an amendment to ensure compliance with a sacred text: the U.S. Constitution.

The situation is disillusioning, and fighting for something better may seem futile to the point of foolish. But we must.

Voting is the first step. In Texas, only about 43 percent bothered to do so in November. But even for those faithful voters who always prioritize their most precious civic duty, it doesn’t end there. You can’t leave the voting booth and wash your hands.

Some follow-up is required. Don’t forget the civic duty to pay attention.

The Fourth Estate is here to help. A well-re- ported newspaper article is nothing if no one reads it. And it can’t exist if no one pays for it. I realize, dear reader, that there’s a bit of preaching to the choir here. But the value of that article increases exponentially when it is shared and acted upon.

These days, it’s easy to get stuck in an information silo — aggregating our news intake so that it does nothing more than confirm our beliefs and biases. Push yourself. Click the headlines you don’t want to. Seek answers from primary sources: Did you know you can listen to debate on the House floor from the comfort of your own home?

One person can’t track every issue. But at least pick an issue.

More than a march

Marches are inspiring, but action is where it’s at. It’s encouraging to see people showing up at U.S. senators’ offices, and taking the mic at town halls, testifying in Austin, writing letters to the editor, or tweeting directly to power.

It’s hard — I know. We’re busy. We have work and school assemblies and sick family members and grocery shopping and the stress of our own lives to worry about.

But on that list of things to do, don’t forget about your state and your country. They need you — perhaps more than ever.