Trump beat Clinton ... but we all lost in this election
In what has been the nastiest, most close-minded contest in American history, the candidates’ respect for each other was nonexistent, personal insults were commonplace, and tolerance for the “other side” vanished, replaced by bitter partisan attitudes and vitriolic attacks.
What the hell has happened to us?
As leaders, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton should have known that millions looked to them for guidance, and that their actions — good and bad — would be emulated, especially by younger generations. Unfortunately, the bad far outweighed the good. And that is a reflection of the society we have chosen to become.
Common decency and good manners, once so prevalent, have become casualties in our empathy, it’s all too easy to deto the Rotary Club to Scouting, insults from the candidates diall-about-me entitlement society. monize those with whomwe where members interacted with rected at the other (and their
How did it get this way? And disagree by blasting away on each other and worked for the supporters), but in many cases how did it happen so quickly? Facebook or Twitter or chat good of the community. But they the complete dissolution of long
• In part, because many now rooms. Personal insults? No are sad ghosts of the past, casutime friendships, where people deem it perfectly acceptable to problem. Slander someone (and alties of a Millennial generation refuse to speak with anyone who hide behind social media while his family) with wildly false acthat considers anything interferdisagree with them. That’s not demonizing others. Or shout obcusations because it fits into ing with Netflix binge-watching just narrow-minded, but very scenitiessad.atthemotoristaheadone’sfancifulnarrative?SureandInstagrampoststobesacwho didn’t stomp on the accelerthing. Link people to off-therilegious. We have all lost during this ator the second the light turned wall conspiracy theories to dis• And partly it’s because we election because we have acgreen. Or insult someone at the credit them, facts — and repuhave allowed ourselves to succepted — and in fact contributed ATM because we’re “inconvetations — be damned? You bet. cumb to political correctness, to — the culture of disrespect nienced” by waiting a whopping And for what? Simply because where tolerance is now a foreign that has gripped America and two minutes. we disagree with a political posiconcept, and reasonable discusthreatens to divide us like never
Manners, let alone etiquette, tion or corporate stance, or don’t sion is often shot down as racist, before. Will this election (and have become foreign concepts. like what someone has to say. bigoted, shaming, hurtful, inthe new administration) become
• Social media addiction has • Partly it’s because the idea sensitive, and otherwise “offenthe new normal, where insults created an insular cocoon for of service — valuing others sive.” The majority may disagree and intolerance rule the day? millions, stripping away perabove oneself, and performing with the PC police, but their siOr will we put an end to it, sonal skills and producing gengood deeds because it’s the right lence in opposing them has beright here and now, and demand erations completely oblivious to thing to do — has mostly discome a tacit endorsement of the that civility and respect once traditional social mores. Now, appeared. Once we had a mulhyper-sensitive society we’ve beagain become the cornerstones instead of talking person-totitude of social organizations, come. of our society? person to gain insight and feel from the Knights of Columbus This election has seen not just The choice is ours.