November 9th marks the anniversary of one of the darkest day's and times in history - Kristallnacht (crystal night) 1938. Also know as "The Night of the Broken Glass." The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after the windows of Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and the many hundreds of synagogues that were smashed, ransacked and burned with support of German authorities. Additionally, ~30,000 Jewish men were arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps. The unimaginable "Final Solution" was underway.
How could this happen, especially in Germany which was the pinnacle of culture and civilization? In the context of the Great Depression, the people and media let hate get out of control.
--------
In America today, we have too much hate. Uncivil behavior is too prevalent. The media needs to put a check on it's biase and incessant efforts to foster division and anger which leads to hate.
President Trump is NOT the root of the problem. The problem stems from hyper-partisanship where BOTH SIDES, Left and Right compete for the outrageous power and money associated with politics. Why else would people raise and spend $80 million to win a position that pays about $200k?
Both sides use their philosophical views, to justify their desires. Said another way, both sides use their knowledge of good and evil to justify their behaviors in an effort to seek power (control and money). This should sound familiar!!
We are witnessing an old story that has played out long before Trump. When leaders like Trump and Reagan and Goldwater and especially Lincoln, all on the Right, give the Left a real "run for their money and power" things get very ugly. Just do a little research to see what the opponents of Reagan and Lincoln said about them in their day, and you will see the similarities.
The problems of politics today should be familiar because the Father of our Country, George Washington, warned us of putting Party over country in his Farewell Letter.
Today's political battles should also sound familiar because the roots can be traced all the way back to Genesis when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden because they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil.
Ever since Mankind was expelled from the Garden of Eden, we have used our knowledge of "good & evil" to justify our "desires." The differences and competition in our desires have been at the core of the greatest destruction in history. It is how a society even as sophisticated as Germany digressed into insanity and hell. And it can happen again in America if we don't stop the direction we are going in. Anarchy just needs a catalyst, such as an economic depression and a spark like an assassination for there to be another "Kristallnacht" as society spirals out of control.
Americans need to stop dividing ourselves from one another! We need to align along our common challenges and American interests, not along COMPETITIVE PARTY LINES! We need to hold ourselves and the leaders of our OWN PARTY accountable, and expect others to do the same, not through BLAMING THEM but by setting a better example.
We need to have a dialogue rather than debate. Together we must identify common concerns and practical solutions that are consistent with our Constitution and the Vision of the Founders of this great Nation.
The press has to do it's part to encourage cooperation rather than exploiting controversy and contention to get ratings. Their objective should only be to report the news fairly, honestly and objectively with high professional and ethical standards. They must police their own in ways that bring out better behavior. America's greatness depends as much on the integrity of the press as any institution!
Last but not least, we need to anchor ourselves to the moral code of our Judeo-christian valves. We have to put our Faith in G-d not Government. George Washington warned on this as well
Our Government leaders must be our SERVANTS!! Our Government must protect our freedoms, not rob them from us through excessive taxation and control.
In the spirit of the Golden Rule, we must rely more on ourselves and give generously to help our friends and neighbors DIRECTLY through acts of loving kindness, volunteerism and charity.
All the problems are solvable. But they will only get worse if we refuse to work together and blame one another. We need to demand that politicians work with one another. Debating and defeating each another is not a way forward, it is an endless circle that leads to frustration, corruption and decay.
