By Bruce Goldfaden
As we continue our road trip through Indecency USA, our first sight is political indecency, the lion’s head of the three-body-part, monstrous chimera with a goat’s body and serpent’s tail, described in in the introduction. The chimera of our political, cultural, and psychological indecency hovers over us, the omnipresent negative energy attempting to strip us permanently of the essential moral and ethical principles of compassion, goodwill, and kindness.
I don’t know when the chimera fully matured to grip our nation, but we can look to the first two-and-a-half decades of the 21st century for solid clues to its conception and growth. Despite some positive events, a lot has gone wrong, and a lot of people have lost their lives: The toll of COVID-19 continues to destroy families. The horrific tragedy of nearly 3,000 lives lost on 9/11 continues with many survivors suffering permanent physical and emotional wounds.
As you look over what happened to us from January 1, 2000, through September 15, 2024, in the graphic below, consider how many families have been tragically changed forever. What is striking about this list is how quickly the turn of the century brought so many challenges upon us. Instead of coming together to heal, these waves of financial, political, and social turmoil—and the COVID-19 crisis—have polarized our nation.
There is "fear and loathing" [3] throughout the country. But, I'm holding on to a glimmer of optimism, as reflected in this essay’s title as a question: No More Decency? instead of the statement: No More Decency. In this spirit of optimism, I searched Google® on August 13, 2024, around 11 a.m., with the query: "surveys on America's future good or bad," hoping to find confirmation of my hope. The search returned 1.1 billion results, and I landed on the fourth: the 2023 American Values Survey, which included this snippet: "October 22, 2023 — More than three-fourths of Americans (77%) believe that the country is going in the wrong direction, compared with only 22% who believe the..." ["country is going in the right direction."] [4]
I clicked the link and arrived at the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) website, and I saw the headline: “Threats to American Democracy Ahead of an Unprecedented Presidential Election.” [5] I glanced to the right column, and I saw "PRESS COVERAGE" and, below these words, I saw three links, and my mouth fell open in disbelief. But, I wouldn't click one of them because I didn’t want to read the details. My timing is perfect for taking a break: 11:15 a.m. I have a spinning class in a few minutes. I’d rather be on a stationary bike pedaling full out than reading the news behind the links.
As the spinning class begins, I'm still thinking about the website's grim information, which symbolizes our political indecency, and my mind is out of the moment instead of in the moment in the class. But, the spinning with pulsating music quickly ease my mind, as always—There's no better emotional remedy than rigorous exercise.—and, now, I'm in the spinning groove with the "PRESS COVERAGE," links a thought in the past for now. Time flies when you're spinning, and the 45-minute class is over. In the car, I decide to stop at a grocery store for lunch.
Back home, after lunch, I open my Mac®, and I go back to the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) website again, and see the "PRESS COVERAGE," links again, knowing I have to click one of them to find out the details, and the spinning endorphin euphoria recedes quicker than a 100-mph fastball leaving a pitcher’s hand and crossing home plate right in the middle of the strike zone, which takes all of 400 milliseconds [0.4 seconds] [6] to travel 60.5 feet. If there were ever a time to pray for our country, this would be the time. I say a quick prayer for sanity to return to our country, which I've been doing often lately. Here is the screenshot of the page that caused my stunned reaction. You could say this is the prima facie [prī-mə-ˈfā-shə]—"…sufficient to establish a fact or a case unless disproved..." [7]—evidence of our political indecency:
On the PRRI website, I download the 2023 American Values survey referenced in the screenshot above, and I see: "Because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country." [9] And the survey result?: 23% or nearly 1 in 4 Americans believe political violence, which could range from threats and intimidation to violent acts, such as murder, should be the way we usher in change. Even worse, the support for this idea increased 53% from the previous survey only two years earlier. Political violence includes a spectrum of behaviors, but given 2024's two assassination attempts, the survey takes on chilling implications. We have witnessed the most extreme forms of political violence, and many people witnessed this violence in person, including the family of a former fire chief who was murdered as he tried to protect them. Two others were injured.
So, this isn't a random public opinion survey. The two people who acted out the most extreme form of this survey in July and September 2024 chose bullets instead of ballots. And, they're from two generations: a Gen Z who was 20, and a Baby Boomer 2, who is 58. Together, their actions lay bare the depth and complexity of our political indecency. How many others like them are out there? If we apply the survey’s 23% to the US adult population, this belief in political violence could be shared by nearly 61 million people. [10] [11] You've got to be kidding me.
This information makes me stop in my tracks. What about you? Do you also find yourself struggling to comprehend the reality of this statistic? Or, are you part of that 23% who might feel this way? I don’t ask to accuse, but to inquire: Do you truly believe violence is the way forward? Have you thought about what this belief means for you, for your family, for others, for the country?
And, now, let us all ask: Can we see ourselves right now with the very soul of our decency poisoned? I didn't want to use the word "dystopian" in this essay, but the word keeps coming up for me: dystopian: "of, relating to, or being an imagined world or society in which people lead dehumanized, fearful lives." [12] Is a dystopian country far off? I don’t know how close or how far, but, man, moments like this suggest we’re inching much closer.
My mind is blank. I realize I’m staring through my balcony doors at the courtyard and the sky, and that's about all that’s in my mind is the courtyard and the sky. No thoughts entering or leaving: a black wall of nothing behind my eyes: that place back there, when we're not staring at a courtyard and sky, where we can dream up the worst kind of ideas, the absolute worst, from minds that think they're tough and strong, but in this case, minds that are dwelling in the land of who-knows-where whose philosophy is killing political leaders to change the course of history is a cool thing to do.
I don’t know where this bizarre idea of political violence is coming from so to lighten my mood, I check the US Constitution for the word “bullets.” Hold on one moment, please…OK, just as I thought. The Founding Fathers did not include the word “bullets” in the US Constitution. [13]
Political indecency, in the form of violence and threats, challenges the very fabric of our democracy. As we continue to navigate these challenges, let us consider the broader consequences of choosing violence over dialogue. Discussing why 23% of Americans see violence as a pragmatic way forward will enable us to explore the importance of preserving peaceful discourse. Only through a commitment to ballots—not bullets—can we sustain a society built on reason and trust.
And, so, our road trip through Indecency USA continues. The chimera of our political, cultural, and psychological indecency is hovering around us, the omnipresent negative energy attempting to strip us permanently of the essential moral and ethical principles of compassion, goodwill, and kindness.
Next week: part 3: cultural indecency
References
[1] World Health Organization. “14.9 Million Excess Deaths Were Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 and 2021.” Last modified May 5, 2022. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://www.who.int/news/item/05-05-2022-14.9-million-excess-deaths-were-associated-with-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-2020-and-2021.
[2] January 6 United States Capitol Attack. Wikipedia. Last modified September 1, 2024. Accessed September 4, 2024.
[3] Thompson, Hunter S. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Books, 1973. (Referenced for the phrase "fear and loathing" only).
[4] Public Religion Research Institute. “2023 American Values Survey.” Last modified October 22, 2023. Accessed August 22, 2024. https://www.prri.org/research/threats-to-american-democracy-ahead-of-an-unprecedented-presidential-election/.
[5] Public Religion Research Institute. “2023 American Values Survey.” Last modified October 22, 2023. Accessed August 22, 2024. https://www.prri.org/research/threats-to-american-democracy-ahead-of-an-unprecedented-presidential-election/.
[6] TopVelocity. “How Fast Does a 100-MPH Fastball Reach Home Plate?” TopVelocity, April 8, 2024. Accessed September 4, 2024. https://www.topvelocity.net/2024/04/08/how-fast-does-a-100-mph-fastball-reach-home-plate/.
[7] Merriam-Webster. “prima facie.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed August 22, 2024. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prima%20facie.
[8] Public Religion Research Institute. “Threats to American Democracy Ahead of an Unprecedented Presidential Election.” PRRI.org. Last modified October 22, 2023. Accessed August 22, 2024. https://www.prri.org/research/threats-to-american-democracy-ahead-of-an-unprecedented-presidential-election/.
[9] Public Religion Research Institute. “2023 American Values Survey Presentation.” October 25, 2023. Accessed August 22, 2024. https://www.prri.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-AVS-Presentation.pdf.
[10] U.S. Census Bureau.“U.S. and World Population Clock.” Accessed September 12, 2024.
[11] U.S. Census Bureau. “U.S. Adult Population Grew Faster Than Nation’s Total Population From 2010 to 2020.” Last modified August 12, 2021. Accessed September 12, 2024. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/united-states-adult-population-grew-faster-than-nations-total-population-from-2010-to-2020.html.
[12] Merriam-Webster. “dystopian.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed August 22, 2024. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystopian.
[13] National Archives. “The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription.” Accessed August 14, 2024. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript.
[14] Kennedy, John F. Address on the First Anniversary of the Alliance for Progress. March 13, 1962. Accessed August 22, 2024. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-first-anniversary-the-alliance-for-progress.
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Bruce Goldfaden is the founder of LSV Communications, a digital marketing agency structured on the principle of value proposition messaging to differentiate a company from competitors. He is the author of The Man of Many Colors, a parable about recognizing one's individual value to recognize this value in others to live by the Golden Rule, the correct code of conduct. The Man of Many Colors is available on amazon.com.
Copyright © 2024 Bruce Goldfaden and LSV Communications LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this essay may be reproduced or redistributed in any form or by any means—except through sharing via a link to this web page or for brief quotations in a review—without the express written permission of Bruce Goldfaden and LSV Communications LLC.
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