ETHICS? MORALITY? Recent shifts of rather large segments of our national population in regard to problems of morality and ethics concern suggest that we might take an inventory of just what our present holdings are of such commodities.
Divergent groups seem to anticipate our becoming more active in the morality/ethics area than many have been in our campaign roiling. I find some people thinking the move toward piety and purity to be a positive one, but I am also aware of groups which express fear rather than favor of considering the wisdom of taking such a problem engendering political
pathway.
It seems to me this problem has been nagging us ever since Vice-President Dan Quayle had nerve enough to become openly critical of a nationally popular TV star of that day who was playing the role of an unwed mother in a sit-com type comedy farce. His error was in naming a popular TV star and in condemning the roles unmentionable nature of her physical change. Had he stayed with politically safe areas and been critical of the "stage", or of the "theater" is comments may well have gone along as standard politician;s talk about the source of much "evil in this great nation of ours"...but to zero in on the specific form of Murphey Brown was a error which cost Dan Q his career. Since that incident "m&e" has not been what it once was in a political sense, and is best avoided.
We will need some time to try to determine what we have done; what we are doing now and what we intend to to do in the near future. If we set our goal too high we can be certain of failure; if we keep them low, we are merely passing time and fooling ourselves more so than others. We can spin wheels for a long time by arguing over the results of the most recent elections. There is strong evidence that the religious groups among voters propelled the Bush ticket back into office for another term. Such groups are accepting congratulations when they hear such those sentiments and trying to ignore anyone who refutes them.
Do we actually need new laws created especially to curb the very methods which have out us in a position where we can even consider making such laws which would make everything or much of what we have done in the past seem wrong...evil.
I doubt that our ultimate arrival a such a near-perfect situation will ever come about in the form of codified laws. I think, rather, that are gradually discovering that fact that humility, love, compassion - along with morality and ethical conduct are all states of becoming...of being to which we all must strive, rather than a possession to be grasped; not a physical goal to be arrived at by a planned route but more of a condition, place or situation not physically astride of a set spot to be captured and held. True morality and ethical conditions are basic concepts and attitudes we come upon, respect and hold dear.
Do we even know what it is we are said to be searching for in such a despondent quest? We are a loose wagon in need of a horse. We are a wandering star seeking an orbit.
What are the realities of our dream?
A.L.M. February 21, 2005 [c577wds]
