The Post Facts Era

For the past few weeks I have been watching the protests. It seems we have groups protesting almost everything. But I am pretty sure what is happening is the Clinton supporters (In the most recent Presidential election.) are throwing a collective temper tantrum. They can’t believe their golden girl lost the election. She had lots of money, a huge political apparatus grinding out politics as usual in the background, the Clinton name, millions of ground troops, the support of key influencers, a decent running mate, a carefully crafted campaign put together by the best of the best and had the added advantage of running again a fragmented Republican Party led by, what seemed to be, the village idiot. How could she lose? But she did.

Frankly I am both saddened and surprised that either one of them won. I have been observing politics since Eisenhower was President and those were the two sorriest candidates I have ever seen. They were different, that’s for sure. But each one was highly un-likable and un-electable in his and her own unique way. No matter the outcome of the election, the American people were sure to lose. And we did. The Democrats can’t believe they lost and the Republicans don’t yet know that they, too, lost.

Please keep in mind that I am a child of the 60’s. My generation redefined the concept of rebellion and protesting. We took protesting to new heights (Or depths, depending on how you see things.). We rebelled about and against almost everything.

I was fortunate (?) to attend college in the 1960’s. It was a time of huge social and political upheaval and change. While in college I was privileged to serve on a group that was tasked with inviting speakers and entertainers to our college campus. With much effort, we convinced Al Capp, the author of the very popular comic strip, “Li’l Abner,” to spend a weekend on our campus. In his cartoon strip Mr. Capp did a great job of social commentary. In response to the seemingly never ending campus unrest he introduced a student group in his strip: “S.W.I.N.E.”

S.W.I.N.E. was a campus group that rallied and protested against anything that came to mind. S.W.I.N.E. stood for Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything. Al Capp was a very funny and engaging man. I didn’t realize until I, while serving as the President of my university’s SWINE chapter (We called it Student Government), I interviewed him on the local radio station where I did political commentary, that he had lost a leg and was in poor health. He certainly didn’t let those things stand in his way of living a full and meaningful life and being a very witty guy. I tell you all of that to let you know that I seem to have a genetic tendency toward rebellion. That information should give you a context for what I must say.

Those presently protesting everything they can think of and more remind me of my days as a S.W.I.N.E. I was deadly serious about everything. Nothing was funny. Everything was wrong. It was up to me to fix it. I was the only person (Me and my fellow S.W.I.N.E.) intelligent enough to know what must be done. Anyone who disagreed with me was my intellectual and moral inferior and should not even be given the opportunity to speak. I was open minded, but only to people who agreed with me. The others were too wrong to be given an audience. Whatever they had to say was so wrong it was hate speech. I was pretty full of myself (And other stuff we won’t mention.) Much like the protesters of today.

Perhaps if Mr. Capp were alive and writing today he would name the present protesters A.P.S.T.A.R. – Angry People Sure They Are Right. It might fit since they seem to think people who think differently than they are some kind of lower lifeforms. Having been there and done that, I understand where they are coming from. What I don’t understand is why they are protesting. I don’t understand their logic. And that may be where I’ve gone wrong – looking for and expecting logic. Let me give a shot at explaining what I mean.

Over the past few decades the movers and the shakers and trend setters have taken a long time trying to convince us that truth is relative – and they have. That concept is a part of what is called “Post Modern” thought. As a “Modern”, the best I can tell, to be a postmodern thinker one must pretty much lose his or her mind. What previously was widely held and universally understood – common sense – has been lost to the masses. Speaking for a few of us old folks, we miss it.

My observation is that much Postmodern thought and conversations are emotion driven and facts are of little consequence. It is a sticky, gooey, comfortable, feel-good way of dealing with life; especially social problems. The question of right and wrong never comes up because it is irrelevant. Right and wrong are a matter of opinion (Unless I don’t approve of what you are doing.) so they don’t enter the discussion. The most important factors in any discussion are: Is anyone’s feelings hurt; is anyone uncomfortable; make sure the wants and needs of the least and the last (And sometimes the weirdest.) get primary consideration; does the conclusion make me feel good? In a rush to the emotional response, facts are often overlooked or ignored.

I am uncomfortable with making decisions based on emotions. I cannot think of one emotionally driven decision I have ever made that turned out well. I will confess that I have little respect for emotion driven people. I believe they strongly tend to make poor decisions. Emotions are great in their place, but their place is not in the decision-making process. And if one is going to get all riled up and hitting the streets to protest, do so because of what the facts tell you, not what your feelings dictate. Not long ago a friend owned up to being naive as if that were a good thing. Basically, being naive means you have the capacity for rational thinking and decision making but have failed to do so. Instead, you have arrived at an irrational, emotionally driven conclusion. And that is rarely good thing.

For example, hundreds of thousands of protesters hit the streets to protest because DJT (Again, I am not a fan.) is closing the boarders and refusing to allow any Muslim immigrants into the country. That would make me angry, too. If it were true. But it is not. The truth is he is proposing keeping immigrants from a few countries from coming into the United States for 90 days while our country’s vetting process is reviewed. While it sounds like a logical plan to me, I don’t know if that is a good idea or not. I don’t have enough information to make an informed decision. But I don’t believe a rational person is going to take to the streets to protest the order. Give it 90 days and see what happens.

The next step for the fact-free group in arguing their position is to trot out some people who are adversely affected by the decision to tell their sad tale. We are all emotionally moved by their hurt and disappointment and immediately fall in line with the fact-free line of thought… if you make emotionally driven decisions. But again, the truth is (There it is again, that stinking truth thing.) every decision has positive and negative effects. A good decision generally has more good than bad effects and outcomes. Again, one can always find someone or ones adversely impacted by a decision.  A good example is the Affordable Care Act. So, because one can produce someone who is hurt by a decision doesn’t prove the decision to be wrong. We churchy people do this all the time. A plan is proposed, one person shares their dissatisfaction and the plan is abandoned.

Lately, we, as a nation, have made it a habit of rushing to judgements without thinking things through. And once we have arrived at the wrong place for the wrong reasons, insist on staying there and adamantly defending our position. And in doing so, we are losing our credibility.

I’m not asking for much. Just stop, listen and think before doing something.

Copyright © 2017, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved

Bill McConnell is the Interim Minister at Norwood Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a Church Transformation consultant and a Christian Leadership Coach. He is a frequent speaker at Church Transformation events. His latest book on church transformation is DEVELOPING A SIGNIFICANT CHURCH and is available at Westbow Press. He can be contacted @ bill45053@gmail.com. Connect with him on Facebook @ William T. McConnell or on Twitter @billmc45053 or visit his Amazon Author Page @ Amazon