Consequences

Once upon a time, there was an American TV quiz show called Truth or Consequences. It was meant for fun, of course, not the kind of consequences real-life lies can produce. Failure to tell or honor truth can create an environment where morality is muddied or disappears altogether. Civilization falters as it has in the past. Some in America today anticipate a future when they’ll repeat the phrase used by exasperated parents: “I told you so!” delivered after the burned hand or the broken leg or the eye poked out. “I told you so” was often unspoken, merely a facial expression that felt far worse than being scolded. And, as a responsible adult, being empowered to say “I told you so” wasn’t satisfying when the trouble finally happened. If we loved the one or many who were hurt, knowing we’d done our best to try to avoid the disaster was poor comfort.

When nasty consequences injure innocent bystanders, including those who worked to prevent trouble, the ones who deliberately ignored their advice often convince themselves in retrospect that they were right all along…if you look at the circumstances a certain way, or the bad consequences were someone else’s fault. Blaming someone else is the easiest go-to. “Your suggestion was a worse idea.” Or “I don’t know what you’re complaining about. I’m happier. I made a good choice. Who cares how you feel.”

The election consequences being predicted for the next four years and possibly much longer are horrific and don’t need to be repeated here for the people who bothered to learn honest facts. The planet, our independent country, and those who depend on it will survive or we won’t. We’ll stumble into annihilation or avoid it. Those super ancient advanced civilizations that are now mere rubble being unearthed could be warnings we should’ve heeded…or not. What will be, will be.

So on to the good news. The encroaching darkness—like all wars, savage dictators (clever or clueless), or waves of abject cruelty—make a backdrop that contrasts sharply with the light of the people working for the betterment of all. Like magnified fireflies in a black night, people of all ages, faiths, genders, cultures, and races have appeared who are intelligent, loving, and brave. They share hope and strategies for improvement. Some came to their stance over rocky ground. They learned a hard lesson about our underlying interdependence on each other and the earth after the political shift away from accountability and changed their opinions as being poorly considered. Some were the teachers of principle who planned for this future even when they were still hoping their plans wouldn’t be needed. You can read their words of encouragement online or hear them in whispers on hostile streets. They’re the ones who run into the fire to confront hate and wanton destruction. They seem sadly outnumbered and overpowered, but love has its own magnetism and might. The haters relying on force to achieve their ends will discover they can inspire fear but not respect. If they paid attention to history, they’d know fear can insist on obedience but it can’t guarantee loyalty.

World society has matured in certain circles since the days of the Nazis—recognizing the benefits and talents hidden in neglected segments of the population. The majority of Americans, for example, don’t believe the only good Americans are white male native-born (but not native!) Americans, since the facts don’t support that fantasy. We’re about to discover or invent sub-cultures of truly good people. The change they bring to the earth may not happen quickly, but it will happen.