On Cruelty
What is the apparent allure of cruelty?
What does one get out of being angry, hateful, xenophobic, racist, homophobic, narcissistic, and covetous, to be a liar who follows up obvious lies with an ever-increasing flow of more demonstrably ridiculous falsehoods? Is it fun to celebrate families being torn apart, historic enemies of the United States conducting bloody invasions of nations we promised security to only to seemingly validate the actions of the invaders, to listen to their propagandists and spies, to collude with evil, to boost extremist organizations that would see us murdered because of our lack of belief in their god or political party, and revisit belief systems that have been proven to be disastrous and murderous time and time again?
It can’t be healthy to be at either end of the political horseshoe, screaming at everyone who dares not share every single belief you find to be acceptable. It can’t do good for the soul to feel compelled to cover one’s face when engaging in demonstrations or deportations. It can’t inspire a feeling of self-worth to hide behind a burner account, podcast microphone or a podium in Washington DC and spew divisive nonsense, conspiracies and vitriol into the world, can it? Is this refuse really what we fall for?
The ideas we used to see as the parlance of crazies have far too quickly emerged from the darkest corner of the internet into our halls of government, into the curriculum of our universities, and increasingly into our discourse. People who have free access to Wikipedia are celebrating and lionizing terrorists, traitors and slavers and trying to erase the history they disagree with. And while I’ve long professed and believed that the best way to combat the terrible people among us is to be unlike them, I don’t want to sit idly by with my mouth shut while, for example, this ongoing train wreck of a federal government tries to burn our country down by design or simply incompetence. I certainly won’t remain quiet while people who have committed no crime other than seeking a better future are packed into detention camps, or apologists for theocratic fascistic terrorism justify the slaughter of those who they deem to be infidels.
I’ve lived a lifetime of imperfection, to be clear. And there are plenty more mistakes in my future, I’m sure. But now isn’t the moment to take up the banner of extremism. That’s one mistake I promise to avoid. Now isn’t the time to become cruel, to live a life rooted in grievance and victim-hood, or to ignore the behavior of those who chose to behave in such ways. In a world full of extremists, I chose to be normal. I chose not to let hate into my heart. I chose to believe in the highest founding principles of this country, in those that preach brotherhood, of the freedom and democracy we can thank the Greeks for, and of the parts of our religious teachings and philosophies that are not based in fire and brimstone, but love and redemption.
I remember with no small degree of wariness the ideologies that lead to suffering and famine, to not get sucked into hysteria and conspiracy, to defend my neighbors and to remember our allies. I chose to try to be a good citizen, to be generous and strive to give as much as I take, to stand up for the meek, and help lift the lamp beside the golden door. You may disagree, you may have chosen one constitutional amendment to wrap yourself in (mine would the Third if I had to as we don’t have room for some random soldier), but that’s what being an American is supposed to mean.
In this season of joy, love, giving, celebration and with the arrival of a new year, maybe we can lead by example together? Maybe we can try to be good neighbors and citizens? Maybe we can try to outdo the damn Brits with our good humor? Perhaps that can be our collective resolve in 2026?
A normie patriot can dream.
