I vote for thinking.

I pray at the alter of human kindness and deep thinking. Both are at jeopardy in this election cycle. It is not just about who will get the most votes. It is about what behaviors are rewarded and which are discouraged. If we vote to deeply invest in people, and to think deeply about how to invest in them, we will all benefit. If sound bites and quick fixes are honored then we will all loose. 

I heard the comedian Lewis Black say, “the American people are going to loose in this election no matter how it goes.” I believe there is truth in what he says. The political process used to be about differing theories on how to create a country where people had the opportunity to live a life in safety and health. It has been hijacked by people who want to oppress and exclude. The conversations continue to divide us, but we have the opportunity to change. We vote on these issues everyday; what we choose to post or like on facebook, what he choose to buy or read or watch. These choices impact the nature of our conversation more than the outcome of the election. We vote on wether we value slow consideration and informed decisions, or quick solutions. If we choose to gravitate to sound bites or sides we reward superficial thinking. If we choose to listen deeply to people and understand the why we honor humanity. The humanity in the conversation, the humanity in the decision, the humanity in the outcomes of our decisions. 

I worship deep thinking because there is no easy answer. Every decision has complex consequences and outcomes. Someone benefits and others suffer. When Obama was running in 2008 I supported him because it seemed that he wanted to inspire us to think deeply about our country. He spoke to us as if we were intelligent thinkers. He wanted us to understand the decisions he was making and lead us with both clarity and understanding. However, he did not posses the certitude that often leads me to reject politicians. He appeared to have deeply thought about and understood the humanity of each decision. Over the last four years it feels like he has traded that inspired deep thinking for sound bites and certitude. I’m sure he didn’t want to trade them in, but the political machine that runs our country demands it. They threatens to take away the opportunity to do good. So we see him compromise over and over. Not just on bills and military operations but on his integrity. I don’t fault him for this. I imagine that if it is frustrating to us it must be impossibly frustrating to him. I just know that if the machine can draw down Obama and can tear apart our county. 

I heard a friend recently talk about her brother and how he has chosen not to speak to her because she is a lesbian. Until four years ago they had a good relationship. Then he chose to join the Tea Party. A seemingly political party with deep and unabiding views about very personal issues. This friend commented that she understood how the civil war had divided families. The issues of politics had become deeply personal and the political machine was creating a line in the sand where everyone had to choose a side. 

This division leaves little room for deep thinking and human kindness. The very things that define us seem to be at stake. We feel like we have to choose which side of the mansion-Dixon we will stand and take up our guns. We panic and our bodies go into fight or flight mode, where less thinking occurs. An environment of panic descends choices seem life ending. We feel we must fight for what we can’t bear to loose and to fight we must find an opponent. No one wins in this war. So maybe Lewis Black is right. We will all loose in this election cycle. I know I will loose because thinking deeply and caring about people is slipping away.