“The means may be likened to a seed, the end to a tree; and there is just the same inviolable connection between the means and the end as there is between the seed and the tree.” —Mahatma Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, 1909
A healthy democracy should be a scrappy affair, or as Obama put it, “messy.” My partner and I often disagree, so why should I believe others would always agree with me? There is no perfect union. Gouverneur Morris acknowledged as much when writing the preamble to the Constitution: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union …”
It’s a journey without end. Heavenly attainment, spiritual bliss, utopia, and the like are all inside jobs, hopefully, reflected in our actions and behavior toward one another. Anyone who suggests heaven on earth has never been in a relationship.
The Gandhi quote I started with is not just a historical reference but a mirror of our current societal dynamics. In a world where disagreements often escalate into tit-for-tat battles and principles are set aside for victory, we must remember that the seeds we sow are the trees we grow.
The whole “American-exceptionalism” thing always felt overwrought to me — like, “Yo, we’re the best, and we’ll be the first to mention it.” I prefer American optimism. That used to be a thing, generally speaking. Pessimism seems to be the general zeitgeist, and whenever I wade into the wilderness of daily news, my glass seems suddenly empty. The thing is — and I know this might sound crazy and Pollyannaish — we have a lot to be grateful for.
Perhaps our focus on the present has made us overlook the distance we’ve covered. No matter the metric, we’ve made significant strides. LBGTQ+ rights, for instance, have improved drastically since 1980. While there’s more work to be done, we must remember that the foundational principles of equality guide the means. Hence, we cannot dismiss pushback and skepticism. Seed, meet tree.
Even addressing an existential threat like climate change requires persuasion. (Yes, I believe it is an existential threat, based on the research of thousands of scientists who are way smarter than me.) So, in a representative democracy like ours, what is the ultimate form of persuasion? Canceling people on social media? No. Refusing to have conversations with folks outside of your tribe? Nope. Voting? Absolutely!! It’s our most persuasive tool.
Yep. That insignificant amount of time we spend voting is our most persuasive tool. But there is no perfect candidate, just as there’s no “perfect union” (or perfect spouse, or child, etc.) If you’re looking for absolutes, move to Russia, where Vladimir Putin awaits your opinion. More to the point, our system of government is founded on compromise.
What’s more, if you think the stuff at the Federal level is wild, try local for a palette cleanser. Passions can run hot close to home. Unfortunately, voter turnout in local elections trends toward the abysmal, even though these elections often produce more immediately recognizable results. And chances are your local Council Member is much more likely to return your call than the President of the United States.
Anyway. Thanks for reading our latest edition. It was created purposefully to present a selection of your fellow Nashvillians as neighbors. You might not agree with everything they say or stand for, but I probably don’t either. (Although chances are we’d have fewer disagreements than Afton and me. He wrote the cover story, and we agree that the other is wrong about everything, other than agreeing that we can disagree while laughing at our insignificance.)
Speaking of our cover story, I did agree with Afton when he pitched featuring Grace Bowers. She’s the future. This year, she turns 18 and will have her first opportunity to vote. It’s a privilege she takes seriously. I hope you do, too, whether I agree with you or not.
Much love,
