By Gary Bennett
Of course it had to happen this way. The impeachment hearings kicked off on the same week as World Kindness Day. I’m ashamed to say that I had never heard of World Kindness Day. It goes back to 1998 and is devoted to small and large acts of kindness. How quaint in this day and age, right?
It’s difficult to think of anything less kind than these impeachment hearings. Depending on your point of view, the hearings are either a desperate witch hunt to overturn the results of the 2016 presidential election or a sober, constitutional investigation of reported abuses of power by the president. Democrats and Republicans are pitted against each other in a death struggle of epic proportions—not so much in a search for truth but rather to see who can come out on top. It’s always about the politics now. For this impeachment go-round—they happen about every 20 years now—Democrats control the hearings and have positioned themselves as the agents of truth. Republicans are left to mostly attack the process and rail against the public servants who are providing the testimony.
The country went through the same experience in 1998 but roles were completely reversed. Republicans held the House and controlled the hearings. They went on to impeach President Clinton for obstruction of justice—lying to Congress about his sexual escapades in the White House. The Democrats were left to complain about a witch hunt and unfairness to the president. My how things come around! Clinton was later acquitted in the Senate just as President Trump will be acquitted.
In 1973 when the Nixon impeachment hearings were dominating TV, things were much different. Politicians and the American people seemed to be more open minded. There were such things as moderate and liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats. Those species have gone the way of the dodo bird, of course. There was no witch’s brew of smirking talking heads on TV and, of course, no Internet. President Nixon was pushed by his FELLOW REPUBLICANS to resign rather than face certain impeachment and conviction. That has as much chance of happening today as a cold front settling over Hades.
I can’t help wondering where it all went so wrong. When did party start coming before country? Why can’t politicians, and more importantly Americans, with different life outlooks trust each other more and show at least a modicum of kindness towards each other? There are many first-hand accounts of U.S. senators being very accommodating and kind to each other behind closed doors. It’s a small, exclusive club after all. But when the cameras start rolling you can forget all that. A politician can’t appear to be a compromiser and not a fighter. I wonder how they sleep at night sometimes. Does this all mean that we are the problem? Are politicians simply playing a part that we demand? I don’t know, but I do know this ugly phenomenon took a turn for the worse about 30 years ago.
I believe the election of Bill Clinton in 1992 jump started the unkindness era. James Monroe ushered in the Era of Good Feelings after the War of 1812. Clinton gets to own the start of this new era. Back then a lot of people saw him for what he was and said so—a purely political animal, sometimes unscrupulous, a little too slick, and a well-known womanizer. He wasn’t highly respected, and like Mr. Trump, was elected by a minority of Americans. It also didn’t help that this baby boomer, small-state Southern governor defeated a highly respected war hero from the Greatest Generation. George H.W. Bush adroitly guided America through the first Gulf War but was undone by courageously bucking his own party by raising taxes when most economists agreed they needed to be raised. He would have even survived that had he not welched on his “read my lips—no new taxes” pledge. Just like Nixon, Republicans turned on him. It also didn’t help that the country went into a recession in 1992. Mr. Clinton represented the possibility of an improving economy so we took a flyer on him. Thankfully, he and the economy improved enough to drive his reelection in 1996.
So if you think the never-ending criticism of President Trump is unprecedented, you’d be sadly mistaken. Presidents Clinton, the second Bush, and Obama all faced withering pockets of what can only be called hatred. The only new thing now is that the current president hates many of us right back. He gleefully insults and demonizes his detractors and is unconcerned with being presidential and rising above it all. His fans eat it up. I vividly remember the presidencies of Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and all the rest. To my eyes and ears, none faced the vitriol that has been hurled at the last four.
Another stake in the heart of kindness is the rise of the so-called news channels with a point of view. Many forget that Fox News and MSNBC did not exist until relatively recently. We had CNN back in the day, and believe it or not, it was seen as a trusted, middle of the road provider of straight news. In fact, I’m not sure the first George Bush could have led American and the world through the first Gulf War without CNN. Today, Americans, for better or worse, can get their news delivered through a prism of like-minded talking heads who make no pretense at bi- or nonpartisanship. I think it’s far worse.
Another factor is the culture war. Up until the 90’s and Clinton, divisive cultural issues did not play an unnaturally large role in national politics. Sure, there was vigorous debate about Johnson’s “Great Society” initiatives such as civil rights, Social Security and Medicare. The Supreme Court upheld abortion rights in 1973 and even Republican stalwart Richard Nixon pushed through sweeping environmental laws including the establishment of the EPA that same year. But the country eventually came together. Sure, many pockets of Americans did not like these measures but they did not demonize the proponents. Now, many Americans, particularly conservative Americans, feel like their way of life—the American way of life they remember from their childhood— is threatened and slowly being taken away. To them, gun control, abortion, equal rights, immigrants at the border, taking God out of school, gay marriage, the me-too movement, and many other cultural touchpoints are worth fighting against to their last breath. To them, collateral damage along the way is just that.
Finally, I think the biggest driver of discord and hatred is the rise of the Internet and social media after the turn of the century. Even worse than the cable news channels, social media makes no pretense at fact checking or ensuring the truth is told. Anybody with a conspiracy theory or outright lie they want broadly circulated will find their audience and it will be amplified to a degree unknown in the last century.
And when the lies and conspiracy theories come via social media from the highest levels of government, what are everyday Americans to do? It seems quaint now to suggest we turn off our phones or at least ignore the worst of the worst. But I hope you will join me in at least doing this one simple thing: do not forward or share anything that demonizes or insults the other side. What good does that do anyway? It only causes the other side to dig in more. Studies have shown that it is nearly impossible to change the minds of the other side once opinions have been formed and acted upon. It might make you feel good to share that snarky post but to me it is the height of laziness. If you want to get a point across, research it and write it yourself.
Oh, and you can also join me in turning off or at least limiting cable news viewership. There is no doubt they have a point of view, an agenda to support, and an axe to grind. And it’s also undeniably entertaining. But, please consider getting your entertainment elsewhere. You may not completely trust the network news and newspapers but they are undoubtedly a better choice than cable news. I know first-hand that both entities support highly stringent quality control measures, are bound by professional standards and ethics, hire highly educated professionals, and try to present both sides of every argument (as long as you avoid the editorials, which are clearly labeled, by the way.) And no doubt they sometime fail. But it’s not for lack of trying. These are simple steps we can all take to help make us better, kinder, more thoughtful citizens.