We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
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I saw a eulogy that went viral. I see or hear the thoughts shared regularly because of where I live - not in eulogies, just everyday commentary from time to time. The eulogy itself was quite unfortunate.
My personal view is, at worst, if I had a parent whose views I truly disliked as much as the speaker did, then I just wouldn't go to the funeral or (at least) show and keep my mouth shut. Speaking ill of the dead, of someone incapable of defending themselves, is rather disrespectful. There are moments and situations, rare enough, where it makes sense. I think we can all speak ill of Hitler and few reasonable people will feel bad about it. In general, doing this says more about the person speaking than those they speak about.
Still, it's hard to believe her father was really as bad as she paints him. She speaks of how he raised her. I'd be proud to raise a child in the fashion she describes. Strong, questioning things, pushing back on authority. I doubt he taught her to be vicious and hateful and self-centered. Yet that's what her eulogy exposes. Here's the kicker. People applauded her. I think I'd have remained silent and confronted her later.
I really doubt her father was racist or misogynistic, based on several facts I've learned about this woman since - but I suppose it's enough that he supported Trump for her to apply the broad brush. I know this happens because I didn't support Trump, ever, and often been painted with the same brush. Here's the video so you can have your own POV.
Many of my friends think I'm politically driven. In reality, my politics are relatively mild. My politics certainly aren't the core of my identity. I'd say my identity informs my political views. The pull of politics, more importantly of activism, is so strong with some people (and there are some on the Right like this - but far fewer) they allow their openness to be set aside for, and by, their political beliefs. Every time you see one person (on either side) say "so-and-so deserved this because of XYZ political belief", the issues of today are a problem perpetuated through pig-headedness. I happened to watch Dr. Zhivago last night and several characters reminded of people like the speaker.
Thing is, there's money to be made in perpetuating these thoughts....even by the communists/socialists/Progressives. I know, like anyone else, those people are self-interested. They want POWER, not money (some say). They want the power so they can have the money, and they'll divvy it up a little differently, say they "care" and people will nod and say "Yeah, they really, really do care."
The world has always been better off with a balancing act in which people who really don't care are typically overwhelmed by those who actually do 'care'. But they are allowed to be this way. The critical part of that arrangement is those who do care voluntarily offer themselves, their time, their sweat, their money, their kindness.
This balancing act becomes precarious when economic times get tough and people feel or see their lifestyle(s) slipping away - even if they aren't. Progressives take advantage of that situation claiming "It's a systemic problem" and claim to know all the answers if you just agree to join them and agree to impose 'what's right' on others through force, coercion, or overwhelming social pressure and personal humiliation.
A systemic problem implies there is a feature in the system which makes certain things necessary. We are told racism, misogyny, hatred are all 'systemic issues of Capitalism'. Unfortunately, Capitalism doesn't have any of those features, because if it did, it would fail inherently. Nobody could do business with each other. Contracts would never hold, agreements and trust would be non-existent.
People like the eulogist tell us they are systemic problems because they continue to exist, though they are issues which have been reduced substantially and are disappearing. So, as systemic problems, we can't just hate these things, we have to hate the system, and the people we have labeled. We have to, or their system won't work (pro tip: it won't work anyway, but they've fooled themselves into believing it will).
Eventually, as reactionaries claim "it's systemic" and impose their will, they may actually create a system of racism, misogyny, and hatred because their system relies on these things. You have to really hate people to force them to be like you, don't you? If you want proof, let's just take a look at The French Revolution, the Bolshevik Revolution, the Chinese Communist Party today, and even Cuba today.
The main reason the crazies of the CRT, Woke and Cancel Culture movements gain traction is because our system has shifted so far to the Left, it actually accommodates them, and coddles them. Which, in turn, gives rise to the crazies on the Right who actually do fall for all manner of nutty nonsense like Alex Jones and his ilk. This seems to make it seem, or look like, the 'systemic' problems the Left warned us of are really getting worse. In reality it's a dying gasp - but the Left needs that dying gasp to grow to keep them viable.
The eulogist could just as easily have been speaking of the United States - and probably views her father as a symbol of the United States. I have no doubt she thinks that the nation has failed her just as her expectations of her father have failed her. She's not a symptom of a larger problem. She is the problem.
Happily, we live in a nation where people like her are allowed to exist, and we're allowed to have opinions about different views. Many of the contingent opposing her would say she, and people like her, need to be removed. I say they are fine as is, because they remind us of how not to be. Let them be the sad people they are, and let's strive for a better place.
Long ago, I was told you don't benchmark yourself against others, you benchmark yourself against who you were yesterday. However, you do need to see others' behaviors to determine how you rate your own behavior. I hope and pray that I won't ever be as self-centered as her, but try as I might sometimes all of us slip a bit. Sadly, I don't think this was her slipping.
