I started voting in 1972, when George McGovern crushed
Richard Nixon in a landslide… in my dreams. Since then, I’ve had my election
eve ups and downs. Mostly downs. My daughter, who first voted in electoral
nightmare of 2000, shares my biennial disappointment. But this year was
different for us both. All three of my candidates for Petaluma Council won, the
Utah Grand County Commission will have a progressive majority for the first
time since before Laurel was born, and… President O(my-gawd-I-can’t-believe-this-is-really-happening)bama!
The darkest cloud of this election was Proposition 8. I took
comfort by reminding myself of Obama’s unlikely
victory, and in the thought that someday before I die the first gay president
will look back at November 2008 and remark “how far we’ve come since then.” The
silver lining is that Measure 8’s success has stimulated public debate about
the role of church in the affairs of state.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the Mormon Church, which was
a major influence on the Prop 8 campaign. A close relative of mine is descended
directly from the band of pioneers that followed Brigham Young into the
I was genuinely interested in an element of Mormonism I
found attractive, and worth investigating: the depth of their “community”,
their collaborative self-reliance. In addition to being generally hard-working
and resourceful, Mormons have a kind of tribal togetherness that no doubt was
needed to survive persecution and the harshness of their desert home. They watch
out for each other in a way that seems lost to much of suburban American
culture.
But I can’t buy any religion which holds 1) their way is the
“one and only way”, or 2) the earth is just a proving ground for a better world
beyond. Suffice it to say that these two beliefs are the reasons why our world
is in such sad shape. And sadly, the Mormon faith failed both tests. This year,
the Mormon version of the “one and only” doctrine went so far as to generate
tens of million dollars to impose their beliefs about marriage on
non-believers. Still, I’m not going to condone Mormon bashing; they weren’t the
only Prop 8 supporters, and also, didn’t that Jesus guy said something about
letting ye who is without sin cast the first stone?
Because the fact is there are few who don’t engage in some kind
of “my way or the highway.” It frequently takes the form of stereotyping and
pre-judging. Look at our City Council labels: “environmental” versus “pro-business”,
“majority” and “minority”, “Eastside” versus “Westside”. In my first Argus
column December 1998 ago, I wrote that this labeling has “the power to narrow
people’s thinking -- even to become a substitute for thinking. The
labels themselves become poison, creating a mental and moral wall between “us”
and “them.” We blind ourselves to opportunities for cooperation, and our bad
attitude brings out the worst in them. It’s a downward spiral that wastes time,
money, and lives.” I went on to note some
hopeful signs, including this: “Mike
Healy, who another paper excluded from the council’s “environmental majority,”
nonetheless showed up and was welcomed to the election night party for the
members of that majority.” And when told by a reporter that all of the 2009
City Council lives on the west side, Mayor Pam simply pointed out that she’s
the Mayor of *whole town*.
We can’t afford to keep thinking narrow, at any level of
society or government. I’m hoping and
praying that our new president, with his world roots and keen intellect, will
inspire leaders everywhere to look beyond artificial divisions to our common
good. And I dream of the day when our Presidents and presidential hopefuls will
end their speeches with “God bless you, God bless