I and many others have become increasingly dismayed by the control exerted by governmental bodies over the lives of citizens.
I fail to understand how the choices I make about my own body and what to read is anybody’s business. Meanwhile, they want schools to teach my grandchildren a whitewashed version of American history but refuse to take action to keep them safe from gun violence when they attend school.
It seems to me that lawmakers who claim to be Christian would not pass legislation that further marginalizes minority groups of people. And let us not forget about making it more difficult for people to vote, especially in communities of color. They make decisions that interfere with how our doctors can practice medicine, which bathrooms to use, and who can access healthcare. Why don’t our leaders mind their own business?
I was a curious (or nosey) child and would pay close attention to the conversations of adults around me. Consequently, I was told to mind my own business on many occasions, especially when I wanted to boss my brother. I also heard this concept of keeping the focus on yourself using other phrases such as live and let live, do your own thing, and “it’s better to have your nose in a book than in someone else’s business.”
I have also been thinking about the changes that have occurred in our society recently. When did a mug shot go from representing a low point in a person’s life to a means of fundraising with coffee mugs and t‑shirts emblazoned with the image? And why has our government gone so far beyond the role defined in the Preamble to the United States Constitution, which lays out the role of government as to:
“…establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, Promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”
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When the U.S. Constitution was written, these words applied only to white male landowners. But when the people discovered that changes needed to be made, there was the arduous task of amending the Constitution. However, this only works if our legislators are truly listening to and representing the desires of the people.
Now many politicians of local, state, and the federal governments have strayed far from their true purpose and only give attention to those who agree with them. They introduce bills, policies, or ordinances to assist them in their efforts to be re-elected.
When laws are made that interfere with justice for certain groups of people, they fail to provide for the general welfare. When politicians and fringe groups promote division, they fail to secure tranquility. Lately it seems that many of our leaders are guided only by their own priorities, their privilege, and their prejudices. When did being elected as a representative of the people become a license to extend one’s own priorities and religious beliefs to everyone? When did our leaders stop minding their true business and want to get into every aspect of ours?
We can resist these efforts by voting and encouraging others to do so and by becoming engaged and knowledgeable about the actions of our local, state, and federal governments. We can work for good in our own communities using whatever gifts we have. Efforts to live by the goal to respect the dignity of every human being become challenging when dealing with those who disagree with us at such a fundamental level. Since I do not want to live a life full of resentment and hatred, I continue to strive to separate a person’s beliefs and actions from their basic humanity. To try — often failing miserably — to avoid labels and unnecessary adjectives when referring to them.
And when all else fails, I do what a wise man once told me: “Pray for the sons-of-bitches.”
