One of the joys of being a cynic is the comfort that I take from being vilified for being a person who views most of the affairs of mankind as a testimonial to the imperfection of our species.
The proof is all around us. Stand on the sidewalk on Main Street and look in any direction. I can guarantee that within five minutes you will witness one of the following: a vehicle making an illegal U-turn; someone skateboarding or bicycling on the sidewalk; someone emptying their vehicle ashtray on the ground; someone arrogantly jaywalking against the traffic signals; and someone else parallel parking and taking up two spaces.
It does not make them bad people. Just ignorant social misfits.
Their numbers are growing and I am not sure why.
Is their lack of a social conscience due to nature or nurture?
The antisocial examples I have used are not modern aberrations. They have been around as long as humans have been on Earth.
It became so bad that God felt the necessity to get involved and chose Moses as an agent for change.
In Charles Dickens’s novel A Tale of Two Cities, he opens with this line: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” A poignant observation. You will find that he offers the reader a long list of advice on the immorality and ignorance that amplify what a sad species we are.
Is there hope for the general advancement of culture, intellectual enlightenment and moral redemption in America? I am skeptical.
The best and most prescient example that I can think of is the current state of politics.
You will have to look hard and long to find a country that was as blessed with bounty and promise as America.
To then let all of that good karma slip away in a short time due to the incompetence of an inept and clueless political administration that squandered so many opportunities to do the right thing is a pox on our house.
I was recently asked who will be voting for as president in the November elections. My reply was cynical but sincere: I am not sure.
As things now stand, it will be a Hobson’s choice.
November is a lifetime away. A lot could happen between now and then that could hopefully change the political trajectory that we are currently on.
I am open to being optimistic. Good things do happen to good people. America is down, but not out. History indicates that Americans morally responds best when tested.
I find that humor, dark or otherwise, is an elixir that helps us get through difficult times.
So, buck up everyone. The best is yet to come.
(Jim Baer lives in Concord.)