Tread lightly on the things of earth

I’m always striving to be fair, even though I frequently miss the mark. To this end, I sent a short note to South Carolina Republican senator Lindsey Graham yesterday — via his Web contact form — praising his sane and honorable conduct in the Senate Armed Services Committee hearings.

Dear Sen. Graham:

Thank you for engaging these Abu Ghraib hearings with intelligence, courage, tenacity, and an obvious passion for justice.

The Republican Party has lost me forever, but I am nevertheless committed to giving credit where due: Your behavior over the last few days makes me proud, and gives me a glimmer of hope that honor and justice may yet carry the day in my government.

Thank you, sir.

Lindsey triggers the welcome realization for me that I don’t have to be in total agreement with people (especially government leaders) to be okay with them; I just need ‘em to show enough character, honesty, and clear thinking to be able to respect ‘em.

IOW, character still trumps political affiliation.

Good. I’ve been getting more shallow and dismissive of fellow citizens as our national politics have become more polarized. I’m determined to stop that trend. Deep and welcoming are still far, far away as accurate descriptors for me, but that’s the direction I aim to go in.

Legitimate dissent, however, will continue unabated. If mindless, unquestioning “patriotism” is a symptom of shallow — and I believe it is — then willingness to dissent is a necessary ingredient of deep.

2004-06-18 update: Oh, c’mon, dammit. I don’t think these guys are ever going to reveal anything voluntarily; subpoena is a minimum requirement to force their hand.

I hold this truth to be self-evident:

Bush's "war on terror" is an incomprehensible exercise in increasing the likelihood that high radicalized, highly motivated terrorists will again strike on American soil. A serious war on terror would begin from a recognition of the nature of the threat, with a considered response that's both flexible and comprehensive. Bush's Iraq war is none of these.

(This clean wording, however, wasn't as self-evident to my self; David crafted it.)

I expect that history will record much of what we've done so far under "What Not To Do To Fight Terrorism." I predict the perception will be almost unanimous within 20 years, "How could we have been so foolish?"

Will a succeeding Kerry Administration effect a considered, flexible, and comprehensive response that defuses rather than inflames terrorism? I'm convinced it's possible, maybe even likely, though not certain. I see no chance for a turnaround under Bush: Seeing the world in black and white means being blind to the complexities of people and therefore, to the root causes of terrorism. Being unable to remember or admit mistakes means no chance of ever correcting them.

And -- this is my theological opinion as a Christian -- swimming in hubris means being cut off from the Spirit of Life, the source of any lasting solution.

A terror-free world -- it's a destination I believe we can get to, despite present appearances. But only by turning, not by accelerating in the wrong direction.

For the next few hours, I’m doing some trial-and-error tests with this domain and its hosting. These pages may vanish for a short interval, but I’ll have them back soon.

2004-05-05 update: Done! Moved to a swifter server box.

2004-06-11 update: Moved to yet another swift server box.