Trust versus Agreement
April 19, 2010
by Jeffrey Imm
http://www.unitedstatesaction.com/blog/imm-articles/147.html
On April 19, 2010, the Los Angeles Times reported a story on American politics
that
"Few trust the government, poll finds," stating that only 22 percent of
Americans "trust" the federal government, based on a telephone poll by Pew
Research Center. The
LA Times states that such lack of "trust" has only been matched in the 1992
to 1995 period (17 percent in summer of 1994), and in 1980 (25 percent).
But what the
report on the Pew Research Center poll fails to communicate is that "trust"
and "agreement" are not the same thing, nor should they be the same thing for
those who believe in representative democratic government. Moreover, it fails to
mention that some of governments that were not well "trusted" while in power and
actively involved in decision making, saw their "approval ratings" go up
dramatically by nostalgic Americans once such former government leaders were no
longer making decisions and leading government.
Jimmy Carter's
approval rating went from 34 percent in 1980 to 66 percent in 1999. Nor is
that
phenomenon unique to him alone.
Americans elect leaders to "do something" in Washington DC. But if the decisions
made in an ever changing, dynamic world are not the ones we agree with, then
should we no longer "trust" such leaders? Or is it really that we "disagree"
with their decisions?
Agreement or disagreement is a choice that we can and must make as active
participants in representative democracy.
But choosing to no longer "trust" is only a choice if we want to essentially
reject representative democracy.
In over 30 years living in the Washington DC area, I can categorically state
that I have not unilaterally agreed with any of the administrations that have
been running the United States executive federal government: Jimmy Carter,
Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
Nor did I unilaterally agree with the Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
administrations before I lived in the Washington DC area. So essentially for all
of my adult life, I have not agreed on major issues with the U.S. executive
federal government.
There have always been things that I have sought and urged America's government
to do differently. I would not be surprised, if most of us are honest with
ourselves, that most of us would find that they have felt the same way. I am
sure that almost all of us could write a book "Issues We Haven't Agreed with the
U.S. Government Over the Years."
But I trust America and its government. I can disagree and still trust. That is
the foundation of the success of representative democracy. It is not just
electing those who represent every view that we agree with in an ever-changing
world (good luck finding that candidate), but it is also working with those
elected by others who represent views we don't agree with.
I have consistently trusted the representative democracy of the United States of
America. Let's be clear when we are addressing "trusting the government" that it
is really the representative democracy that we are talking about -- not merely
about trusting any one leader of the government at that time.
"Trusting the government" is really about trusting ourselves.
We don't have to like each other to trust each other as Americans.
We don't have to agree with each other to trust each other as Americans.
But if we want to be a United States of America, we ultimately
must trust each other.
To those looking to really understand America, such shared trust is the essence
of how America works, at least thus far.
If we seek to do anything grand and noble together, such as continuing to
support a representative democracy, we have to trust each other. Especially when
we don't agree and especially when we don't like each other, it is essential
that we still trust in our representative democracy that we maintain together.
In 30 years here, I have also seen that the people in Washington DC are mostly
just like other Americans, with the same strengths, the same weaknesses, and
same dreams as most other people. It is not a city of "power" to the elected
representatives of our 300 million Americans, other than to the extent such
"power" is given to their representatives in our democratic system. You, your
neighbor, and every other American has a choice to select your representatives,
and also to become a representative yourself. Everyone of us together control
the destiny and the direction of America; this democratic vision is what we put
our trust in.
The definition of trust
is "assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or
something." The character, ability, strength, and truth that we are gauging is
not of one elected politician, and not of our government's stand on one issue.
It is larger than that. What we are really trusting in are the "truths that we
hold self-evident" that are fundamental in America's definition. What we are
really trusting in is the ability, strength, and truth "that government of the
people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" -- even
when all "the people" don't agree.
It is painfully ironic that these new poll results about Americans not
"trusting" their government are reported on April 19, 2010, fifteen years to the
date of the Oklahoma City
terrorist bombing attack on April 19, 1995.
All Americans should stop and remember April 19 - as a day that shows the
consequences of no longer "trusting" in ourselves and in our shared
representative democracy in America. We must never forget that there is a
difference between "disagreeing" - voting for new representatives or advocating
activism for policies and positions that we believe must be represented in
government, and no longer "trusting" our democratic process at all.
Inspired by the
white supremacist,
Nazi leader William Pierce's hate diatribe "The Turner Diaries," terrorist
Timothy McVeigh attacked the U.S. federal government building in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma on April 19, 1995 with a truck bomb, destroying half of the nine-story
building. The terrorist attack was at 9:02 AM, just moments after parents had
left their small children at a day-care center there at the Alfred P. Murrah
Federal building. Terrorist Timothy McVeigh murdered 168 Americans, including
many innocent, helpless children. Many more were injured and more than 220
buildings in downtown Oklahoma City were damaged.
The terrorist Timothy McVeigh could no longer "trust" in America or what
America's government represented. Timothy McVeigh didn't merely "disagree" with
American government leaders or their policies, he distrusted the American
government so much that he actively sought its destruction. While some debate
the political partisan gains or losses of polls showing a lack of "trust" in
America's democratically elected government, we need to remember the real
results of where such lack of "trust" has led our nation in the past.
Two months ago, on February 18, 2010, we saw another terrorist attack on a U.S.
federal government building this time in Austin, Texas by Joseph Stack, who flew
his plane into the Austin IRS office and
murdered an IRS employee and a U.S. veteran. For his actions, some praised
Stack's terrorist attack as the
acts of "a hero," and others
mocked the terrorist attack on our nation as merely "going out with a bang."
This past week, CNN broadcast a television program about the terrorist attack
and Joseph Stack's background. It addressed his tax woes and disagreement with
the IRS, as well as his political manifesto calling for violence. What it didn't
address was Joseph Stack's responsibility for his actions, including his
decision not to pay his taxes, his wealth with a luxurious home that he burned
down, his wealth that allowed him to buy a private plane which he used to attack
the U.S. government. Some of those defending Joseph Stack have
also defended Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh's terrorism on April 19,
1995, as well as the 9/11 terrorists attacks. They believe that no longer
trusting one another is a call to justify and urge violence against one another.
A few weeks ago in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana individuals were arrested as part
of a "Christian militia" Hutaree that allegedly was plotting attacks to murder
law enforcement individuals. On
April 12, 2010, it was reported that one of the alleged Hutaree plotters had
an audio recording of "The Turner Diaries," the same hate screed created by
white supremacist Nazi William Pearce that
inspired Timothy McVeigh to
kill children and other innocents on April 19, 1995.
What we see once again is the inevitable outcome of when we choose not just to
disagree, but to no longer trust in representative democracy, its institutions,
and its results. Those who abandon our shared representative democratic system,
laws, and liberties, feel that they can make their own laws, make their systems,
and even believe that they personally can choose who has the right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They can even seek to create their
own separatist nations, divided from the United States of America.
There are always those ready to teach us to hate one another. There are always
those ready to teach us to deny the truths that we hold self-evident on equality
and liberty. There are always those ready to urge division within our nation.
There are even those ready to urge us to do violence against one another.
But they can only succeed if we choose to stop trusting one another as Americans
and stop trusting in our shared representative democracy in America. So much of
our society, from our economic system to our representative shared democracy is
dependent on trusting one another. We need to acknowledge the importance of
trust, and we need to work harder to build such bonds of trust with one another
as Americans.
Choose trust - as part of a UNITED States of America.
Resources:
April 19, 2010 - Los Angeles Times: "Few trust the government, poll finds"
Definition of Trust
List of Presidents
ABC: Jimmy Carter Improves
with Age
ABC: Reagan Approval Grows Better in Retrospect
November 19, 1863: Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
July 4, 1776: United States Declaration of Independence
Indiana: White Supremacist-Nazi Propaganda, Hitler Book, Weapons Found in Raid
of Suspected Hutaree Militia Members