Quis custodiet, ipsos custodes (thank you, Mom and Dad).

Monday morning after the election.

My parents embracing each other while their granddaughter watches (from an era long ago : Feb 2014)

Joe Biden has won.
And the memes and calls to action are many. Suddenly there is an intense interest in “election integrity” by the far right.

The far right. If right can be equated with conservative, then my hope is that under new and strong leadership, we can become a place again where the phrases “right” and “conservative” mean something consistent and principled again. Doesn’t mean a person needs to agree with a conservative policy stance on something. Just means that whatever that policy stance is should be consistent and in line with stated principles.

There’s stuff going around about “massive fraud,” “stolen election,” and “morals.”

This last one is especially interesting to me. Two Facebook colleagues I have known for a very long time - though have not seen in person in quite some time - have had a great deal to scream in calling “cheater!”

One of them made a text meme that refers to being “…willing to lose friends over morals.”

Ha!

This is the person who, years ago, but as a fully conscious adult, made multiple references to Hispanics and blacks by absolutely indefensible epithets. Yes, those ones.

I know his parents. I never heard them use those words.

But his parents have frequently used the same extremist logic, inflammatory name calling, and moral equivocation in defending the indefensible: President Trump and his fluid amorality.

The other person, referencing guns and God and so forth, is imprinted on my mind with one of our last encounters in person. Also, years ago, but as a fully conscious adult, who, in the context of casual conversation with me, explained how lazy, stupid, and obnoxious black people are.

“I’m sure there are good ones,”
he laughed.
”I’ve just never met one.”

I know his parents. I have never heard them use those words.

But I have heard those parents use the same extremist logic, inflammatory name calling, and moral equivocation in defending the indefensible: President Trump and his fluid amorality.

Children are more than their parents. Parents neither deserve all the credit nor deserve all the blame.

Every child has the choice to reject or embrace the philosophies and beliefs of their parents, and there is an infinite continuum between those two points.

But every idea about the worth and value of others and the way you treat them was embedded at some point by some one in a person’s life.

Whether it’s racism in its blatant and subtle varieties, or whether it’s compassionate strength in its infinite opportunities.

Somewhere, those lessons and ideas about how we treat people, how we talk about people, and how we keep our principles and morals consistent took root somewhere, from someone.

Thank you, Mom and Dad.

Thank you. So much.

People are watching. And learning.