Is Society Going in the Wrong Direction? Only the Vocal Minority
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President Nixon’s “Silent Majority” is doing fine, even if the Kardashian mob, as magnified by the media, is not
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Recently, writer Peggy Noonan asserted that people in politics talk about the right track/wrong track numbers as an indicator of public mood. A week ago, Gallup released a poll showing only 24% of Americans feel we’re on the right track as a nation (read: society). That’s a historic low.
Ms. Noonan then went on to say that she believes the public dissatisfaction is about our culture, and mores specifically, “the American character—who we are and what kind of adults we are raising,” and backed such up with examples of a tourist that was beaten in Baltimore while young people tape it on their smart-phones, the latest store surveillance tapes of flash mobs and the General Services Administration and Secret Service scandals.
Much can be said about the seeming disintegration of civility and social mores since the 1960s, as amplified with social media tools on the internet. Poster children for such an ongoing breakdown include Madonna in the 1980s and now the Kardashians, amongst other infamous characters.
But to indict all of society, or even the majority, because a poll found the respondents cranky at a time when few are happy about anything, is misleading. If those same people’s stock portfolio significantly increased in value over the next few weeks, the 24% who currently feel we’re on the right track as a nation would jump to 75%. It’s the American way, and perhaps the mode of how we think (or poll) deserves both scrutiny and re-calibration.
Thinking about where society is going, I, too, wanted to get caught up in the tides of pessimism. But then I thought of the following examples of people who are clearly not part of the Kardashian posse:
- Recently, I mindlessly left my wallet in the shopping cart and drove home without it, only to realize such as soon as I got home. I rushed back to the store and, lo, a good citizen returned the wallet to the service desk, in its entirety, as found. Putting aside that the person could have made use of my credit cards, there was no obligation for the individual to walk it to customer service, such person could have just left it in the cart, but did not. Recognizing the anxiety and angst that a lost wallet causes, they took the extra effort to make sure I got it back.
- As someone who donates blood religiously every 8 weeks, I can attest that the volunteers at the blood bank who serve juice, donuts and try to schedule follow-up donations are the truest of heroes in that process. They are because they are not the phlebotomists being paid nor the donors who are reminded that they are “saving lives.” They are an indispensable part of the process, like the line worker in World War II, who was every bit as integral in the effort but did not have the pronounced role. In truth, they are probably responsible for more donations than perhaps anyone else in the process.
- My son’s Little League coaches. If a Congressional Medal of Patience were ever created, these folks would be one of my top picks. They are in it for the love of the game but, more importantly, the love of seeing kids develop and grow. When I last checked, their compensation is 0% of A-Rod, but they give their all nonetheless.
- This country’s armed forces who “take [or defend] the hill at all cost.” All too often we hear of death tolls and don’t hear of the thousands who are wounded and/or maimed in places like Afghanistan. These people show a level of sacrifice (and character) that tells me someone knows how to act honorably.
- How about today’s much-maligned “helicopter parents”? Yes, they are annoying and over-wrought, but they care and want to see the best for someone other than themselves. Just like my parents and the parents of many of my contemporaries; they pump quite a bit of money into their progeny.
These are just a few examples but show that the Kardashian cabal is likely (and thankfully) the exception, and not the rule. Our society, on the whole, is in good hands.
-I.M. Windee
