Beyond FANFARE: The Long Road Ahead...and the Need for a Little Tenderness

It’s tempting to celebrate, to sing “Happy Days are Here Again” after waking to the news that voters had swept so many non-Republican leaders into offices across the country. Here in traditionally Republican Colorado, despite lines that really did run out the door and down the street and force people to wait two hours (two hours!) to vote, the results were exciting. But there’s so much to be done that we really have no time to celebrate. Other headlines this morning served a more sober wake-up call: 60 people “killed or found dead” in Iraq, for example. Voters have sent a message to Washington that they’re tired of the tough guy approach that’s led to so much suffering and grief in our world, that they want leaders who lead with honesty, integrity, and empathy for the well-being of all people.

Over at Empathy (www.sharecompassion.blogspot.com), Matthew says his blog is designed to “propel compassion and awareness,” and he does that with insightful posts, soothing photos, and lists of terrific resources for people I like to call “socially conscious.” Check out his current post on the Free Hugs campaign, then watch the video with your volume turned UP. This is what we want for America; the ability to reach out to the international community with openness and even a little vulnerability, to remind everyone that we stand for what’s right and good in this world, that we’re here to help.

It doesn’t take much to make a difference; hopefully our newly elected or re-elected governors, senators, and representatives—from all parties—will take to heart the call for a new way of leading this country. Hopefully they’ll help us achieve an era in which the U.S. is viewed as a diplomatic powerhouse with a huge heart rather than a narrow-minded bully. Hopefully they’ll come to realize it’s okay to be a little vulnerable in order to reach across difficult divides in the hope that real, lasting peace might someday be achieved.

If they don’t, they’ll have to face more disgruntled Americans like the future voter pictured above; voters who won’t hesitate to put their hands on their hips, to stand in line for hours, to look into a camera and imply (maybe even with a little attitude), that they elected their leaders for a reason…and they expect those leaders to act accordingly. So, for her sake and the sake of so many others, let’s get to work.