Everyone knows, I hope, that actions speak louder than words, which is a saying my old book of proverbs seems to derive from similar, older maxims such as this one from the French: Le fait juge l’homme or the deed proves the man. (Phrase Finder points to a 1693 sermon for the specific wording.) Words reveal our intentions, how we frame a problem, and if our actions give proof to our words, people believe us. They attest our integrity. If our actions work against our words, then our hearers have every reason to say we’re full hot air.
Politicians have historically low trustworthiness, according to polls, because their job is to overpromise and underdeliver, especially congressmen. They can’t do all they say they will do, because they have to work with a crowd of others who promised to do other things—some of which should not be done. Since Nixon shattered American confidence, the highest average percentage of people “who say they trust the government to do what is right just about always/most of the time,” according to the Pew Research Center, is 54%. That was on October 25, 2001.
On Monday, we will mark the 22nd anniversary of the hijacking of four commercial aircraft in an effort to punish the United States for crimes against Islam. Many politicians and civil servants have learned nothing in that time, judging by their actions. They want to be judged by their words alone, and not all of their words. Only the current ones. Why dig up the past by rehearsing old lies when the current lie is all we need? If they say we’re safe, secure, prepared–that’s all the proof we should need.
This being the third year of the Biden administration, and our country is weaker than we were in 2001. Yes, it’s Biden’s fault, but any of the recent Liberal/Progressive crop would have done the same. Progressivism undermines its own goals. If the optics are good, the goal has been achieved.
They give money to Iran and say it can’t be used for nuclear weapons development, so it’s safe. They open the southern boarder to allow thousands of who knows who to cross every day but claim it’s secure, so no worries. They spend from the FEMA fund on non-emergencies and are caught short when wildfires catch Hawaii responders off-guard. Oh, but the optics were good on that one, so maybe the president can hand out some money, tell a story about almost losing his house and car, and that will smooth over hurt feelings.
If it doesn’t, you can shut up, because Progressives don’t want your words unless you agree with them. Disagreement on some subjects is violence.
If 9/11 were to happen under this administration, they would be give the same speeches they give today about bravery, American unity, and how the president knows from personal experience how hard something like this can be. But nothing responsible would be done.
Subtle Sounds: The Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, has a 93-foot tower with forty wind chimes for the forty passengers and crew who died while opposing their hijackers. It’s called the Tower of Voices. The National Park Service has a good description and many photos. This video has captures the sound better than others I’ve found.
Antiquities: In other news, detectorists win again! A Norwegian man named Erlend Bore found a “cache comprised nine gold medallions and gold pearls that once formed an opulent necklace, as well as three gold rings” dating from 500 AD. (via Prufrock)
Poetry: A few thoughts on mirrors, “Witness,/ Mimic, tyrant of the departed years”
Music: And finally, this piece about the resurrection.
(Photo by BEERTA MAINI on Unsplash)
Possibly a key to the problem with the progressives is that they want to relegate the Church to a small part of private life, and want the State to “be” the church that matters.
In a better-constituted state of things, the Church proclaims the absolutes of Scripture, and we know that we are all sinners, and confess that great fact every Sunday. Then to sincere penitents the Church ministers the Gospel. But this isn’t a one-time business; we’ll be back next Sunday truly, sincerely to confess, publicly, that we are sinners and to ask God’s forgiveness for Christ’s sake.
But vis-a-vis the State, law-abiding people are innocent. We obey the laws, we pay our taxes, we do the things good people should do and we don’t do the things we shouldn’t do, and we are good and innocent. Yes, this is a legal fiction, but it is necessary vis-a-vis the State.
Unfortunately the Progressives demoralize citizens persistently. They harp on “systemic injustice,” taking away respect for law and order. Certain groups in society are educated to feel themselves to be guilty, whether when they are children in public schools and universities, or later on.
The low approval ratings our political figures receive reflect the depressed feelings we have about the state of the State and perhaps about ourselves. We believe there are too many of us, that we are ruining “the planet,” and so on. Demoralized, we Americans indulge in contingent, provisional intimacies, but we have perhaps few friends or none, and we delay marriage and avoid childbearing or childrearing.
Happily, for Christians, there is the knowledge that “our citizenship is in heaven.” We confess our real sins (whether generally in a common prayer or specifically to our pastor) and receive God’s absolution. We are “remoralized” as a side benefit of this Church life, able to bear patiently the stupidity, obtuseness, wrongheadedness, etc. of a public square, and hope and pray for better days there while we love God and our neighbor.