Democratically speaking

I have been reading about the impact of the Internet on the political process. It is certainly a novelty that the founding fathers couldn't have foreseen with the clarity that we do in our day.

While I have no doubt in believing that Ben Franklin could have conjured up a day in which his lightening experiment could produce such a modern day marvel, I don't think he anticipated the firestorm of media moments that would result.

No one is safe from the onslaught of bias and hypocrasy in the name of publicity. No longer is any publicity good publicity. Reputations can be made and broken in a single You Tube clip. If you don't believe me, reference several potential Miss America or Miss State candidates who have found themselves explaining their trip to Florida during spring break and the explosive and, indeed, exploitive photographs and videos that are now in the public domain.

Like feathers placed on the doorsteps which scatter in the breeze to become lost forever to our grasp, these truly viral videos have become an infection that has changed the landscape of the democratic process.

We no longer feel the need to forgive people for their stupidity because we have the offending party on tape. Our society has become instantly critical over a misstep because the evidence is playing somewhere on the internet 24 hours a day. Changes in opinion, ideology and circumstance are now hailed as flip-flopping instead of being judged on the basis of facts and personal growth.

Now, when a youthful seeker of public office comes to light, they must do so with no skeletons in the closet and, more precisely, without the hint of a bone fragment which can be cross examined under the harsh light of public scrutiny.

They must be pure as the driven snow and never have uttered a harsh word, a racial epithet or anything resembling personal opinion for which they will most certainly face a very public crucifixion. Vilified in the press, more than one comment has taken a potential winner and turned them into a loser of the most embarrassing stripe.

It is worse than finding a skunk in your pew at church. It is as if any affiliation with someone who is human, fallible and mortal means that we are somehow faced with the truth of our own imperfections and weaknesses. And in our microwave society where results must be instantaneous and palatable, we simply cannot tolerate the unpleasant dose of reality that comes from being all to human and sadly imperfect.

Mistakes, even serious ones, are opportunities to learn. If not so, then why do we have facilities for rehabilitation dotting our world. It isn't only the A-list celebrities of movie fame that require redemption from drugs, alcohol, or themselves.

Sometimes, it is the average Joe who seeks to use his experiences in life to make a positive change in the world we know. Will they do it perfectly and make everyone happy?

No, because that is not possible.

There is no scenario imaginable in which everyone in the world will unite, hold hands and sing 'Give Peace a Chance'. We simply have too many 'pot stirrers' who enjoy fomenting rebellion and criticism at every turn.

Does that mean we should blithely ignore the shortcomings and ignorance of those who seek to lead our communities and nation?

Of course not.

But we have to be honest enough with ourself to say that everyone, even politicians, must have the room to wiggle and to make sweeping mistakes. Otherwise, we are not entitled to make any ourselves.

To excuse personal shortcomings while roasting someone else for the same is the lowest and most vile form of hypocrasy. It is, in effect, saying that one person is morally justified in making errors and the rest of the world must be perfect in order to tolerate those mistakes.

I can't fix all of the problems within the walls of my own home. So it isn't likely that I would be successful in repairing the broken walks, the leaky faucets and the stopped up drains of our national house.

But I can make an effort to help in some small way by being willing to forgive within reason. Most people deserve a second chance. I have been the recipient of thousands of second chances.

So I can forgive the waffling and shifting that occurs while the jockeying for position continues in our American polity. I can even forgive the public and private mistakes. But bear in mind that patience, all patience, has an end.

And I am watching along with all of the voters in this country.