We've Found Our Place at the Heart of Complacency

There's a lesson to be learned in all of this about complacency.

Maybe that's getting lost in the fallout of the US election, maybe it's not. But I won't assume.

Complacency about the real problems plaguing large segments of society: There are clearly a whole lot of people who feel like their leaders don't care about them any more and were fed up with being ignored.

Complacency about people's support: Within the party that lost, many of their "faithful" felt ignored by their own candidates who took their support as a given.

Complacency about the democratic process: Voters who could have made all the difference chose to assume someone else would make that difference for them. Or sulked about their preferred candidate being defeated and left the hard choices to others.

Complacency about the importance of leadership: Surely there are still amazing leaders out there somewhere... but why would they choose politics and the limelight that comes with it in an age where they know they will be caught, tried and convicted for anything they've ever done anywhere anytime in real-time without any chance to explain, where their family members will be scrutinized in the same way without mercy, and where the prevailing desire is to tear them down and destroy them rather than enabling them to lead?  

Complacency about the responsibility of media: An entire industry stopped doing it's job because ratings were more enticing than integrity.

Complacency about individual rights and freedoms: For all. Not just for the few who share your beliefs, your looks, your gender, your socioeconomic status, your sexual orientation, and your neighbourhood. It feels like a lot of people are losing sight of the first one - the right to believe what you believe - in righteous indignation about others who have lost sight of all the other ones.

Complacency about the truth: The truth is out there; unfortunately, it's every truth that anyone wants to find. Shouldn't we be most appalled by the assault on the truth? Have we even noticed?

It's Remembrance Day once again. Time to remember the people who fought and continue to fight for what we have. But let's not just remember the people...let's remember what they fought for.

And stop being complacent about all of these things.