329. Interesting Times

The worst curse I’ve ever heard doesn’t invoke the fiends of hell or summon swarms of locusts. Instead it simply goes “may you live in interesting times.” On the surface those aren’t fighting words, but the longer I live the more I understand that “interesting times” are times of upheaval and that one way or another nearly everyone feels their impact.

Times are always “interesting,” but the past few weeks have brought bad news to an astonishing number of people. Those who believe that cutting taxes generates more revenue, for example, were upset when Kansas, which has been trying this for several years now, had to give up and raise taxes to help meet their gaping budget deficit. But those who believe taxes should be based on the ability to pay were disappointed that Kansas raised sales instead of income taxes since sales taxes disproportionally affect the poor.

Here in Nebraska supporters of the death penalty – including our Governor – have been rocked by the Legislature repealing it. And in Oklahoma those who believe the Ten Commandments should be displayed on public property are up in arms that their Supreme Court upheld the separation of church and state.

People who believe that saying nice things to Hispanics will win their votes have been appalled to hear Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump characterize most Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists. And those who believe immigrants really are the worst elements of Mexican society are disappointed to see the other candidates reject Trump’s assertion.

People who believe God wants us to exploit both the planet and the poor for profit were upset to hear Pope Francis say that the amoral ravages of free market capitalism are endangering life on earth.  And everyone who believes people should be able to peacefully gather to study the Bible received the worst blow imaginable when a white supremacist murdered 9 black people in a Charleston, South Carolina, church. But as a result, supporters of slavery and hoop skirts suffered a setback as the display of their beloved banner, the Confederate flag, has come under fire, including in Southern states.

Those who believe that people can marry the person they love only if that person is of the opposite sex suffered a stinging setback when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that equal protection means gay people have a right to marry. Those who believe a few lines of ambiguous language in the 900 page healthcare bill should nullify it were nearly as upset when the court ruled against them as well. And politicians who owe their seats to the gerrymandering started panicking when the court ruled that non-partisan panels can legally draw district boundaries.

Those opposed to cruel and unusual punishment suffered a setback when the court ruled that an ineffective drug can be used to execute prisoners – despite some horrific recent failures. And everyone who breathes may have lost when the court ruled that clean air isn’t as important as coal company profits.

Each of these events on its own would be remarkable, but to have so many happen in such a short amount of time seems extraordinary. Whether they’re a blessing, a curse or a mixture of both depends on one’s perspective. But there’s certainly no denying that we’re living in very interesting times.

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