Why The Anger?

There is a popular view that America’s severe political and cultural polarization has formed around the demarcation of several battlegrounds: rich vs. poor, white vs. racial minority, blue vs. red…and I agree, to an extent.

However, I really think that our vast gap of mistrust comes from a very simple litmus test: ARE YOU ANGRY?

I daresay that many Americans cannot go through their day without falling into a temporary or not-so-fleeting bout of anger. Be it towards their boss, coworker, spouse, kids, family or more generally about the “state of things.”

One quick glance at the most intricate and complex survey available to all of us (social media), shows a culture that is obsessed at being obsessed. The smallest (or biggest) angering event sets us off and makes us mad.

A black child running through the outfield of a kickball game was enough to set some of my teammates off about “well they’re taking away the confederate flag, now they’re taking away kickball.” And man, they were really pissed, too!

Heck, take it into a restaurant and get angry at toddlers. And parents. And restaurant owners that started the anger. Then let’s just talk about it 24/7 and make ourselves angry on TV.

Why are all of these shootings happening in every part of the country? Sure there is this deep-seated institutional anger that everyone is trying to pick at with big essays and thoughtful anecdotes. But really, there are just people that are mad and those who aren’t.

While most of my readers already know my own political leanings, I would challenge that this dichotomy doesn’t fall along traditional Democrat/Republican lines. Jon Stewart is just as angry as Glenn Beck right now. And while I agree with Stewart’s derivation of his anger, Donald Trump just doesn’t send me off the rails like maybe he should.

I think righteous anger has a place and can be very necessary. Even Jesus displayed it in the temple. But America is seething right now, and each escalation of national sound bite or news event only seems to ratchet the voices deeper and make the cynical stares more knowing.

Donald Trump told an Hispanic reporter to shut up and sit down for mis-characterizing his take on which set of Mexicans were rapists. People cheered and hollered with a guttural scream.

The video gets shared online by advocates and enemies with the same form of over-the-top release of “YES” or “NO,” but we’re taking up arms regardless.

Maybe I’m naive. Maybe I’m a wimp. But I don’t wake up with anger in my veins. I’m not walking down the street and feeling like white or black or hispanic or Arab should just die (do a quick google search to find the threads of people who do).

I’m just not that angry. Neither were victims’ families in Charleston, SC after their loved ones were brutally murdered. They weren’t moved to those emotions. They were moved to something else. The President of our country just isn’t that angry either. He sees progress where he can forge it and he’s forged plenty of it everywhere. And he’s not mad at you for not giving him the credit for it.

I feel very strongly about certain laws that should be enacted. About habits that we should all form in regards to ourselves and others. About who should be elected to positions of power at local, state and federal levels.

But I can’t be moved to anger by those that oppose me. And I refuse to be. I consider anger to be the act of a…in the words of Trump himself…“loser.” It’s easy to flip a switch and fly off the handle. It’s easy to feel threatened and backed into a corner and lash out like an angry dog.

It takes leadership, maturity and love to do something altogether different. And better.

“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” -James 1:19

I couldn’t have said it better myself.