It is natural for human beings to have idealized perceptions of a country based on history and anecdotal evidence. Depending on which part of the world a person lives, they may think of America as an imperialistic bully, or the land of opportunity where anything is possible and the people are warm and inviting. There are many Americans who are compassionate to their fellow citizens and harbor a great desire to see every person prosper in the spirit of equality to make this nation a source of pride at home and abroad. It is tragic, but there is a growing segment of society that are displaying behavior and attitudes that portend a nation of hateful people who rejoice in other’s misery and relish the thought of causing pain and suffering because of bigotry, greed and intolerance. Although those attitudes are not universal, they are giving the appearance that America is rife with mean-spirited and selfish people and it begs the question; is this the America people really want?
Many pundits have proffered the notion that the next election will decide if America is a country ruled by religious fanatics and corporatists, or a free democratic society where every citizen’s well-being is considered important and valuable. The past two Republican presidential debates have given a glimpse of the type of country America will become under Republican control and it does not look promising from a humanitarian point of view.
By now, most people have watched in horror and disgust as audience members cheered at Rick Perry’s prideful boast that he presided over 234 executions, and they heard audience members shout “let him die” when a hypothetical question regarding an uninsured man who will die without medical attention. To be fair, it is unknown how many in the audience really thought letting an uninsured American die was something to be proud of, but there were no obvious objections from audience members. It is revealing though, that the Republican candidates on the stage did nothing to dissuade the audience or reprimand them for their inhumane outbursts. In fact, Rick Perry appeared emboldened by the adulation for executing so many prisoners and it did not take an empath to see he was truly proud of his accomplishments and pleased the audience approved his execution record. If any of the debate’s participants were sickened by the audience reaction, it was not evident, and their silence speaks volumes as to their debased view of human life.
