The Unmuddled Mathematician

Turn Away From the Hate and Anger, Recognize and Appreciate the Good

By Chris Coray, The Unmuddled Mathematician

The behavior of three of the remaining Republican presidential candidates in recent months has been so destructive of human interaction that my attempts at writing humor this week keeps running into an emotional wall.  Their names are Trump, Cruz, and Rubio.  None is worthy of the job each is seeking.  What they have called “debates” have been so vulgar, so mean spirited, and so far removed from the substance of what is required to govern that children should not be allowed to watch.  Where has the party of Reagan, Javits, George Herbert Walker Bush, Eisenhower, and McCain gone? 

I cannot answer the question.  But I affirmatively turn away from the behavior and those candidates themselves who behave as they have and continue unabated.  Their desire to always label the “other” in horrible and often false terms, to appeal and throw fuel on the flames of hate, to seek resonance with the darkest parts of our human nature earns my strongest condemnation.  They will not make me afraid.

My wife and I are fortunate to live in a beautiful and wonderful place, a place small enough so that we mostly know each other.  The things the people here do for each other lift up not only the recipients of countless acts of kindness and support, but the entire community.  These acts of service inoculate us against hate.  

A few examples may be illustrative.  Here, by the shores of this beautiful lake I have watched an 80 year old man repetitively accompany younger, stronger persons in the fall to cut and gather wood for 90+ year old widows who would not have heat in their homes during long winters without this effort.  He can barely lift the logs but he always helps.  I have watched another man catch and smoke fish and deliver the delicious results to the elderly over and over and over.  There is a woman here who works so hard at her business that any effort to keep up with her would fail before lunch.  Yet whenever someone needs a little gift, a special treat during a family crisis, or just a good meal she is always there. 

And just last Friday, three men came to use snow machines in the nearby hills.  Their truck and trailer were immobile in the local gas station as the truck would not start.  These guys were just paralyzed and had no knowledge or experience with available resources.  A young man from this town who happened to be at the gas station, without being asked, tried to help.  He was very busy as he was getting the work day started for his many employees on really big construction jobs.  First, he tried to jump the dysfunctional truck with his own little vehicle.  No joy.  Then he called his own company’s big maintenance truck, normally used in support of his several track-hoes, to come off the job and try to start the vehicle.  No joy.  Next, he called a mechanic from 20 miles away and arranged for him to travel to our little town to help.  Finally the efforts paid off.  The guys with the snow machines never learned the name of their helper, never realized how busy he was nor what were his daily obligations, as all of the help was offered anonymously.  That kind of behavior is deed for word about the commitment of persons in this community to lift each other, to make this a genuinely wonderful place to live. 

We in this place are not afraid.  We do not blame the “other”.  We will not sink into the abyss of isolation and uncaring, selfish lives.  And to those who carry hate and anger in their souls, visit us and we will make you better.  You are welcome.