By Red Bank Mayor Pat Menna
November 15, 2016
The drama, post mortem and recriminations are all buzzing in the aftermath of the 2016 election. It was a painful, excruciatingly long process that interrupted the solitude of the living room of most Americans for much too long. It is over and we should move to the next chapter. We only have one president at a time and that person is Mr. Trump.
The process has however fundamentally caused a shift in the way in which Americans view themselves. The age of modern innocence and insular security died with the terrorist attacks on 9/11. This year the age of civility and decorum in American politics met its untimely demise in an unscripted fashion. I am not convinced that the majority of the public either relished nor appreciated the soap opera of the candidates toward each other. Our standing in the world has taken a rather sobering hit. I have had a difficult time the past few months explaining to dozens of international friends how the system that created the model for the “best and the brightest” could implode so easily. Gone is the built up feeling of stable leadership so carefully crafted by Eisenhower and brought to youthful enthusiasm by the Camelot of Kennedy. The security of a mature Reagan and the steely stewardship of George HW Bush seem a distant memory. And the success by which President Obama led the nation in its reconnection with the world is now viewed with cynicism.
The impact of the loss of respect and decorum has been felt across all sectors of the political landscape. It reaches even at the local level. The decibel levels of local meetings are higher than they have been for decades and people feel the need to make cynical judgments about the democratic process. Some address legitimate policy issues in vague mean spirited references that attack the issues by personal innuendoes. They couch their veiled references not on facts but on their beliefs in the different ideas and policy issues being advanced that they disagree with.
Having had the advantage of listening to the tone of public discussions it pains me that the focus on the perceived personal motives of leaders rather than an intelligent discussion of the policy issues does disservice to future generations. It drives many individuals from giving of their time and talents to participate in the political process.
Elections happen every year at all levels. They will continue. But all political leaders should commit to do their part to lower the tone and the drama and get back to a legitimate dialogue with civility and decorum to solve our pressing problems in a constructive manner.
Perhaps I still subscribe to an ancient ideal for gentle yet passionate dialogue with clarity and civility. Those ideals, which run against the grain of this election are still valued by the majority of our citizens, notwithstanding the results of the final episode of the 2016 Reality show.
Mayor Pasquale Menna
Red Bank
Published in the Two River Times Commentary section Nov. 17-24
