Political Signs and ‘Teachable Moments’

note: this is a revision of a first attempt at expressing myself properly. My closing comments are not meant to be political. They are intended to address the tenor of political discourse. I welcome your comments, as well.

Another election season is in the books. I hark back to my first one, the 1956 reelection campaign of Dwight Eisenhower. Summer that year found me in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, where sun, sand and salt water taffy were my highest priorities, not politics. I was 10.

Nevertheless, thanks to the miracle of television, I got exposed to politics with its bombastic politicians, intrusive reporters and zealous conventioneers. It was the quadrennial convention season and every ‘black and white’ TV up and down the narrow cottage lined streets was tuned to politics, or so it seemed.

One week, it was the Democratic convention nominating Illinois’ favorite son, Adlai Stevenson, followed by Eisenhower getting the nod at the Republican convention. Everyone ‘liked Ike’ and Adlai encouraged the electorate to ‘go all the way with Adlai’. Politics seemed fun then with its banners, balloons and bluster, even for a 10 year old watching on television.

That’s how I remember it, anyway. Eisenhower was popular, a famous WWII general. He was well liked and had a winning slogan, ‘I Like Ike’.

Subsequent elections produced new characters; life long politicians, a peanut farmer, an actor, more politicians, and a real estate mogul/reality TV star, all running to be the President of The United States, ‘leader of the free world’. And with each election came new slogans.

John Kennedy in 1960, ‘We Can Do Better’, and his opponent with ‘Nixon’s The One’. In ‘64, Lyndon ‘All The Way With LBJ’ Johnson painted his opponent, Barry Goldwater, as a fringe candidate with this slogan, ‘In Your Gut, You Know He’s Nuts’!

Ronald Reagan won in 1980 with ‘Make America Great, Again’. Sound familiar? Bill Clinton, effectively reminded voters, ‘It’s The Economy, Stupid’ and prevented GHW Bush from serving a second term.

For the most part, slogans and signs have been innocuous, sometimes mildly insulting, but usually more funny than harmful. And the signs that supporters planted in lawns or on street corners, passively urged passersby to vote a certain way.

Not so today. Now, signs have appeared with a message in BIG, BOLD letters suggesting to the public that the current President, and by extension, his supporters, are ‘haters’. Love Trumps HATE!

Politics aside, because I’m not political, I get the message, but not the medium. A lawn sign to protest hate by projecting hate, itself? Explain that one to today’s 10 year old.

There are good places to discuss the role ’hate’ plays in politics, and in life for that matter. I would suggest the home. Discuss it often, with the family, not on a lawn sign. Make it a ‘Teachable Moment’.

Steve (Dec 2020)

For everyone and anyone with just a passing interest or a passion for politics.

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srbottch

Retired in 2013 after 5 years as an elementary school teacher and 40 years as a sales representative to begin anew as a school crossing guard. SMy essays/stories are a way to communicate through the telling of personal experiences. One reader said about my blog stories, "...these are like a cold sip during a marathon run, simple, real life events". Another offered about my blog, “it brings some sense of normalcy not easily found in the modern world.”

18 thoughts on “Political Signs and ‘Teachable Moments’”

  1. When I was growing up in the turbulent ’60s, the teachable moments came from my dad. He always said we should take the high road. There is nothing to be gained and much to be lost by taking the low road, no matter the provocation.

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  3. A powerful post, Steve. The hate level has risen to a new high during the last four years. It almost doesn’t matter who you talk to it is a pervasive feeling. You have stated the shame of the whole attitude very well. Teaching kids to hate can never come out well. I am concerned about our Democracy going forward. Thanks for your view.

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    1. Thank you, John. I agree and am concerned, as well. I understand that politics is a tough game but posting signs with hate in all caps, while intending to be subtle, is inappropriate and really represents the messenger’s feelings. I appreciate the compliment. Writing is a challenge, the right words take a while to come to me.

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  4. We have similar issues here, Steve. There is a politician who says “kill the Boer [farmer]” and it makes people very upset. There have been 128 attacks on farms and farmers during the first six months of this year in South Africa. This is the sort of thing that hate speech can lead too and it is very sad when the system effectively endorses it by allowing it to happen.

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  7. Well said. Political comments growing up in Rockford, IL were mostly about the Chicago Machine. I have found myself having to step back from Social Media at times in recent months as I get drawn into mudslinging across Twitter like everyone else.

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    1. Yes, Tim, the times are a good test for self discipline regarding our action/reaction to events. Politics is a nasty game, always has been, and a modicum of civility is needed now more than ever. See you in the Super Bowl😉!

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  8. Well said, Steve. I salute you for painting a true picture of political fervor since TV was part of most households. Today is seems regular news is like “60 Minutes.” I miss Walter Cronkite. I miss common sense and civility.

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