It is election day plus one. The “stew” that is politics is still bubbling – and there is no way to extricate the individual ingredients that make it tasty – but it seems clear that its essence IS tasty! All kinds of people turned out to let us know that democracy is as important to them as the myriad of issues that make up their everyday lives. Without trying to dissect the specifics of our Florida enigma I want to hail the hero of the day — Tim Ryan!

Note well! The concession speech of Tim Ryan was what needs to be the schematic on which to rebuild our floundering society. No lectures, no preaching, no hang-wringing. He simply let the country know that he felt it was a privilege to recognize that in a democracy that’s what losing candidates do.

This is called “teaching by role model.” Successful parents, CEOs, and leaders of all stripes recognize that the most effective way to influence others, is by modeling desired behaviors. And although we probably have a small percentage of U.S. citizens who still and will always disagree, I put my bet on the fact that the vast majority of folks — Democrats and Republicans — are inherently in favor of “decency.” And the more frequently that “decency” works in our society, the more we will be able to bring the vibrancy of that concept into people’s consciousness.

So, let’s hear It for modeling decency, in every aspect of our society – where people can disagree and express themselves by reaching for the highest level of discourse rather than groveling into the gutter-speak of insults, innuendos, lies, threats and pandering to the basest of human impulse. I am suggesting active, conscious behaviors translated and unified through organizational structure that will encourage and reward the simplest of human instincts— the conscious modeling of decency.

 Emily Rosen

11-9-2022