In 2000 on November 8th, Florida began the statewide recount of the 2000 presidential election. We learned ‘chad’ wasn’t just a guy’s name. And we waited patiently for a month to learn who would be our next president. It was all so, well, civilized.
This is particularly true as we have watched the cost of leadership changes in other countries this year.
It is why we Americans love football. It is very civilized. When the play starts we stand, yelling our heads off. Then the referee blows the whistle, we sit down for the time-out and return to civility, even politely passing the coke to opponent’s team fan sitting next to us.
It reminds me of the October weekend in the late 80’s - early 90’s when a mid-eastern man stayed in a downtown Dallas hotel. In the middle of the night he was awaken by loud noised from the street below. From his experience, it sound like a political riot. He stayed away from the windows in terror. In the morning, he called the front desk asking if there had been a revolution. The clerk thought for a second, and laughed, “no that was just Texas-OU weekend.” The man said, “what?” “You know, college football fans.”
This concept of civility we live under is pretty amazing when you think of it. There has been nothing like it in history. You could say that more than anything we value ‘The Golden Rule’ (Matthew 7:12.) Actually, a form of this rule is a part of every major world religion.
In my home town, the local Rotary club's flag program has flags flying all over the community this week. They are a great reminder to never take our land for granted.
