Mrs. Miller's ninth grade English class. In the midst of the usual hormonal mess, I learned something about archetypes. Those classic elements of stories which all cultures share. The most archetypal of archetypes is the "loss of innocence". Christians can see this in the Adam and Eve story, and every young writer cranks out at least one semi-autobiographical loss of innocence novel. I didn't get mine right the first time, so I wrote a second earlier this year.
As I drove to work Christmas afternoon (us hack sports editors always work the holidays), I looked at the ice-encrusted pine trees along I-40, and I identified with them. I felt stiff and frozen. It took me a minute to figure out why, but then it hit me. I no longer feel good about the people running my country.
I'm one of those rare members of my generation who cares enough to vote in every election. I even believe that my vote makes a difference. When I hear "career politician" used to describe someone, I don't immediately assume the person is a corrupt bastard. I believe that it is a good idea to get involved in politics and political campaigns. This is not a quest for personal power. I don't want to get elected. I just think it's important to be involved.
That changed with the impeachment vote. I've never had a quarrel with people who think differently than me. Civilized people can disagree on most everything. But I really believed that partisanship wouldn't affect the impeachment issue. I believed that the Republicans would act as most parties in power have: When the issue is of grave importance, find a consensus. I never thought those folks would be so venal as to pass articles of impeachment out of spite.
But, of course, they did. And now we get the Hinckley brigade. You know, those folks who tried to off the president just to impress someone. The members of Congress who signed a letter to Republican Senate leaders saying, in effect: "Our bad." They didn't want to remove the president, just impeach him. Even though the articles of impeachment (which they voted for, of course) specifically called for the removal of the president. I have no respect for the members of the Hinckley Brigade. They are spineless, useless individuals who should be arrested and tried for treason. I'm not kidding. These people abrogated their duty to the nation by voting for impeachment as a way of "punishing" the president. Not a particularly constitutional way to act, no matter how you read the document. I'm not much for capital punishment, but if you lined those folks up against a wall and gave me a 30-.06, I'd spend the magazine.
I'm that mad, and I'm that disappointed. I still have friends involved in politics, and I still support what they do. I will work for my friends. Personal friends. People I know. I won't work for a candidate I don't know well. I won't work in the general guts of the political process again. No more presidential campaigns. No more congressional campaigns. I can't even think about a school board campaign without getting physically ill.
I've lost my innocence. I will no longer trust a national political figure until proven otherwise (Jesse Helms didn't have my trust for long, mind you). Worst of all, I just don't care any more. I've been turned into one of the apathetic zombies of my generation. Do I care if the president is removed? Honestly? No. As the Queen song goes, nothing really matters to me.
See, the question isn't what to tell your kids about the President's "indiscretions". I mean, just sit them down for an episode of Melrose Place. Easy enough. No, the question is how parents might inspire their kids to give a flying fuck about the future of the country.
That is pretty damned important. There is no cure for apathy, but I can tell you what causes it. It's strange. I never thought I'd be saying any of these things. I thought I had those "good citizen" genes, that nothing could derail my interest and belief in the process of politics.
I guess there's gene therapy for everything these days.
Jon Worley also lost his faith in the Kansas City Chiefs this year.