The Oakland City Council voted on a resolution to call for a cease-fire in Gaza, and a city council member tried to insert language condemning Hamas. (Selfimportant local politicians do this sort of thing, try to take positions out of their purview--and over their heads.) The reactions are instructive:

“Israel murdered their own people on October 7!”

“Calling Hamas a terrorist organization is ridiculous, racist, and plays into genocidal propaganda.”

“I support the right of Palestinians to resist occupation, including through Hamas, the armed wing of the unified Palestinian resistance.”

“As an Arab, asking with this context to condemn Hamas is very anti-Arab racist!”

“The notion that this was a massacre of Jews was a fabricated narrative. . . . Many of those killed on October 7, including children, were killed by the IDF.”

“To hear them complain about Hamas violence is like listening to a wife beater complain when his wife finally stands up and fights back!”

“Did anyone else notice that those who oppose this resolution are old white supremacists?”

                                             

We live in a world flooded with opinions--many crazy--, but also burdened with insincere posturing, mendacity, and conspiracies. And the random talk show ignorance has been sharpened by pointed, directed, political, TV outlets masquerading as news stations. On the surface, it appears this is an early stage of the chaos promised by those without faith in democracy.

But democracy, as a reflection of its people, is always tugged and pulled by the wild disparities that make up its people. However, its citizens must recognize the compromise inherent in government and put their own concerns behind the integrity of the system. It must support, defend, and educate itself as its prime directives. 

A democracy that cannot control its borders, is unwilling to teach its children and reward merit, and whose government has devolved into an administrative state, will become poor and unsafe and will not remain a democracy.