It’s in Our DNA

When speaking about hypocrisy, everyone’s favorite targets are politicians. Maybe the, say one thing but do the opposite breed is much maligned because they accurately reflect, “We the people,” and our true nature. I’m sure by now many of you are thinking, “That’s not right, or he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about,” so let me offer a few examples.

Occasionally, while boarding a plane to return home from a job, I’ll spot a man dressed all in black and sporting what’s known as a Roman collar. He’s sitting in the First-Class cabin sipping his glass of wine or maybe a mixed drink. In my mind, I reach over and hand him my ticket, which is for a middle seat in row 27. When he looks up at me befuddled, I explain, “I didn’t take a vow of poverty, but I know you did since you are a Roman Catholic Priest, so I believe you’re in my seat.” Of course, that doesn’t happen and I trundle off to the rear of the economy class and settle into my middle seat, making us both hypocrites. Keeping things balanced, Protestants are equally hypocritical. Lakewood Church in Houston occupies a building that can house over 16,000 people. During the 2017 flood “Mattress Mike” a Houston business owner opened his furniture stores to shelter the city’s displaced residents. It was several days after the flooding started to recede that Pastor Joel Osteen unlocked the church’s doors and let homeless victims in. This only happened because of intense ridicule from the press. Today, Osteen continues to preach the gospel and collect millions of dollars from his over 45,000 parishioners. My question is, who’s the biggest hypocrite? Is it Osteen for not practicing what he preaches or the congregation for continuing to pour money into his coffers?

Okay, if we take religion and politics off the table because no one can agree on them, what else shall we discuss? How about causes? One perennial topic is the Right to Abortion versus the Pro-life movement. Now that Roe V Wade has been overturned, it’s been left to the states to decide. The demonstrations are more centralized but still as passionate on both sides. My question is, why does passion evaporate after the child is born? We now have a child born to parents that, for a myriad of reasons, don’t want or cannot care for it. A grandparent, great-grandparent, or some other relative is forced to step up and raise the child. If this doesn’t happen, the infant is enrolled in the system and sent to an institution or placed into foster care. To me, Pro-life should advocate for facilities that will provide more than a roof and three meals a day. Why are the activists not marching for the total package instead of one small portion? Unfortunately, the answer is people are only interested in short-term goals, not long-term solutions. The next time you’re looking at a picture of a Pro-life rally, see if you can find a sign that proclaims, Build Better Orphanages!

Too polarizing an issue for this discussion, then let’s pick something we can all agree on, help for recovering addicts and the mentally ill. Everyone agrees these people need treatment and a facility to help them transition back into society, a halfway house for lack of a better phrase. As most of us can agree on the need, then I have a way to help. I propose we convert community centers in gated communities or part of a golf course clubhouse into a recovery facility. Oh, what’s that you’re saying? Such a place should exist, just not in my backyard, NIMBY for short.

As I said in the beginning, we’re all hypocrites. It’s in our DNA.