Tough Times

Tough times demand tough talk
Demand tough hearts
Demand tough songs
Rush, “Force Ten”

Tough times do demand tough talk. They demand an honest discussion of the issue at hand, all of the alternatives, and an explicit awareness of the full context. This is true of us individually and as a society.

Tough times do demand tough hearts–the willingness to confront the issue and the alternatives. Tough times demand a willingness to honestly and rationally address whatever issue we are facing–whether it is the loss of a job or a pandemic. Tough hearts require us to accept the best alternative, even when we don’t like it.

Tough times do demand tough songs and much more. Songs are only one form of intellectual expression. Tough times demand a free and honest expression of ideas and a willingness on the part of everyone to consider the alternatives.

But, in these tough times, this isn’t happening. In these tough times, public officials are issuing mandates and decrees with virtually no mention of alternatives, a plan, or an exit strategy. We are supposed to stay home and work smart until public officials give us permission to resume our lives. And all those officials can tell us is that it will be safe to return to normal when they declare it so.

Instead of offering the citizenry a plan, public officials have offered us the empty platitude that they are saving lives. Yet, few of them acknowledge that their means for doing so is destroying countless business, which means, destroying countless lives.

If government officials were intellectually honest, if they were willing to engage in tough talk, they would admit that they are trying to save some lives by destroying other lives. But tough talk requires tough hearts–the willingness to honestly confront an issue, even when it is unpleasant.

If government officials had tough hearts, they would openly share the alternatives that they have considered and why they have made the decisions that they have. They would allow the American people to judge those alternatives and determine if our leaders are really making the best decisions.

These are certainly tough times. They are made even tougher because government officials refuse to engage in tough talk.