Anticipation

            Intel is ever present with any edition of the Newark Advocate. There seems to be an entire industry devoted to the anticipation of an event being more important than the event itself (which may account for the eventual lack of actual planning since the anticipation of the event displaces the event itself. We rather prefer to plan for the anticipation). This characteristic of the American culture is to account for OSU football (and back to school) occurring in July, Halloween in September and Christmas at Halloween!  What was missing in the local news this past week was of a Newark March For Our Lives event. Although Newark took part in the original, this past week’s non existent event may be attributed to lack of institution, or interest. Unlike interest, which can wax and wane, institution covers the irregularities and gaps to provide a structure for the repetition of events like March For Our Lives. But then again, who funds our institutions has proven to be determinate of what the interest is. Nationally, in the news this past week, there was the initial presentation of the January 6 commission. Conservative critics, like David Brooks, say the effort is wasted – too much focus on the past, not enough addressed to rectifying the divisiveness of the present through future solutions. Analysis indicates the findings of this congressional commission to be akin to a lifeline. Without it there is absolutely no possibility of bridging the divide. Its findings provide a slender thread of closure. Would you prefer a lifeline of truth and facts, or one composed of lies? The same “emphasis of the future” was the criticism of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation commission’s activities. Focused on the past, it did provide a tangible basis for going forward. Analogous to this is our present Jan 6 commission in Washington. Sure, it would be great if the entrepreneurs of the insurgency were jailed. Without being cynical, but rather realistic, no one was ever jailed for the 2008 financial meltdown. Also no truth and justice commission investigated it. Maybe if there had been such an actual, in depth, day by day analysis, it wouldn’t be so difficult to locate the source of today’s out of hand economic inflation. Dealing with the uncomfortable at hand tends to lessen the recurrence in the future. But then again, American culture is all about anticipation, and the future.