That Was The Week That Was: A Reflection on the American Character

Plus, two podcast recommendations, and announcing a change in our publication schedule.

Today I’ll share some brief thoughts about what the extraordinary week we just lived through says about who we Americans are as a people. I also will recommend two insightful podcast episodes I just listened to, and announce a change in the scheduling of these weekly newsletter posts beginning with the next edition.

The American Character: A Study in Contrasts

I just completed my first week of retirement, and what a week it was! I haven’t yet settled into the slower rhythm that is supposed to characterize retirement (like some of my friends who say they are busier in retirement than they were when they were working), but I have already noticed some changes. One, unfortunately, is that I have more time to watch television’s constant barrage of news broadcasts. And the two stories that dominated this week’s news cycle stood out as a study in contrasts.

I’m not talking about the contrast between Democrats and Republicans on the floor of the House of Representatives during what can only be described as the shockingly chaotic election of our new Speaker, although that contrast could not have been much starker. No, I’m talking about the contrast between that disappointing political theater and the universal love directed towards a young man who by all accounts could serve as a shining example of what we always thought America and Americans should be.

Damar Hamlin willed his way into the role of safety for the Buffalo Bills by sheer hard work and determination, two attributes that have always represented the American character. Combine that with the videos we saw of Hamlin devoting charity time to children in his hometown of Pittsburgh, his creation of a charity dedicated to helping underprivileged children, his close relationship with his family, and his expressions of a sincere and loving faith, and he stands out as a poster child for the American Dream.

So, it seemed nothing short of inevitable that the people who know him best – his teammates, coaches, and Bills staff, his Pittsburgh friends and family, and even the teams and players who have played against him – displayed such an enormous outpouring of love after Hamlin was struck by an innocent but near-fatal blow during the first quarter of the Bills’ game against the Bengals. Nor should it surprise anyone that his charitable foundation, which before the tackle had a fundraising goal of $2,500, has now raised more than $8 million and counting. From the moment he went down, the people around Hamlin, and really the entire nation, lost all interest in the completion of what football fans and pundits understood to be an important game, and focused all of their concern on his recovery. And, thank God, his recovery so far has exceeded most experts’ expectations.

What a contrast, then, when the media alternated from reporting on this good young man’s fight for his life to reporting on the shameless display of rancor unfolding among Congressional Republicans. The spirits of news watchers were repeatedly lifted up by the hopeful reports of Hamlin’s progress, only to be dashed by the close-up views of a Congressional caucus’s utter and abhorrent dysfunction. The Democratic caucus, which realistically had no hope that some bizarre fluke in the voting would result in Hakeem Jeffries’ election as House Speaker, displayed remarkable unity and dignity, culminating in Jeffries’ graceful and almost-affectionate handing of the gavel to Kevin McCarthy in the wee hours of Saturday morning. The same could not be said of their opponents.

So which is the real America? The millions of people of all races, from all backgrounds, rich and poor, urban and rural, from red states and blue states, who collectively rallied behind and prayed for a humble, kind, generous, and loving young Black man who almost met a tragic end playing the game that he loves? Or the politicians who can’t help but cannibalize their own party to support the long and relentless quest for power of one man and his followers?

I think the answer is – all of the above. It would be unrealistic to think we can divorce the negative attributes of the American character from the positive. But we can find hope in recognizing that, even as some of us decry the spectacle we just witnessed in our nation’s capital, the vast majority of the American people, from all points across the political spectrum, are fundamentally good. Regardless of one’s political beliefs or the strength of one’s political convictions, at bottom we are a kinder, gentler, and more caring people than one would assume if we were to focus only on political warfare.  As President Kennedy put it in a speech he delivered in 1963:

So, let us not be blind to our differences—but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.

If the universal outpouring of compassion for Damar Hamlin can teach us anything, it can teach us that the idealism reflected in President Kennedy’s speech may still be justified and its goals attainable, despite all the televised evidence to the contrary.

Podcast Recommendations

And now for two podcast recommendations.

One of my favorite podcasts is “Offline with Jon Favreau.” I found this week’s episode particularly fascinating. He interviews Johann Hari, author of a book called Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again. Not all the information in the interview was new to me, but much of it was, and it was delivered in a fast-paced and entertaining dialogue. I highly recommend it.

Another of my favorites is “The Ezra Klein Show.” Last Tuesday, Klein interviewed Judith Shulevitz, author of The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time.  If you’re looking for podcasts that will make you think about ways to bring more sanity and wholeness into your life, and especially if you’re from a religious tradition that incorporates respect for the sabbath (Klein and Shulevitz bring to bear a Jewish perspective), you can find a great deal of wisdom and food for thought in this episode.

Scheduling Announcement

The Klein-Shulevitz interview got me thinking about how I schedule these newsletter posts. If you’ve been paying attention, I have them on a schedule to drop at 4:30 p.m. eastern time every Sunday. What that means is that I’m always working on Sunday to write or at least put the finishing touches on my posts.

I started on that schedule when I was working, because I didn’t want the newsletter to distract me from my weekday obligations. Now that I’m retired, and especially after listening to Ezra Klein’s podcast, I’ve decided that I will begin publishing these posts on weekdays. That would free up my Sundays and allow me to do a better job observing the Christian sabbath (not to mention relaxing, watching Sunday afternoon sports, and doing any number of other things that feel less like work). So, although I haven’t decided yet which weekday I’ll choose for my new Substack publication schedule, if you subscribe to this newsletter you can expect to find the next edition in your email sometime between January 16th and 20th.  

And while I’m at it, let me thank you for subscribing. Subscriptions are free for now, but someday I may ask new subscribers to pony up a monthly fee to help support the time I devote to this. In the meantime, I can honestly say writing for all of you is a labor of love, and one I hope to continue throughout this new year.