Whatever Happened to Profiles in Courage?

When I was growing up, way back in the dark ages, we made a big thing out of courage -- particularly the courage of our convictions. John Kennedy wrote a great book called Profiles in Courage. It told the tales of men and women who showed great courage in standing up for what they believed was right. More often than not, they paid a terrible price for that.  There still are people like that in our world.However, it is hard for me to see them in the public light.  Let's look at some examples. 

My main gripe is politics.  Or, I should say, politicians.  Where is their courage?  Where are their convictions.  I'm talking primarily about national and state politics.  Local is another story entirely. I'll save that for a later blog!  Today we don't elect a politician ... we elect a party.  You don't elect your representative or senator, you elect the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.  Policies, decisions, positions, support for offices and judges, finances and elections are decided by the party "leaders".  Any elected official who does not follow this lead will not be reelected, and will get no support for their constituents needs.  Easy to see this -- just look at all major Congressional action for the past 4 (or is it 40?) years.The split is right down party lines -- both in votes and in back room maneuvering.  Where is compromise?  Where is true negotiation for the good of us all?  I absolutely cannot believe that beliefs are so polar that all Democrats believe one thing and all Republicans believe just the opposite.  Always, it seems. It's a power struggle.  It's for their own very existence in the legislature.  

Second case.  Religion.  Whoa, Nellie.  You can't go there!  Except I can.  Great publicity has been shown on the hypocrisies within the pastorate of the Holy Roman Catholic Church regarding child abuse.  I am a life-long Catholic.  Where was the courage among the clergy and the supporting laity who must have known some of what was going on?  But don't you DARE assume that this is a Catholic thing.  There is much of this going on in all faiths.  Marriage does tend to make the clergy more careful, though. 

How about Entertainment.  That's what they call it.  I think of it more as voyeurism/porn/child abuse/elimination of values/selfishness -- you get the idea.  Our most highly paid (and respected?  Maybe not) entertainers make news only when they are doing outlandishly terrible things.  That includes actors, sports figures, authors, television personalities, and, yes, even talk show hosts.  Maybe particularly talk show hosts.  They retain popularity only if they make outlandish statements and brook no real discussion.  It is easy to make someone else (the caller) look ridiculous when you control the tone, the content, who does the talking at any time, and can cut them off when it makes good entertainment to do so. 

So.  Profiles in courage.  There are politicians, religious, entertainers, etc. who show great courage.  But they get no publicity -- it's not interesting to the great masses.  So out society gets "dumbed down" so that everyone accepts the lowest common denominator.  That's what really galls me. We've grown numb.