We the People: Pusillanimus

In a stunning result, the people of England voted to leave the European Union in a referendum dubbed “Brexit.” People generally believed that the referendum would fail and now the British pound and financial markets worldwide have tumbled due to the uncertainty created by the vote.

Why did UK citizens vote for a move that will likely cost jobs and drive up the cost for goods and services? The vote was the culmination of a movement driven by dissatisfaction which was expressed through nationalism, xenophobia and violence. Its supporters expressed that the UK must be put “first” and they needed to “take back” the country.

The first murder of a Member of Parliament in over 25 years is attributed to the movement. A man with a psychiatric history killed MP Jo Cox, a rising star in the British Labour Party, with an antique or home-made gun that he calmly reloaded while he shot her three times as she exited a meeting with constituents. As she lay dying, he repeatedly kicked her and stabbed a 77-year-old man who tried to save her. No doubt he would have caused more carnage if he had access to a full arsenal like a disgruntled, disappointed or demented American citizen.

Ms. Cox, a mother of young children and a supporter of the “remain” campaign, was made a target merely by standing against Brexit and in support of immigrant issues in the UK. People of diverse opinions bemoan the senseless loss of life but until regular citizens refuse to allow extremists and terrorists to move conversation into demagoguery, some people will find a reason to justify acts of hate.

The Brexit campaign transformed debate over immigration and quality of life in the UK into conspiracy theory and polarized the issue so that extreme supporters could be taken seriously even when they theorized that corporate and foreign forces controlled politics and politicians, and that anyone against “us” must be one of “them.” We must fight against acceptance of hate-filled reasoning that transforms a person into a character.

Our leaders in Congress, in the wake of the senseless and horrible assault rifle massacre in Orlando, failed to get together to take baby steps to address the issue of national gun regulation. We cannot continue to allow name calling and meaningless conversation to substitute for debate. An act as simple as prohibiting a person on a “no-fly” list from legally purchasing a gun was blocked by Republican inaction.

We must move from complicated argument that takes energy and time but accomplishes nothing and take action like the Democratic members of Congress who protested the Republican majority inaction with a sit-in.

The overwhelming majority of elected representatives in both parties possess a genuine commitment to do good but they need to be reelected and they have to take into account public sentiment which just plays into the hands of gun lobbyists. They do not have to corrupt an official when they can just steer public attention and conversation toward the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, strict constructionism and grammar instead of toward 49 families affected by a preventable tragedy. We must concentrate and labor to propel debate and action until there is a positive change in our system of laws.

Donald Trump, in Scotland, praised UK voters for taking “their country back” at a press conference while visiting his Turnberry golf course. He compared the Brexit referendum to our presidential election. “People really see a big parallel,” he noted. He added, “I love to see people take their country back … that’s really what’s happening in the United States.” Trump went on to predict the eventual demise of the E.U. That prospect may cheer his good friend Vladmir Putin but it doesn’t address how a weakened Europe — which stands with America, especially on the ideals of democratic government — would affect the U.S.

Hillary Clinton stated, “We respect the choice of the people of the United Kingdom” but she acknowledged that our first concern must be “to make sure that the economic uncertainty created by these events does not hurt working families here in America.” It is good to know that one candidate for the White House can reassure allies and provide calm and clear leadership for America.