Letter from the Editor: Decision 2016

Ho Lin

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Dear Citizens,

We have once again arrived at the moment in our societal and governmental cycle in which we must ____________________________. Take a moment and let the thought of this task take hold. Consider the concept of it, the necessity. In these benighted times, it would be easy to float down the easy stream of cynicism -- to ignore this task, or take it lightly. With our faith in this country and its institutions at an all-time low, what possible value could be gained by _______________________? Just the idea of it seems like a bad joke by a talk-show host, the kind of snideness that allows us to maintain the proper jaded distance. [We won't call it millennial, they've taken far too much abuse already.]

But make no mistake: our inattention, our lack of participation, our ennui, can only doom us to more of the same. If you are comfortable living in a world in which _________________________________, then it could be said that you are part of the scenery, if not part of the problem. In fact, if you are satisfied with your lot and the direction in which this nation is headed, perhaps it would be best if you did not _____________________. Politics is for the believers, the activists, the smooth operators and the fanatics. To extract the most satisfaction from the process, it must be entrenched in your soul, marinated and slow-cooked over the span of your entire life. What we require are citizens who love freedom more than life itself, who understand what is at stake and are prepared to do their utmost.

Let us be clear on another matter here -- while there can only be one entirely correct answer to the issue of _________________________, we must not demonize the opposition's point of view. [Our opponent is another matter entirely -- it is clear that because of __________________ and _____________________, they are unfit to ___________________.] This country has a grand tradition of listening to all opinions, deliberating over them with due severity, and then discarding wrong ones with powerful dispatch. Most importantly, we mustn't dawdle or backtrack. Right is right and wrong is wrong, even if the wrong are wrong. Thus, we fully support ___________________________ and trust that you will do the same.

Speaking of wrong, we need not remind you what will happen if the majority of this country (or to be more specific, a subset of the majority, once we get past the usual gerrymandering and groupings of random people into strategically conglomerated blocs, all the better to ensure an easier path to the correct result) should decide to ____________________. It would not be overexaggeration to say that calamity, chaos, and the end of civilization as we know it would occur. More precisely, we would continue down our current path, which amounts to the same thing. The significance of this moment cannot be underplated. You must ____________________________ or else the consequences are such that we will not be able to walk away from this, like one could walk away from a poker table after losing a modest amount of chips, while still retaining enough cash for the bus ride home.

So the decision is clear. Either we ________________________________ or we ___________________________. Either this great nation will be rehabilitated and we will reclaim our rightful place in the world, or we court imminent disaster. As you deliberate on your choice, we recommend you take the time to peruse the contents of this journal, which will aid in your thought process. We hope that you will take a few moments to commemorate one of our own with some heartfelt tributes to the late Adelle Foley. And after you have fully digested all the poetry, prose and media herein, remember: Nothing is more important than ___________________________, and in our humble, considered opinion, the correct course of action is ____________________________. Take pride in your participation in the process, and God bless ______________.

 

Ho Lin is co-editor of Caveat Lector. More of his work can be read at www.holin.us, and his film criticism can be found at www.camera-roll.com.