The Pursuit of Happiness

Suppose you’re driving along a country road and you pass through two towns right next to each other. One of the towns is as pretty as it can be, with mowed lawns, tidy shops, and new paint. The other town is dirty, worn out, and has a sour look and feel to it, even though it has the same geography, natural resources, and county government that the pretty town has. That striking comparison can also be made about institutions, civic organizations, schools, churches, and families. Some work really well, and some don’t. What’s the difference?

I think the answer is that people make the difference. People willing to invest time, money, and energy for a good purpose make good things happen. These people also take risks, like ensuring that city codes are followed – often to the consternation of neighbors and business owners – and that their institutions, schools, and churches are purpose driven and effective. There’s a reason why good people are often exhausted.

The reverse is true, too. Bad people invest little time or energy into anything or take no risks unless they see personal benefit. If a town, or a civic or social organization lacks positive investment from its people, it becomes dysfunctional or at least hollowed out. But what about people who don’t do anything bad themselves, but stand on the sidelines and watch bad things happen?

These people are often referred to as “the good German” in literature. The Good German lived through and perhaps supported the rise of Adolph Hitler, and stood passively by while Jews and others were persecuted and then ultimately executed. After the war, when asked why they watched atrocities go unchecked, they said, “I was a good German. I followed the law. I didn’t hurt anyone personally.”

This week the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette had a Good German moment. It ran a 1968 editorial by Paul Greenberg warning voters that George Wallace wasn’t really a strong law and order candidate, but didn’t mention that Wallace was also a racist and mean as a snake. The ADM knows Trump is this election’s George Wallace – that was the purpose of the editorial – but doesn’t have the guts to say it flat out.