Throughout human history, it has been noticeable that every society has among it outliers; individuals who sway from the conventional moral understanding and norms, a group we could coin as ‘unorthodox’. Saturating every corner of the globe, these societal anomalies inevitably exist, unavoidably intertwined within our social structure. However, historically, prosperous civilizations have capably managed to confine these individuals to prevent their unconventional ideologies from becoming too widespread. It is of paramount importance as their unchecked influence can lead to disruptions of societal harmony, creating discord and possible societal downfall.
The existence of such unorthodox elements in societies cannot be eradicated completely. A successful society, nonetheless, ensures the numbers and influence of these individuals are kept in check. They are restrained within certain societal boundaries to guarantee the minimization of potential harm. Nations which have thrived over the course of history understood this, and successfully kept such elements distanced, securing the society’s primary moral foundation.
This is not to caricature these nonconformists. Instead, the objective is to maintain a semblance of societal balance, a common baseline of accepted behavior, or ‘normality’. Proactive steps were taken by various societies in history to contain these individuals and limit their influence; the Roman Praetorian Guard even going as far as eliminating the indulgent rulers Caligula and Nero as they threatened to shatter the society’s moral structure with their hedonistic lifestyles.
However, societies are inherently subject to evolution, which can take many forms. But what happens when the societal stages of ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ intersect? Can a society truly endure when behaviors traditionally seen as aberrant start to become mainstream? When the transparently outlandish is gradually accepted as ‘normal’, can that society remain stable?
One evident example of this play-out has been observed in the U.S’s Colorado where the Democratic Party has closed the door on any dissent regarding their proposed transgender bill. This law would place ‘misgendering’ within the framework of discriminatory behavior, imposing harsh repercussions for parents who don’t affirm their child’s chosen gender. This is ‘normal’ in the contemporary Democratic landscape.
The pressing question facing the nation now is, ‘What is normal?’ Before, it used to be a straightforward query but the line blurring the ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ has become far too hazy. Just take a look at recent polls where 75 million voters cast their ballots for Kamala Harris, essentially rejecting the time-honored norms and morals that had typically bound the country together. Has America’s societal definition of ‘norm’ now shifted towards embracing a broader range of behaviors?
Indeed, 75 million U.S citizens voted for what many others would consider eccentric and destructive. They voted for policies allowing children to select their own gender, men to be recognised as women simply by declaration, support for same-sex marriage, and more dimensions of the changing societal ‘norm’. It seems that the new normal is quite different from the past, and it’s apparent that approximately half of America now identifies with these new conventions.
The Democratic Party, represented by Kamala Harris and supported by these 75 million voters, represents a stark shift toward the abnormal by historical standards. They are standing for things that are counter to traditional values, advocating for concepts that many find unconventional, and even pushing for policies that some would consider downright peculiar. This current status quo is disconcerting for those who adhere to the traditional normalities.
The real problem is how to bridge this divide in understanding of what is normal and abnormal. The nation is entrenched in this chasm of belief systems, where each half views the other as somewhat weird or alien. We are faced with half the American populace who hold tightly to ‘traditional normality’, and half who are inclined towards what was once considered ‘abnormal’.
It was an unprecedented move when we, in the pursuit of civil rights and freedom, allowed a variety of behaviors to surface under the sun. However, it appears we lost sight of the fact that any civil right or freedom that infringes on the societal values that have held the nation together inevitably brings about instability. What will unify us now as a people? What really makes an American?
The survival of a society under such deeply rooted division is uncertain, particularly when each half deems the other to be absurd. This is a bewildering situation, and retrospectively, previous societies had the common sense to isolate contrary behaviors, thereby keeping its societal core intact.
Reflecting on a quote from James Madison: ‘The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded,’ the question arises, who will lead the moral discourse when God is no longer central in decision-making? In a nation where everyone seems to be crafting their personal truths, we have ended up with an array of diverse perspectives that refuse to converge.
The resulting societal state is a ballooning compendium of all sorts of debunked norms because we have estranged ourselves from a set standard or direction. Can this emerging pseudo ‘normality’ endure without a grounding universal standard? What will be the outcome of society’s ongoing fragmentation?
Historically, a society’s survival hinged on its ability to adhere to established norms and to maintain control over deviant behaviors. However, with the impending chaos that arises when unanimity of civilized behaviors collapse, it is difficult to imagine what lies ahead for America. Can we redirect this trend? To be frank, the pathway to turn things around remains obscure.
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