The Questions We Need Answered

I wrote this as a rally cry to motivate others

There is a song from the rock opera, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, titled, “Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say), where the character of Jesus talks about impending crucifixion. One impactful line happens when Jesus tells God, “You’re very clear on ‘where’ and ‘how’, but not so hot on ‘why’.” 

This particular phrase should resonate with everyone over the age of 40 (and who have learned to think for themselves) because this is what we constantly heard from those who were in authority. 

“WHO we were supposed to be.”

“WHAT we were supposed to do. “

“HOW we were supposed to behave. “

“WHERE we were supposed to go. “

“WHEN we were supposed to arrive. “

(Sometimes the word “supposed” was replaced with the word “allowed”.) 

However, there was one thing those in authority neglected to tell us. 

“WHY was it all necessary?” 

Every time I have asked someone to clarify or validate their ecclesiastic or political beliefs, I am promptly dismissed, distracted or degraded. 

Dismissal is a type of avoidance. The person being questioned either ignores the inquirer completely or makes some excuse not to answer. 

Distraction is another form of avoidance. The person being questioned either changes the subject to something completely unrelated or cites an unknown or unreliable source. (When I tell them my questions are based on their source, they appear dumbfounded.) 

Degrading is often used as a last resort when the person being questioned has no other options. The inquirer is told he is too stupid to understand the subject matter or told they are part of the problem facing society. 

In my opinion, that sounds like a lot of work; especially from those who claim to be more knowledgeable. 

There is a simple solution to this matter. If someone cannot answer a question, instead of dismissing, distracting, or degrading, why not suggest someone who knows a little more than they do. 

It is time for us to begin to interrogate the authority figures; especially our elected officials. 

“WHO do you REPRESENT?”

(WHO are YOUR CONSTITUENTS?)

“WHAT are your POLICIES?”

(WHAT are you going to do for YOUR CONSTITUENTS?)

“HOW are you going to IMPLEMENT THEM?”

(HOW are you going to SERVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS?)

“WHERE are you TAKING THE COUNTRY?”

(WHERE are YOUR CONSTITUENTS?)

“WHEN are you going to HONOR YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL OATH?”

(WHEN are you going to DO YOUR JOB?)

Here is something every citizen should be asking their elected officials:

“WHY DID YOU RUN FOR OFFICE IN THE FIRST PLACE?” 

These are questions that need to be answered here and now. We need to reject the status quo.