A Decision About Baseball Bats

Dear Democracy,

You have shown your roses and your thorns to the world.

You have shined in revolutions and dulled in wars.

We have, even if not completely, followed you.

Even if our actions haven’t been democratic, our government has remained democratic-like for centuries

I say all of this because America needs you right now.

America needs your unbiased, multi-dimensional opinion.

Need your energy and your dullness

America, above all, needs your judgement in our situation.

Imagine two brothers fighting for power.

Their father, a sane, peaceful king, has just passed and both brothers are crazed for power

The little brother and sister of the brothers, who have always been close,

Who have always fought back foes together,

Who have always spoken and acted identically,

Now find themselves on polarizing sides.

The little brother sides with Brother 2, who claims he wants to free the people and make their lives better

The little sister sides with Brother 1, who claims he wants to free the people and make their lives better

Brother 2 wants his goals achieved through less governmental power, more private power, and private property

Brother 1 wants his goals achieved through only governmental power and no private business or property

The brothers, despite despising each other, never actually fight each other

The little brother and sister, however, are invigorated by their older brothers.

They condemn each other now and no longer consider each other family

All of a sudden, the little sister throws a punch at the little brother.

Brother 1 gives the little sister a pat on the back and gives them tennis balls to start throwing at the little brother.

The little brother is soon overwhelmed by tennis balls and punches until Brother 2 steps in.

Brother 2, outraged, gives the sister baseballs and they start yelling at Brother 1.

Soon, both the little brother and sister are pelting each other with tennis balls and baseballs.

The brothers are yelling at each other and trying to desperately turn the situation in their favor.

This fight goes on for three days until their mother comes in and is horrified by the scene.

Acting compulsively, the mother demands a stop to the fighting.

The brother and sister stop pelting each other but the Brothers continue to argue and bicker.

The mother, happy the fighting has stopped, leaves the room.

Over time, the brother and sister grow more suspicious of each other.

They are listening to the brothers still arguing and remembering the fight they had.

They cannot remember the time they fought Brother 1 together to defend themselves.

They forget how long they only communicated with each other and not to the brothers.

All they remember is their brothers’ consistent arguing with each other.

At some points, it seems the fighting will resume.

The sister lets loose a single tennis ball or the brother throws a single baseball, but no fighting happens.

Soon, the sister buys a baseball bat.

The little brother and Brother 2, who have many baseball bats, are outraged and insists the sister is causing disruption.

The sister claim it is self defense and that the brother is disrupting the room.

The brother finds himself putting baseballs away and carrying a baseball bat instead.

Brother 2 is afraid that the little sister will now hit him and not her little brother.

She now has something that can really hurt Brother 2.

Brother 2 starts to ready his baseball bats as does Brother 1.

Brother 1 is starting to grow weary of the little sister and does not agree with her aggressiveness.

In fact, Brother 1 and the little sister haven’t talked in a while, they are growing away from each other.

But, if it comes down to it, Brother 1 will defend their sister if they’re attacked.

It is unknown to all what may happen if the little sister attacks first.

This is the current situation we are in.

A tension-filled, paranoia driven stalemate.

Neither brother wants to start a war, but neither brother wants the other alive.

The little sister is increasingly isolated from everyone and the little brother is still with Brother 2.

 Brother 2 is becoming more aggresive, frustrated at the lack of progress the sides have made.

Brother 1 is becoming split at who to back, they are in a  lose-lose situation.

All sides want peace and the destruction of the other side.

The questions are endless, the possibilities are seemingly all grim.

Will Brother 1, finally sick of the sister’s actions and presence, join Brother 2?

Or will Brother 1 remember the first fight and fight off another presence they are sick of?

Is either side justified to attack the other?

What happens if Brother 1 wins, or Brother 2?

Will both sides knock each other out with their baseball bats?

Does the little sister have it in her to ever attack Brother 2?

How long will Brother 1 continue to deal with the sister’s actions?

How do the little brother and sister actually feel?

These are all questions you need to consider, Democracy.

You need to read this unbiased and consider the consequences of any action.

Consider the consequences of taking no action.

Consider the mother, the brothers, the little brother and sister.

Overall, consider humanity when making your decision.

I trust you.

Logan