Not To Decide Is To Decide

Do you remember the story of Todd Beamer? Todd was a passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. About forty minutes into the flight from New Jersey bound for San Francisco, a group of terrorists on a suicide mission hijacked the plane. They had turned the plane around and appeared to be heading for Washington D.C. We know from phone conversations the passengers had with loved ones in the final moments of the flight, that the terrorists had seized control of the cockpit and had already killed one or more people onboard. The passengers were also aware, from those phone conversations, that terrorists had also hijacked two other airliners filled with passengers, and flew them into the World Trade Center buildings in New York City.

Todd Beamer was able to use one of the plane’s in-flight phones to place a call. His call was redirected to a GTE supervisor with whom he had a 13 minute conversation. While talking with her he stated that he and some other passengers were contemplating an attempt to overpower hijackers. He also noted that one of the hijackers appeared to have a bomb strapped to his body. He asked the operator to pray with him. They recited the 23rd Psalm. Then, after making the operator promise to call his family, he put down the phone leaving the line open. Through the open line Todd was overheard saying “Are you ready Guys? Let’s Roll!” Moments later the plane crashed into the ground in rural Pennsylvania.

I don’t know if Todd or the others really thought they could succeed in saving their own lives or those of the other passengers onboard. But one thing they must have known. If they did nothing, they would certainly die and so would many other people at whatever location the hijackers were planning on crashing the plane. For these few courageous men, being passive was not an option.

Doing nothing would not have affected the outcome for Todd. He probably knew that. But Todd chose to act anyway. Even if he and the others couldn’t save the passengers on flight 93, God only knows how many other lives they did save.

When we are faced with a situation where we have a choice, can we totally opt-out? Can we decide not to get involved because we don’t think it directly affects us? Can we choose to remain neutral? My opinion is NO, NO and NO. By choosing to not to act we are, by proxy, involved, in absentia. We have taken the default position that we don’t see a direct benefit for ourselves, and thus, don’t care how anyone else may be negatively affected. Theologian, Harvey Cox said, “Not to decide is to decide.” I would agree. Actions, as well as inactions, do have real consequences.

Fortunately, most of us will never have to make a decision or take any action that requires the type of extraordinary courage that Todd Beamer and the others displayed on that fateful day. But all of us face choices every day, some are easy, some are not. What is difficult for me to accept is that we are periodically faced with an opportunity to make a choice that will affect many millions of people, a choice that does not take any sort of courage or much inconvenience whatsoever, yet for a variety of reasons, many people choose not choose. I am referring to every U.S. Citizen’s responsibility to take part in the greatest form of representative government on the planet.

I find politics to be a very interesting subject. I also realize that that many people feel otherwise. But while the subject does not interest everyone, it does effect everyone in one way or another. This has rarely been more true than today. In a time when politicians have continued to stray further and further from the founding principles of this great country, in a time when they have become so powerful and arrogant that they do not feel bound by the limits of our Constitution or the wishes of the constituency that elected them, and in a time when scandals and corruption have become commonplace in our governmental bodies, we must not stand by and have let them run rough-shod over the American people.

I get incredibly frustrated with people who are not willing to participate in our political process. They say that their one vote is not going to make a difference, that they don’t really know anything about politics or that all politicians are corrupt and thus do not deserve my vote. And some even refuse to participate based on erroneous religious beliefs. I could argue against each of these excuses but rather, I would prefer that people to simply try to realize what a blessing it is, that we live in such a wonderful country and appreciate the freedoms we have, and the freedoms that are slipping away from us each day our government continues to take us for granted. Our government has become a rogue entity that spends much of it's time institutionalizing it's power. Being politically passive, is no longer an option.

Our elected representatives wield the authority to make very important decisions on our behalf. It is our duty to get informed and choose those individuals carefully. To the best of our ability, we must choose virtuous candidates whom we feel best reflect our personal values. They must display the wisdom, foresight and integrity to make prudent decisions. And they must appreciate understand what makes America great and be willing to preserve and promote those ideals. This is not a responsibility we or they should take lightly.

Sometimes the candidate we choose will win, and sometimes not. That’s just the way it goes. But those who could vote, but instead sit on their hands not attempting to influence the process in a positive way, have insulted those who have fought on our behalf to preserve liberty. They have insulted me. They have been complacent about my children’s future. I will not live with the regret that I sat at home while my neighbor went out and voted for the candidate that offends my values or priorities or who would otherwise strip away my freedoms. I will do my best to resist the evil forces who are working feverishly to destroy what I love.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

- Edmond Burke

Yes, our government has been hijacked and we have a decision to make. We can ride it out or we we can get involved.

I say..."Let’s Roll!"