Are We Slipping into Anarchy?

By G. Gregory Tooker

The symptoms are beginning to appear all around us, but many people are oblivious to them. They are both subtle and blatant. It seems impossible that the most successful democracy in the history of mankind could weaken to the point of its destruction. But unwanted events have a habit of creeping up unobserved in the tall grass when the sentinels are distracted.

When election officials are intimidated into resigning their roles and are replaced by those who are willing to reject mail-in ballots on questionable grounds, the electoral process is in jeopardy. When conspiratorial social media pundits stir the ire of followers who rely on a single source of political information, the value of the free press is lost. When state laws permit citizens to openly carry handguns, increasing the probability of fatal errors in judgment or having weapons seized by those intent on doing harm, the weapons of anarchy are literally within arm’s reach.

Anarchy is defined as a state of disorder due to the absence or nonrecognition of authority or other controlling systems. One of its most prominent characteristics is lawlessness. Some examples of such are easily identified in today’s environment, the most obvious of which occurred on January 6, 2021 when hordes of insurrectionists stormed the walls and halls of the capitol building. Armed attacks on federal and local law enforcement agencies and personnel are another. But we should not overlook examples occurring everyday within our own neighborhoods. Drivers routinely exceed posted speed limits with increasing frequency and fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, their anger broadcast via long blasts on their horns and illegally noisy vehicle exhaust systems. People are perpetually on slow burn, ready to lash out and vent their frustration.

Yielding to temptation to flout the law and civilized behavior in general is self-defeating; it will accelerate the descent into chaos, costing everyone dearly. National legislation recently enacted in Washington, D.C. gives us all reason to be more optimistic about the future. We need to focus on the positive and restore the art of compromise. In reality, there is no alternative.