The wind was sowed by leaders who stridently raged against the poor and down trodden; who raged against the hungry and the homeless; who raged against the strangers and the different. Our raging words sowed the wind. Our verbal overkill sowed the wind. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.
We sowed the wind by our attack, attack, attack strategies. We sowed the wind by our windy extreme hyperbole. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.
We sow the wind when we attack everything the first African American president does. Some of us even met on the day of his inauguration to plan nonstop attacks. We sow the wind when we claim that this president was not born in the United States and therefore is not a citizen. We sow the wind when we shrilly proclaim that the Affordable Care Act will kill people. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.
Overuse of anything over time produces a predictable immunity. It’s true for medicines such as penicillin. It’s true for personal attacks. It’s true for other interactions. The immunity claims those directly touched as well as those indirectly touched. Therefore, we do not have defenses to the wind. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.
Then the Whirlwind came. The Whirlwind stated publicly and forcefully “illegal immigrants were murderers, drug dealers and rapists.” Those who sowed the wind were outraged. They proclaimed the end of the Whirlwind because it had gone too far. Many sowers of the wind demanded an apology. The Whirlwind flat out refused. It just whirled faster and stronger. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.
The Whirlwind tore into a war hero, denying that he was a hero and then quickly proclaiming that he was a hero only because he was captured. The sowers of the wind demanded the Whirlwind cease, desist and apologize. The Whirlwind just whirled faster and stronger.
Ten candidates on a nationally televised debate stage were asked to pledge their support for the eventual nominee of the Party, renouncing all possibilities of running for president as an independent candidate. The Whirlwind refused outright. The outrage was great. Surely this was so politically wrong that it would take the wind out of the Whirlwind. The Whirlwind just kept on whirling faster and growing stronger. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.
The debate moderators launched attack after attack on the Whirlwind. It seems that the mighty television network that had sown so much wind was determined to take the wind out of the Whirlwind. The Whirlwind attacked back, slinging them to and fro. The Whirlwind just kept whirling faster and whirling stronger.
Then the mighty male Whirlwind brazenly attacked a popular female television personality for unfairly questioning him during the debate. Everybody knows that is a “no-no” for a male to aggressively attack a female with the world watching. Again the Whirlwind was asked to apologize. Again it refused, shouting that it is time-out for political correctness. The Whirlwind just kept on whirling and whirling, growing stronger and stronger.
Then the mighty male Whirlwind went where no male should ever go, making remarks that appeared to refer to the menstrual cycle of the female television personality. A great horde of voices rose, proclaiming that the Whirlwind had gone way too far. A roar of voices demanded that the Whirlwind go away. The Whirlwind demanded an apology from the sowers of the wind. Surely this would destroy the Whirlwind. The Whirlwind was immune and continued to whirl, increasing in strength and force. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.
The Whirlwind attacked the sowers of wind. It spewed forth a litany of insults for each one who dared to challenge it in any way. The sowers of the wind rose in near unison to crush the mighty Whirlwind. However, they were cast aside like blades of grass and fallen leaves. The Whirlwind just kept on whirling, growing in intensity and reach.
Two men beat up a Hispanic homeless person in Boston, MA. When they were being arrested, one said, “The ‘Whirlwind’ was right. All of these illegals need to be deported.” The Whirlwind said, “I will say, people following me are very passionate. They love this country. They want this country to be great again.” Some media members raised challenges. The Whirlwind just kept on whirling, getting stronger and stronger.
Who knows what the Whirlwind will say or where it will go or what damage it will do. The Whirlwind creates its own wind. We don’t know if the Whirlwind will become a powerful hurricane. The only things we can be sure of is the Whirlwind will keep whirling and whirling, it will command the attention of all; it will not build up; and it will tear down in the promise of building up. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.
Of course, every powerful wind storm must have a one word name. This Whirlwind is named Trump.
EPILOGUE – Words matter. Words sowed are the wind. Extreme words create whirlwinds of words. Whirlwinds take on a life of their own. Words really matter.
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