Seeding The Lawn In Politics
You move in to a house that has a beautiful lawn. You have the most beautiful lawn in the neighborhood. You receive compliments from all your neighbors, and over time you claim to be an expert on lawns. “I have the greatest lawn”. You now begin to criticize others for their lousy-looking lawns. Then, over time, your lawn starts to thin out. Your lawn gets brown spots. You think to yourself that it is due to a lack of rain, so you water it. Then, weeds start to show. You go out and buy weed killer, then crabgrass grows. You go out and buy crabgrass killer, then insects start to show. You buy insect killer, then bald spots start to show. You buy seed, you sprinkle the seed, the grass doesn’t grow, and now the lawn “expert” has to seek advice.
The experts will tell you to over-seed in late fall and early spring. The experts will tell you to aerate and de-thatch your soil in the spring. The experts will tell you to perform a soil test to know what nutrients your soil is lacking. The experts will tell you to water your lawn between the hours of 4–6a.m., but you can’t aerate your lawn because you don’t have a truck to haul that heavy piece of equipment to do the job. You can’t perform a soil test because you don’t know anyone in the area that performs the test. You can’t water your lawn in those early hours because you are watching cable news.
That beautiful lawn that you inherited has become pitiful. Those neighbors that complimented you on your lawn are now silent. However, the one you chastised for having a lousy lawn is telling you to take care of yours. This makes you angry so you begin to tell your neighbors that the guy beats his wife. The guy doesn’t feed his kids. The guy conspires with a secret friend to destroy the fabric of the Country, and over time your neighbors sour on the guy. They start to whisper, “psst…that guy beats his wife.” “psst…that guy is a terrorist.” “psst…that guy is friends with Bill Gates.” “psst…that guy doesn’t support the confederate flag.” “psst, that guy is a mask wearing sheep.” “psst, that guy hates this Country.” “psst, I heard that guy is Antifa.”
Over time, all your neighbors are laser focused on that one guy that you initially criticized for having a lousy lawn, and — over time — they are no longer focusing on your decrepit looking lawn. The weeds are taking hold. The brown spots are everywhere. Bare spots are greater than the sum of green spots. The insects are running rampant, and you’re sitting on the porch, in front of your house, with the American flag waving high, drinking lemonade, watching all your neighbors yelling at the guy who you criticized for having a lousy lawn.
…don’t be that guy.