In an age of instant fads and viral trends, those with the ability to stay the course and avoid the constant jumping on and off of the latest and greatest bandwagon will be those who win the day. People have become so fickle and flighty in reacting to changing public opinion that I am now convinced that every bandwagon ought to come equipped with airbags! Society seems to be forever searching but never satisfied – so the bandwagons roll on.
Back in the old days it was a bit of a sport to chase fire engines as they raced to the site of a fire. On a lazy summer afternoon, long years ago, my dad and his buddies were hanging out when they heard the siren of the county fire engine. Finally, something exciting! They hopped in their car and followed the noise until they spotted the red engine speeding down the street. It must have been a pretty boring day because there were already several cars in pursuit of the engine. They wound their way through the city picking up additional cars to the line as they made their way out of town. The fire engine pulled into the fair grounds and made its way past the gates to the far side of the event center. Twenty or more cars followed, and just as the last car pulled past the entrance gate, the police closed and locked the gate behind them. The police then walked around handing out tickets and citations to each of the cars that had jumped on the seemingly exciting bandwagon of following the fire engine.
We are becoming a nation of “bandwagoners.” People jump on the wagon when the going is good for their cause, candidate, Hollywood celebrity or sports figure, and then bail out the moment things get tough. This is an exhausting way to live and a lousy way to lead a country. David Azerrod taught, “The Founders sought to prove to the world that societies of men are capable of reflection and choice in establishing good government. Our task remains, as always, to prove that such a republican government can be maintained.”
This week we celebrate the Constitution of the United States – a solid, sturdy and steady force for freedom. It is grounded in timeless principles and transcendent truths rather than the fleeting philosophies of popular pundits or current political tradewinds. The Constitution stands as a monument to deliberate discussion and deeper dialogue. Its words have been a beacon across the years illuminating a better way to foster communities that thrive and individuals that flourish. For nearly 230 years our Constitution has withstood the bandwagons of expediency, leniency and even blind ambition. Though bandwagons and airbags hadn’t been invented at the time, George Washington rightly declared, “The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.”
A nation with a bandwagon mentality suffers from uncertainty, division and distractions – causing many to chase things that matter least at the expense of things that matter most. As citizens and as a nation we need to get off of the bandwagon. It is time for us to stand firm in our principles and ensure the standard that has made our nation great – remains strong, regardless of the political or popular bandwagons of the day.
For Sutherland Institute, this is Boyd Matheson. Thanks for engaging – because principle matters.
This post is an edited transcript of Principle Matters, a weekly radio commentary broadcast on several radio stations across the country. The podcast can be found below.