So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath[f] and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent. (1 Samuel 17)
Yesterday we saw a pitched battle for the heart of the nation waged inside the US Capitol. The fight was physical, as terrorists breached, ransacked, and plundered the building. The battle was also political, as elected representatives challenged the legitimacy of the newly elected President and laid the groundwork for overturning future elections when they disagree with the outcome.
These events were unsettling, to say the least. In times when I need direction, I turn to the giants upon whom shoulders I stand: scientists, philosophers, authors who tell us of stories, both factual and fictional, that offer to teach us lessons. Last night my mind turned to Samuel.
In his telling of the battle for the existence of Israel, Samuel tells of an improbable battle that occurs between a boy and a giant. In the version we tell the children, the boy takes a slingshot and slays the foe who has made everyone else quake in fear; this ends the story. But as we see in the adult telling, David not only kills the giant, but also cuts off and displays Goliath’s head for all to see. The Israelites don’t stand and cheer but rather pursue the Philistines, destroy the army and plunder the camps, making it impossible for enemy to quickly repeat their assault on the nation.
This needs to be the story that emerges from this Presidency: those who stormed the Capitol must be identified and pursued by law enforcement; dragging the insurrectionists before the courts and dealing harshly with those who are guilty. Those in politics who have supported and allied with the attempts to overturn our elections must be identified and called out, relegated to positions of low esteem during their tenure and voted out when their time comes. This is the duty of the good people who reside on both the left and the right. It is the only solution to this existential crisis.
As my mentor TK would have said, “it is time to kick ass and take names”.
My Thoughts and the Thoughts of Others 