Swinging out of control

Growing up, we had a set of swings in the side yard at our house. It was heavy duty and well built. It needed to be, because all of us kids loved to swing, and swing as high as possible.

To go as high as possible, we soon learned in order to go forward and high, we had to go back on the swing as far as possible. It was that forward and backward motion that really made us go higher and higher. The further back we went on the swing, the further we would go forward and higher.

We didn’t know it, but we were putting into practice one of the primary laws of physics. Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. For every force exerted, like the swing going backward, there’s a corresponding force in the opposite direction, the swing going forward and higher. Another example of this is a rocket or a jet. They both go forward because the exhaust flames from the engine push backward with such a force that it causes the rocket or jet to go forward.

But we see Newton’s Third Law of Motion also work in an area that has little to do with physics. It’s especially true of human nature, and how we act as individuals and groups. It may be called a pendulum swing or a paradigm shift, which is a favorite term of the last few years. But it’s actually individuals, groups and society reacting to conditions and situations, and deciding to go in the opposite direction.

We have seen such shifts throughout American history. Our country was even founded as a reaction to British treatment toward the colonies. The change was decisive, as we went from a monarchy to a democracy. There have also been cultural shifts along the way. One example was the change from the Eisenhower, white-picket fence culture of the 1950s, and the reaction to it from the Hippie, long hair ’60s.

For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. We’re seeing Newton’s Third Law in action in our country once again, in political and social terms. In many respects, the election of Donald Trump as president last November is a reaction to the political and social climate of the previous four years. Many felt that the liberal border and immigration policy, the over emphasis on DEI (Diversity Equality Inclusion), and the ever expanding government, along with other policies, had gone too far. They felt Donald Trump would change the direction the country was heading. For many, it wasn’t so much that they liked Trump, it was they disliked the other side and their direction.

Well, there’s been change. You would almost say the change is almost directly the opposite of where they were previously. (Sounds like Newton’s Third Law to me.) Some would say that the changes are beyond the previous progressive policies. Could these present changes lead to permanent damage to our country? And if that’s the case, when and if things shift back the other way, (They almost always do.) will it lead to even more damage?

As a kid, I could really get that swing going high. I would keep going further and further to get as high as I could. A couple of time I was going so high that the poles holding the swing started coming out of the ground. Fortunately, the swings were well made and didn’t flip over. I quickly learned to back off and not swing so hard.

Our country has a firm foundation. Over the past almost 250 years, it has handled the back and forth of its people. It even survived the Civil War. Like the poles of a swing are often buried in cement, the foundation of the United States is firmly set in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. If we ignore or disregard it, things could get shaky real fast.

Like I had to learn as a kid, maybe it’s time for us to back off and not get carried away swinging and getting out of control. Maybe it’s time to start ignoring those who are always encouraging us to get carried away and out of control.

We have a good swing, a solid swing. Let’s keep it that way.