By LEE BALLARD

A new friend asked me what I think of modern America.  Top of my mind went to the obvious – that I don’t like the “immediate gratification” that permeates our society today.

Then the other day I found myself using the same phrase to describe what Republicans in Raleigh have been doing.

The two aren’t the same of course – but then again, they are.

My generation understood that we couldn’t have everything we wanted because the family couldn’t’ afford it.  Men were bread-winners.  People saved to get things.

Then in the 1970s, things changed.  People began to ride the debt highway to stuff. Expectations went higher:  It was, “I want what I want, and I want it now!” 

New technologies ramped up the immediacy of gratification.  Cameras let us see the image immediately.  We can post something on Facebook (“we” doesn’t include me), and everybody we know is informed immediately.  And when they click “Like,” we feel the instant gratification of approval.

Feel – yes.  Emotions are big here.  We’re wired in our brain somewhere to want more of pleasant feelings.  We want more gratification, and we want it faster.  It’s human nature  today’s human nature anyway.

And the Republican Revolution in Raleigh is like that?  Oh, yes.  And it’s as ugly as credit card debt.

A key feature of immediate gratification is excess.  We want and get more than we need, things and experiences that AREN’T NECESSARY.

Bingo.  That’s what’s happened in Raleigh.

Everybody knew that change would come when Republicans took the General Assembly in 2010.  But NOBODY was ready for the earthquake-tsunami-tornado-hurricane-volcano that happened.

Republicans didn’t have to wait and be properly diligent before doing what they wanted to do.  They had the necessary majorities in both houses of the General Assembly, and they had the boilerplate legislation written by right-wing bill mills, especially the American Legislative Exchange Council. 

And they had an astounding confidence– or arrogance – that their ideological creed is right and proper, no matter the place and time.

Maybe I’m a man of my generation, or maybe I think too much, but I could never support ANYTHING until I’d studied all the implications of my action.  Republicans passed legislation that impacts everybody in North Carolina, and rarely was there debate.

And remember:  doing the unnecessary is a feature of immediate gratification.  Was it necessary for Republicans to smack down cities and towns like they did, snatching airports, water systems, annexation rights, even alcohol sales?  Was it necessary to smack down Medicaid recipients, the unemployed, public school teachers?  No, and worse, a lot of it has the nasty look of spite, even revenge.   

As for the emotion of instant gratification, North Carolina Republicans are getting “Likes,” too.  National conservatives are gushing.  And “Thankful Tuesday” was a small but enthusiastic thank-you to the GOP.  (Will somebody please tell these people that while “Moral Monday” is a nice alliteration, “Thankful Tuesday” isn’t.  “Thankful Thursday” would work, like “Thirsty Thursday” at the ballpark.)

And you know what they say about immediate gratification: the brain wants more of what it enjoys.  So look for more gratification in the next legislative session.

Then comes the 2014 election….

•

Lee Ballard lives in Mars Hill.