The elephant (& donkey) in the room

Rusty Gloor Social Security Matters

“Elephants” and “donkeys” — our leaders — are often politically gathered at some point to make decisions for their nation, states, regions, cities, or communities. Each party represents their voting parties according to the best interest of the majority of their supporters.

You know this, but the donkey is the symbol of the Democratic party, and the elephant represents the Republican party.

Ironically the Republican elephant is a symbol of strength, which might have some people questioning the strength of the Republicans when it is time to address challenging issues. They are known for avoiding the “elephant in the room.” Do they not recognize their own? And why do some Democrats act like blind jackasses?

Everyone has heard these questions — What is the elephant in the room? Does anybody see the pink elephant in the room? Why is the elephant in the room being ignored?

The response to these few questions is simple: no one wants to be “that person,” and of course if you are in the room seeing the elephant in the room — which is a metaphor for the question — meaning a controversial topic, issue, question, or obvious situation that everyone knows about but no one mentions or wants to discuss. Why? Because it makes some people uncomfortable, accountable for failing to act and can or will be personally, socially, or politically embarrassing and can also trigger different emotions for individuals or groups.

In other words, elephants are the largest living

See HOLLIMAN, page A6 HOLLIMAN

From page A4

animals walking on earth, at 13 feet tall weighing up to 15,000 pounds or larger, they can destroy anything. So how can something as huge as an elephant appear to be overlooked? It is simple — society has codified the opportunity to control the social interactions in certain environments to intentionally avoid creating an uncomfortable environment for uncomfortable conversations, which can be viewed as another form of sociol or psychological repression being continuously supported and practiced on the macro scale in today’s time.

The word “elephant” suggests that the issue or problem is so big and heavy that no one wants to confront it. However, because of their size, it takes up space, energy, time, and productivity. The phrase “in the room” suggests that the issue is so large that no one can help but notice it. Since it is in the middle of the room, it means that people have purposely avoided it, walked around it, and pretended it is not there rather than deal with it. Silence is a form of acceptance if the elephant is not acknowledged, then it safe to assume that the elephant does not exist. Because some states, regions, cities, and communities have systemized its own elephant in the room no one is allowed to acknowledge it or talk about it. This is where voters should hold their elected officials accountable for having the courage and strength to express concerns about human rights and ensuring laws are created to support having a quality life.

It is a fact that baby elephants will grow and get bigger over time. So, ignoring the elephants does not make them go away. In fact, once they have found a room they tend to stay in it for a long time. It is certain that having “elephants in the room” is demotivating to anyone that may be affected negatively by a situation or topic needed to be discussed and the only way to move the elephant will be to have a meaningful conversation in that room.

Elected leaders whether they are the donkey or the elephant should always be able to address the elephant in the room. Elected leaders need to always find the time to introduce the elephant to make it real and be sensitive of emotions because humans no matter race, gender, or age share different perceptions, and should have their matters of the heart acknowledged.

If you are ever in a room with people and an elephant, at least ask, “Do you see that elephant?”

Sherry Holliman is a citizen of Crittenden County and has some views on a variety of topics that she wants to share with her neighbors. She previously served on the Marion City Council.