Sean C. Capparuccia
Sept. 4, 2024
An immigrant to America, believing he should vote in the upcoming election sought the Teacher for advice. When he found the Teacher, he asked, “Teacher, I know you are a learned man who understands the ways of this great country where I have come. For whom should I vote?” The Teacher answered,
“There was a young man. He was a decent young man although he had come from a dysfunctional home. His father was sometimes abusive and his mother, also the subject of emotional abuse from her husband, was mostly negligent of her children. She just didn’t have it in her to care for them like she wanted to. But this young man, upon coming of age, left his house as soon as he could to go make it on his own elsewhere.
He soon met a young woman; very beautiful and intelligent and he felt that together they would be very happy. But she, too, was in a dysfunctional situation. Her parents weren’t abusive as his were, but after a long marriage they divorced over irreconcilable differences. She split her time between her mother and father.
Her father was what some might call ‘strict.’ Not abusive, mind you, just more settled in his convictions. He had a strong sense of right and wrong; a traditional work ethic; and believed that human rights came from God. He watched his money and may have been what others call ‘frugal.’ He didn’t spend much on frivolous things but invested in things that would last – like their home, and he gave to the church and helped people when they were in need. He believed in helping people to help themselves, not simply throwing money at them which, he felt, kept them in their poverty.
Her mother was almost the polar opposite. She appeared to be easy-going about things, but in reality, she enjoyed control so that things would always turn out in her favor. And she was also a spend-thrift. She was always buying the newest car, or latest gadget. She believed strongly in “convenience” even though what was convenient was not always very efficient. She, too, gave money away but it was usually to people who would later help her. In a sense, it was more like loaning people money. So really, the people she “helped” were not helped, but kept in need in the long run. When she found herself almost bankrupt, she would take money from her children’s savings accounts to bail herself out, which always got everyone riled up for a while.
The father was always very concerned for the young woman. He wanted the best for her – for her present and for her future. He wanted her to be careful not to throw herself away and be hurt. The mother, well of course she cared for the girl, but her idea of concern was control over how she appeared to others. In reality, she really did not care for the girl as a young woman who had a mind and feelings and a future. The girl’s dignity was not an inherent quality, but was dependent upon whatever her mother felt at a certain time. Nevertheless, when with mom, the girl felt like she could do what she wanted, even if she did things that would hurt her later. She just learned to keep her feelings to herself.
Eventually the young man and the young woman decided that they wanted to marry but would have to live with either the girl’s father or with her mother. It was a tough decision to begin with. The mother’s house would be a bit more like his own upbringing so at least he understood that. She seemed a bit more hands-off even if she was more selfish; there was what seemed to be more freedom but it came at a cost. He felt that with her he could probably get away with being more lazy and he might get away with even more. It seemed like a good idea, but it also seemed a bit unstable. The young man wasn’t sure how long the good times would last or just when these parents might turn on them. Then it would get bad.
If they chose to live with her father, things would be more stable but he also knew he’d have to be hard-working man. He would expect him to do his share and also be committed to care for and love their daughter. But he also knew it would be more stable in the long-run even if he had to work harder and put more thought into his new life.
It was indeed a tough decision but eventually the young man decided that if he was going to have a long and stable relationship with this young woman, one that would pay off more in the future, they had better live under the roof of her father. He proved to be the more sensible and stalwart of the two.”
The young man answered, “Teacher, that is a lot to take in. I think I understand, but how do you explain its meaning?”
“Here is the meaning of the parable. The young woman represents America; her people. The father is the Republican party and the mother is the Democrat party. Both used to love each other but they grew apart as their ideologies diverged. The father came to realize that the traditions of old were not only sensible but lasting. The mother got tired of the way things were and went off wanting to try new things, things that often proved not only unsensible but disastrous. The young man is an immigrant from a Socialist nation who wants something better for himself and his family. He came to America because it promised great things for him but now he must decide between a Republican-led government or a Democrat-led one. The Democrats appear to promise him freedom and money-for-nothing. The Republicans appear to be more guarding of their country and have higher expectations. Eventually the immigrant decides that the Democrat-led government will eventually look a lot like the country he came from and he certainly didn’t want that. He decided that he’s going to support the Republicans and do his part to make his new country better for himself and everyone else and not regret coming to this great land.
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