Let’s hope the shared experience of the eclipse is a portent of something good

In a time when unity of country is missing more than ever, Nature delivered on Monday a unifying spectacle beyond the control of politics; an event that gave us the space to just be us. As I listened to the National Public Radio broadcasts from cities in the solar eclipses' "zone of totality" (gotta love how it sounds like a place in your head), I heard people speak about the simple pleasure of joining a mixture of Americans to do something as simple as watch the sky through fun-looking glasses.  Take a look at the photos. You'll see stadiums across the country filled with Latinos, African-Americans, Muslims, and Christians, people of all faiths and colors, coming together to peacefully share a celestial event. I wish I could've been there in the zone of totality to have shared the moment of awe.

Nonetheless, I am thankful for the images and the accounts.  Eclipses have historically been viewed as omens that bring about death and destruction. The ancient Chinese and the Babylonians believed that solar eclipses were bad omens for kings and rulers. The Greeks, however believed in eclipses as peacemakers. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, a solar eclipse in 585 BCE stopped the war between the Lydians and the Medes, who saw the dark skies as a sign to make peace with each other. The eclipse even helped prove Einstein's theory of relativity. In other words, eclipses can lead to something good.

[Americans cheer as total solar eclipse marches across country]

To have the solar eclipse come right after the gaping wound created by President Trump's moral failure on Charlottesville is such sweet synchronicity.  Synchronicity is one of my favorite concepts.  First introduced by analytical psychologist Carl Jung, it holds that events are "meaningful coincidences" if they occur with no causal relationship yet seem to be meaningfully related. History teaches us that civic affairs and eclipses are often associated. Usually the political event, such as seeking to overthrow the king, followed the observance of an eclipse.  Here the eclipse followed last week's implosion of Donald Trump's incompetent presidency.

Could this eclipse be a sign of something good to come? Maybe it is mere coincidence? Maybe it's part of a path forward. In any event, I know that the country's path forward must be set by the leadership of the Republican Party. They must decide if they want to be the party of Lincoln or the party of Trump.  They cannot be both.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and other Republican leaders have expressed outrage at President's Trump defense of the white supremacists' violent role in Charlottesville. Sen. Hatch tweeted, "We should call evil by its name. My brother didn't give his life fighting Hitler for Nazis ideas to go unchallenged here at home."

[Mesmerized by the solar eclipse? If you live in Alaska, probably not]

Sen. Hatch's words are strong, but Republicans' rejection of racism, Nazism, and white supremacist views that roiled Charlottesville must become a turning point. Words of condemnation must equate to Congressional action by the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. We all know that in President Trump's version of reality, the emperor has no clothes on. With his "many sides" comments about Charlottesville, the cloaks of political spin were completely removed, and we saw the President for who he really is – defending white supremacists.

How many times must President Abraham Lincoln turn over in his grave before the disconnect with President Trump becomes irreconcilable within the Republican Party? There are already rumblings that the line has been crossed, but we've seen the Republicans condemn Trump, then embrace him again, over and over.

Have we finally reached a turning point? Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennesee, told reporters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that he thinks there must be "radical changes" within the White House. "He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he's got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that," Corker added. Again, strong words, but Corker declined to elaborate on what he meant by "radical changes."

We don't need a solar eclipse to tell us that we are living through significant times, but sometimes we need a shared celestial experience to remind us of humanity's capacity to experience peace among ourselves. May this reminder of our better angels embolden our Republican leaders to make Charlottesville the turning point it so deserves to be.

Kate Troll is the author of "The Great Uncomformity: Reflections on Hope in an Imperiled World." She lives in Douglas and has more than 22 years of experience in fisheries, coastal management and energy policy. 

The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com.