I haven’t written for the Mess & Clutter for five years.
Why now? One can post directly on Facebook, but Facebook is so Facebookish, I don’t want it as my host.
One of my children is a teacher in Washington DC. Zo is immersed in the life of her region, the dreams of her students, and examines—with a more inside eye than I have—the degree to which the Pursuit of Happiness is within the reach of her friends and neighbors.
This morning I got a report “from the front” so to speak. By which I mean, The atmosphere at a peaceful rally for fair policing.
Not that Zo’s report differs from what we see on tv news or Youtube clips. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen so much gestomping or storm-trooping in my real life lifetime than has become popular under flaccid but rhetoric-fueled hand of the 45th occupant of the Oval Office.
There seem to be no parts or pieces of the 1st Amendment that the current administration appears to appreciate. The right to assemble peaceably and petition for redress may be 45s un-favoritest, and the goobers with whom he’s surrounded himself are pretty peachy on the liberal deployment of flash-bangers, tear-gas, and oppressive cops who could easily be exchanged for the Cybermen of Doctor Who.
Ok, now I’m speaking to my peers. My fellow people hiding their grey hair. (I’m not, actually.) I know you want peace and happiness, and shopping at Kohl’s. Me too.
Do you think there’s ever been an underclass that didn’t push back? Yeah? No. Check out this Henry Louis Gates article on slave uprisings in American History. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/did-african-american-slaves-rebel/
The funny and quaint thing to think about, is how—at the time these events occurred—there were “many fine people” (to use a trumpish phrase,) who viewed them as terribly disruptive to their tranquil sense of comfort as they went about their shopping at whatever predated Kohl’s. I’m sure it was very awkward to be planning a tea, and hear that the slaves in the next town were burning down barns. I bet you would have wished things would just settle down.
I can’t do a meaningful exposition, right here and now, about how uneven, and full of land mines, the playing field has been for minorities in the U.S. since we finally outlawed enslavement. But it’s a valuable and essential course of study! Ask me if you’d like suggestions for study material!
Are you ready to show support where support is needed? Vote for fair-minded leaders? Or just go to Kohl’s. Things WILL settle down again. ish. For a time.
2 comments:
We don't have Kohl's in Wyoming. I'm more of a Cabelas guy, anyway. But we do have minorities. I teach a lot of them and I am friends with a few, and I have long been trying to understand how I, as a relatively prosperous white guy, can even get my head around their various situations, let alone do anything about it. I think maybe the two aren't that far apart. I generally want my friends to understand where I'm coming from (even if it isn't where they're coming from). I want them to find common ground that we can enjoy together. To be honest with me, help me out when I need it, and let me do the same for them.
Sometimes I think this whole thing isn't about being ashamed of my white privilege, or getting on some quixotic quest to change a system over which I have absolutely no control (and to which I feel very little responsibility or even connection), or feeling guilty about the crimes of my ancestors. Nor is it about ignoring the problems, or pretending to be color-blind, or shopping at Kohl's (or Cabelas) and hoping it all goes away. I sure as heck hope it isn't about fully understanding any or all of the above.
Sometimes I think that this whole thing is about trying to understand where people are coming from, even if it isn't where I'm coming from. It's about finding common ground to enjoy with people who are different than me. It's about being honest and allowing others to do the same. It's about helping out when I see someone who needs it, and allowing them to do the same for me. Those are things I can do.
Thanks Tom. Although I have no idea when you posted this reply. I was really checking in to find an old post, then I realized I actually made this post in June! I forgot that I did! I was actually wondering whether I could still write, and experiencing some concern about my attention span, which is about...12 seconds, these days.
I agree. Just listening, and acknowledging that one's narrow life experiences are generally quite limited, would cover a lot of the ground that needs covering.
Post a Comment