Born in 1972 I’ve come to realize that I was parented in a world not based upon facts but based upon a hopeful, non-existent reality. The past week of American history serves as a warning beacon for future generations. The potential of a democracy founded upon the separation of church and state appears at the least shaken if not irreparably broken.
As a white male I wonder if I should “stay out” of issues like a female’s autonomy over her own body. I’m then quickly reminded that I am a father of a female and in a life-long partnership with a female. I’m concerned I don’t truly understand the complexities of these issues but will keep listening and learning. Surely I should be saying AND doing something, but what? The most direct route to supporting the awesome female’s in my life is to serve as a positive influence 1) among family and friends and 2) in other settings where I have creative or professional influence. I fear it won’t be enough, I fear my voice isn’t helpful enough or might be discounted as I’m not part of an impacted group of America. I must do something. Now what?
Ironically, we’ve been rewatching the television show Mad Men and were almost finished when the latest Supreme Court news began coming out last week. How fascinating that a percentage of Americans considers the 1950s and 1960s as the “golden years”. These decades were far from it. They were a time of reckoning for very different parts of our population. Violence from all sides, less listening, murders of the most proud supportive voices (inevitably carried out by white, heterosexual males), more shouting, deeper separation, the beginnings of unraveling systemic oppression and discrimination against any human who wasn’t a white, heterosexual male. Now what?
Times like these call for more than clever meme’s intended to educate, equip, or tear-down other humans who don’t carry one’s own beliefs. What good does it serve if I repost or create clever memes and post them to my gigantic following of less than a hundred people on social media? Now what?
My Mother was full of simple, powerful wisdom even at a young age. I recall asking my Mother deep questions about love and human rights. I was challenged to match those up with the politics of it all. How have caring Americans become obsessed with the idea that for others to be given rights or opportunities that it lessens your own? How have caring Americans sacrificed their own morality to support anyone who will further their own political agenda, regardless of that persons past or attitudes towards the least of these? How have caring Americans become obsessed with their fear of others that they care less about defenseless children in school than with what someone states away might be consensually doing with another human in the privacy of their own home?
My parent’s generation had many racists and sexists who also knowingly subjected my generation to non-stop cancer-causing fumes while regularly oppressing anyone not like them and silently supported the sexual misbehavior of their brothers in arms. While I was fortunate to mature in a home with more progressive thoughts, I’m disappointed in their generation and embarrassed by much of they did and said (mostly what they DID NOT do or say). Their parents generation were the children of many who literally were born out of (and often supported) the ownership of humans who didn’t have their color skin and traded them like animals. Who are these people? How have caring Americans become obsessed with recreating those tragedies? What about my own generation and our lack of action required in response to many tragedies? How different are we? Many of us were sent to a far away land to fight humans who didn’t have our skin color because someone much older and whiter than us said they could hurt us if we didn’t do something. How are we any different than our parents?Perhaps we think it’s enough to share our thoughts and prayers and turn ESPN back on the TV and open our Facebook app so that we can either find more people that think like us and mock anyone who doesn’t.
My current thoughts are full of questions with few answers on the horizon. I’m saving the toughest questions for last:
What makes America “American”? Can I truly be proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free (unless I’m not a white, heterosexual male)? Current answer - I don’t know.
Why are some of us so afraid of differing opinion? Current answer - I don’t know.
Where did this belief come from that for others to obtain rights it some how lessens my own? Current answer - I don’t know.
Who nominated white, 20th century Christianity as the defacto governmental authority in America? Current answer - I don’t know. As a life-long fan of Jesus of Nazareth I’m perplexed and guessing He would be too.
Questions aren’t enough, I realize. This past week has left me with few answers but I’m listening and pledge to do more than repost memes.
Now what?
