history

Umpteenth

Juneteenth 

is a reminder

not just 

of the commemoration

of the Emancipation

Proclamation,

ending slavery

at the end

of The Confederacy,

but

of African

American

History

itself.

The first

Juneteenth

ended the horror

and sought

to honor

the new freedom

from enslavement.

But derangement

followed

as Jim Crow

swallowed

The South.

The Great Migration

still meant

segregation

for decades

until Civil Rights

advocates

political, 

social,

educational,

and economic

freedoms

as whites

had always 

had.

The attention

to celebration

of the Emancipation

Proclamation

was not

yet seen

on the American

scene

as an American

holiday

for the country.

Willfull

ignorance

maintains

intolerance,

though

we like

to maintain

the pretense

of innocence.

Black history

is not 

just February

or Kwanzaa

or MLK

Day.

The 1619

Project

is not

about 

white

feelings.

Diversity.

Equity.

Inclusion.

These are

now regarded

by some

as the exclusion

of fairness

in the world

of white

expectation.

The critics

of Critical

Race Theory

have a different

theory

than the actuality

of CRT.

Who stole

history

from whom?

The American

womb

gave birth 

twice;

birthdays

we now

celebrate:

July 4th

and Juneteenth,

both days

of observance

of independence.

We still

struggle

with freedom,

racism,

and even

imperialism.

Juneteenth’s

immediacy

connects

the history

to today

in a way

that few 

other 

observances

do.

So observe

and celebrate

this date

with no

number,

and stay

awake

to the umpteenth

number

of ways

in which

distortions

and lies

compromise

all of us.

History Buffed

I’m surprised he didn’t say Michael Jackson. Or Janet Jackson. Or Jermaine Jackson. Or even Glenda Jackson.

In an interview yesterday, POTUS Trump wondered why the Civil War wasn’t “worked out” and suggested that Andrew Jackson, who died 16 years before the war started, could have prevented the most horrific war in U.S. History. Oh, and he neglected to mention the word slavery, among any other facts.

The POTUS Trump’s ignorance is staggering, and his ability to “tell it like it is” is actually a pathetic display of what little ability he has to speak beyond childish simple phrases (albeit with unwarranted arrogance instead of naïveté). This is not merely about not being a great speaker, (which he thinks he is). This is about inadequacy, incompetence, indifference, and idiocy.

This is real news, (and yet, is this really news?), and real history. The POTUS is about making history, and The POTUS TRUMP is all about being an historic figure (although, he will probably remain historic for all the wrong reasons). I never expected any POTUS to be an historian, but I do expect presidential candidates, much less THE POTUS, to be real students of History.

But this POTUS is always distracted and seeks bright, shiny objects (and “Strongmen” where he has business interests). And where luster begins to fade (in his case, knowledge and ability), he buffs it up. Of course any kid who has ever taken an AP U.S. History exam knows, the causes of the Civil War is an essential question/prompt. Actually, every child learns about the causes of the Civil War in elementary school, before tackling the complexities of the conditions preceding the war in more sophisticated high school history classes. This POTUS really is like the Emperor With No Clothes. He is in the buff. He’s no history buff; just nakedly foolish and impetuous, caring only about enriching himself and his family, while feigning Populism.

How many history buffs will be created as a result of this latest ridiculousness? I hope many. What has happened here, and is happening around the world, is an obliviousness to History’s lessons. Those who rightfully feel like Democracy is not delivering fast enough, or the downsides of Globalism and Immigration, as well as technological advances that render many jobs obsolete, have reason to be frustrated and concerned. Legitimate concerns need not deligitimize all of reality, including institutions and forces that have many dimensions, and understanding actual trajectories and consequences, rather than fantasies.  This POTUS and others who claim a similar “Populist”/nativist appeal like to think that their personal histories are the most important, and that problems need not be complex. It’s so simple. Just ask the history buffs.

Breaking the Sound Barrier

Is this the Second Summer of Love? Almost two weeks ago, a few days before the summer solstice, we were once again startled by a sickening massacre of innocents—this time in a church. Even more startling, perhaps, was the forgiveness bestowed upon the gunman a day later by the families of the slain victims. Many of us didn’t realize we had barriers to forgiveness until hearing of their incredible mercy. It was extraordinary!

That same day, Marc Maron interviewed President Obama on Maron’s WTF podcast. This was a first for any President. Those who listened to it on Monday June 22nd when it was released, were treated to an historic conversation not only because it was unprecedented (unintended pun), but because it was amazing!

The President and Maron had an easy conversation about difficult things, especially the excruciating massacre in Charleston, and the seemingly unbreakable hold that racism has on our culture. Obama spoke thoughtfully without seeming to have to think. We could hear what sounded like a natural conversation—unscripted, although the ideas seem to have been developed.

News outlets and the rest of media, social and anti-social, took a sound bite from the conversation and attempted to create an issue over the scariest sound heard in America—the N-word. Of course when I listened to the podcast, I listened in its entirety, and the barrier that I heard broken was not that the N-word was uttered, or that it was said in a complete sentence without emphasis, or that it was vocalized by the President. The barrier that was broken, was that the President said what needed to be said in a way that could be heard (if one were actually listening). Being polite about not using the N-word is not the same as the end of racism in America. BOOM!

That same day, Nikki Haley, Conservative Republican Governor of South Carolina, made a moving speech calling for the removal of the Confederate Flag from government property. She was emotional and compassionate and her voice has led others to follow in removing the Confederate Flag from government properties. She acknowledged that the flag has been regarded as a symbol of hate and oppression. Music to our ears!

Later in the week, enormous barriers were broken as The Supreme Court ruled to uphold Obamacare, allowing millions more access to health insurance. More work needs to be done to ensure and insure affordable health care, but the Affordable Care Act was solidified as a start. And just as the sighs of relief were exhaled, the Supreme Court legalized Same Sex Marriage in all 50 states. Love is winning!

While these Supreme Court decisions are historic, something else happened on Friday, the same day Same-Sex Marriage became the law of the land, and it was momentous. President Obama gave the eulogy for the reverend Clementa Pinckney who was gunned down the previous week at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. After what was arguably one of Obama’s greatest speeches (which is saying quite a lot), he startled the mourners there as well as the rest of us. He broke into song. He did not perform as a troubadour or soloist, but he did start solo. Some were audibly startled and one could hear some nervous laughter at first . His voice broke a barrier. The President sang Amazing Grace.

There is something about singing that breaks barriers. We are unguarded when we sing; we just use what we have. I think that’s what was initially startling when the President began to sing. It was outside of the categories that we are used to. But he was quickly joined in song.

The rapid succession of historic moments that seemed to break barriers over the last couple of weeks felt remarkable. Undoubtedly, many will continue to feel threatened by such changes and will continue to sound off. But calling discrimination, freedom won’t work. Attempting to disguise the sounds and symbols of hate won’t work. They have been barriers to living fully in America. We have always become better when we have broken barriers to participation. In what has felt like an unheard of couple of weeks, we are in an historic moment, that sounds pretty great.

Where Goes the Neighborhood?

It’s hard to beat Rodney Dangerfield’s epitaph: There goes the neighborhood. He took his self-deprecating humor with him all the way to the grave.

Of course, neighborhoods are for the living. While the thought of a cemetery as a neighborhood is rather humorous, the thought of a neighborhood becoming a cemetery is harrowing.

Neighborhoods without “neighborliness” are perilous. Neighbors are people in communities in close proximity to another set of people, but being neighborly implies friendly attitudes and behavior; or at the very least, not destructive attitudes and behavior.  The shortened slang term for neighborhood, “hood”, emerged from violent inner city areas. Dropping the “neighbor” from “neighborhood” implied much more than an abbreviation.

For the past few weeks, we have been following horrific crises caused by violence in Ukraine, the Middle East (ISIS, as well as the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, “Operation Protective Edge”), and in our own hemisphere, kids fleeing Central America on deadly journeys hoping to reach safety and their parents in the USA. These crises have been building for some time, but the unbearable circumstances causing the current crises seem too overwhelming to fathom, much less resolve adequately.

The horrors in all these crises are devastating, and the conflicts seem intractable. Hoodlums have military grade weapons and local power. Those neighborhoods are fast becoming cemeteries. While I am grateful to be living in a peaceful neighborhood far from these crises, it is still immensely disconcerting to consider the prevalence of terror and violence and disregard for humanity.

Most of us, however, teach our children to be good neighbors; to show respect and caring. We teach our children to extend this respect to others. “Neighbor” becomes a concept beyond proximity. We seek acceptance and friendship, or at least cooperation.Being a neighbor is not a unilateral proposition. Being a neighbor necessitates co-existence.

History has been fraught with violent conflicts between peoples, borders, nations, states, drug lords, territories, ideologies, and various sub-categories. History has also been made by neighbors; building communities, and rebuilding them after destruction.

A cemetery is not a neighborhood. Neighborhoods are for living–built and maintained by people committed to law and order, allowing for freedom from oppression and maintaining peaceful co-existence. It is distressing and sometimes paralyzing to watch as terrorists,tyrants and all sorts of thugs turn neighborhoods into cemeteries. Neighborhoods require care and attention. We must insist that leaders dismantle the political, organizational and military machinery that oppresses and violently destroys lives. While the neighborhood watch continues, we must also regard not just where we live, but how we live. How can we ensure peace, freedom and security for our children and for our neighbors’ children? They are never really that far away.

 

 

The Strike Zone

Friday, August 30, 2013:  Two months shy of The World Series, and two days shy of Labor Day, I woke up feeling as though we are in the strike zone.

 

This week, fast food workers across the country staged a strike demanding a $15.00/hour wage and the right to form a union. Numerous cities have been affected by this strike, and the media–national news coverage and social media, have been effective in covering the story as well as fueling the movement.  What is a living wage? This strike is striking our national conscience.

 

Another event this week also struck our national conscience when we commemorated the 50th anniversary of The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. There was much that was striking about marking that historical moment (with another historical moment). I was utterly dumbstruck that what I had assumed was an apolitical, unifying moment had only Democrats speaking. Were Republicans on strike? The absence of Republican speakers was absolutely striking.

 

Then there was (is) the matter of Syria. Chemical weapons. Horrifying images. Where do we stand? Should we strike? If so, how should we strike? Then what? Is the U.S. merely striking a pose, or striking while the iron’s hot? President Obama usually tries to strike a balance. This time, though, the thought of more military engagement in the Middle East seems to have struck a chord on the left and the right. There is tremendous fear that we will strike out, and that we will suffer unintended consequences from our strike.

 

“Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true.”

Honore de Balzac

 

How does that strike you?

 

 

If Memory Serves….

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day, celebrated today, the last Monday in May, is observed in remembrance of those who died in service to our country. More accurately, Memorial Day is a national holiday recognizing military personnel who died during war. For many, the memorial aspect is secondary to the barbeques  and pool openings and retail bargains and the unofficial commencement of summer. For others, Memorial Day is about patriotism. For them it is literally about their loved ones being wrapped in the flag.

Decoration Day was initially a day set aside to place flowers or other decorations on the graves of Civil War soldiers. It was not a national holiday at the outset, and Northern states observed Decoration Day on a different day from Southern states. After WW1, the nation as a whole began to commemorate soldiers who died in war, and Memorial Day has become a tragic tradition that unites us in loss, as so many have died in so many wars,with the expectation that there will always be more.

Unlike the Civil War, or even the World Wars , Korea and Vietnam, today the country acknowledges those lost in wars, but many citizens have not experienced the loss personally. Military families are no longer all families. But service should be in all families. Whether or not it is military service, perhaps we can use this Memorial Day to consider service in its myriad possibilities for bettering our communities and our country.

Many people give their lives to service. They may not lose their lives to service, but find that in serving others, they are creating better communities. We need to consider these acts of national pride as well. In addition to military personnel, police and firefighters have chosen careers that put themselves in harm’s way in service to our communities. We should remember them. We should acknowledge them. We should be more connected to those members in our communities who service us. Teachers service us. No, they do not risk life or limb except in unusual circumstances, but the choice to teach kids is in service to our communities and to our nation. We have begun to encourage young people to serve–not just militarily, but in numerous ways in their communities. This Memorial Day, as some decorate graves of fallen soldiers, and others fire up the grill, let us consider the prospect that the term servicemen or servicewomen need not be limited to the military. If memory serves, then let us all be servicemen and servicewomen. Let us give more of our lives without losing them to violence in the name of freedom.

reality shows

Reality shows us unimaginable forces. Tornados violently devastating towns, leveling neighborhoods for miles; teachers sheltering children from savage storms and at other times, from deranged  murderers; first responders rushing to save and assist victims; caregivers everywhere attending to needs great and small; love among family members and friends…..These are the images of reality that are continuously shown on our screens in the aftermath of dramatic events. They may be gripping events, and often seem unprecedented, yet it is the reality of the human responses that grips us. We may not know or understand all the facts that contribute to such absorbing incidents, but we have immediate and visceral responses to them. Sometimes those experiences are overwhelming or maddening, but often they are invitations to examine ourselves.

These events become the stuff of history, and therefore lessons. The truths of these events– the forces preceding the events and the forces of the events, as well as the aftermath, become the stuff of art.  In the meantime, we watch and listen to images of reality that force us to imagine what we would be; what we could be; what we should be.

On days like today, reality shows us the art of living.

Drawing Lessons

Sighs of relief. Jubilance. Gratitude and admiration for the excellence of first responders, medical personnel, citizens, neighbors, law enforcement at every level. It was an incredibly tumultuous and horrifying week that commenced with the Boston Marathon bombings, and culminated with the lockdown of Boston and the dramatic shootout and apprehension of the suspects,one dead, one wounded. Bostonians are able to resume their everyday lives, while all of us exhale and begin to consider what comes next.

Like any crisis, initial reactions can be visceral and harsh. When witnessing two young men, seemingly indifferent to human life, commit such horrifying acts, it is easy to want to exact revenge. Personally, I was thrilled that the younger brother was captured alive, and I hope that he will be able to provide actionable information. When many people reacted that they hoped he would die and/or suffer terribly, I thought about how incredibly difficult and rare it is to capture a terrorist or other violent criminal and not harm the perpetrator.

It reminds me of a truly remarkable historical event: the Israeli capture of Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires in 1960. That the Israelis were able to capture Eichmann and bring him to Jerusalem to stand trial for crimes against humanity as one of the organizers of The Holocaust, while many were recent survivors, is one of the most stunning examples of the capacity for human restraint and moral fortitude in the pursuit of justice. This is a lesson for humanity for the ages.

As we begin to seek answers to how the two Tsarnaev brothers became terrorists and what connections they may have had, much less how to deal with the surviving brother, I think it is also useful to consider lessons on drawing. We have been focusing thus far on “connecting the dots”, which of course gives us lines (or connecting line segments). We have photographic images, and other data that will help authorities connect the dots. When we draw, we sharpen our attention, and look for structure and proportion as well as various perspectives. Perhaps there is shading. Drawing is a process of refinement.

Drawing is not the same as form; it is a way of seeing form. (Edgar Degas)

The very act of drawing an object, however badly, swiftly takes the drawer from a woolly sense of what the object looks like to a precise awareness of its component parts and particularities. (Alain de Botton)

It is often said that Leonardo drew so well because he knew about things; it is truer to say that he knew about things because he drew so well. (Sir Kenneth Clark)

The mindset of drawing is one that is often cast aside, in favor of immediate images and instantaneous reaction. Drawing lessons may be as valuable as crowdsourced images though, if we are to enhance our understanding and possibilities for learning and improving.

The Return of Mad Men

Waxing nostalgic? Thinking about those bad boys from what seems like an entirely different culture? Well, this week takes us out of our comfort zones, as we consider how we will deal with the young Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim-Jong-un, after news reports of his seeking to instill fear in South Korea and the US, with intimations of nuclear weaponry and potential attacks. While listening to a news program on NPR today, one of the esteemed guests was asked if this meant that Iran was no longer our greatest nuclear threat. The guest replied that now North Korea is a more urgent nuclear threat. There was not much consolation in that response. I’m so glad that Dennis Rodman recently took a jaunt to hang with Kim Jong-un; a guy he seemed to get along with quite well. That should have put us on alert before this week!

Of course throughout history there have been numerous mad men. The kinder term in modern politics has been strong men–men who lead authoritarian regimes who claim to create a new nation, while oppressing, and /or murdering en masse, citizens and other innocents.  The old cartoons (and for our younger viewers of The Austin Powers series), these Boris Badinoff, Lex Luthor, The Joker, Dr. Evil….etc…. are ridiculous and comical. Hitler, Stalin,Ceausescu, Pol Pot,Pinochet, Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden….just to name a few… There are so many more to name just in the last 50 years.The list really starts from the beginning of time, and continues on past today.

These despots are of a particular category of mad men. There are also the Adam Lanzas and the James Eagan Holmes types,who are unstable and well armed, and open fire on innocent people. They are indeed dangerous to society, but at least are not in positions of political power.

This week also marked the 45th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He was a man with a vision of racial equality achieved through non-violent civil disobedience  who was gunned down. While we remember with heavy hearts,and continue to  extend civil rights to all, we must also remember that MLK Jr. was considered a threat by J Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI . Who were the real mad men?

The uptick in inflammatory rhetoric this week, emanating from the cloistered nation of North Korea’s media, is threatening and a bit confusing. It is difficult to discern what’s possible in this situation. While there are many in this country who offend other’s political opinions (and sensibilities), we must be vigilant in distinguishing agitators from true mad men. Violence and threats of violence must always be taken seriously, while strengthening  democracy through non-violent means and expanding civil rights must always be championed.

Boy, am I looking forward to starting the week off with Don Draper and Roger Sterling!