Fully Present Post 50

One thing that hasn’t changed about human nature is our capacity to inflict heinous acts of violence upon other human beings when sufficiently provoked. In the last few weeks, the world has once again witnessed the ruthless murders of innocent people, including children, by men whose hearts are filled with a level of hatred that unleashes unspeakable depravity. It makes my heart ache. And it makes me search for answers.

Like many people raised in the Christian church, I was taught to believe that the Jews are God’s chosen people and to believe that His promise to bless those who bless the children and Abraham and to curse those who curse them was real. Because of this, there are many in the U.S. who give unwavering support to Israel without question. Politically speaking, the U.S. has taken the stance of supporting Israel because it was a beacon of democracy in the middle east. These days, even that is questionable. Perhaps part of this unwavering support stems from the fact that we supported its establishment in Palestine in 1948. That set up, however, was flawed from its inception. I understand that the atrocities of WWII reinforced the 1917 Balfour Declaration to establish a Jewish nation as a safe haven for the Jewish people. However, we did it without regard for the Palestinians (Arabs) who along with a small population of Jews, had been occupying that land for hundreds of years. The promises to safeguard the civil and religious rights of the Palestinians was disregarded.

The world has silently stood by since 1948 as the Palestinians were systematically robbed of their land, their civil rights, and opportunities to prosper by the Israeli government. The Palestinian story is similar to that of the Native American story. In this country, Native Americans unsuccessfully resorted to terror tactics to try to stop the flow of white settlers who were encroaching on their land. Overpowered by numbers, greed, stronger fire power, and racist government policy, the Native Americans were killed in overwhelming numbers and the survivors who didn’t assimilate were removed to impoverished reservations.

What I observed along with the rest of the world was a violent (and inexcusable) terror attack motivated by broken promises, years of oppression, brutality, and desperation. It was a futile attack because, like the Native Americans, their actions have little chance of destroying Israel. However, their actions, including the taking of hostages, has turned the eyes of the world toward the plight of the Palestinian people and Israel’s role in provoking their desperate actions. Some continue to support Israel and blame Hamas, but their unwavering and uncritical support for Israel rings hollow these days.

My greatest fear is that Hamas has secured a death sentence for the innocent people they claim to lead. As expected, their terror is being met with overwhelming violence that will further devastate the Palestinians who are now doomed to mourn greater losses of life, livelihoods, and liberties. At least in the short-term. I’m hopeful for liberation in the long term.

As Israel seeks to root out Hamas terrorists who hide themselves among the Palestinian people, I become hopeful as many in the world, including President Biden, are warning the Israeli government against outright genocide. In the immediate aftermath of the terror attack, I heard Benjamin Netanyahu refer to the Palestinian people as “human animals”. Not Hamas, but the entirety of the population. I immediately recognized his demeanor as the same racist mindset that led to Native American genocide, and I understood why his government so easily oppresses and brutalizes the Palestinian people. Netanyahu’s immediate action to cut off food, water, and electricity to a population comprised of 50% children was ruthlessly cruel and many in the world recognized it as such.

If nothing else, the attack on Israel and Netanyahu’s immediate response, shined a light on the brutality of the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government. While people condemn the terrorism, they are also condemning the apartheid conditions that lead up to it, including Jews in New York who protested against the Zionist policies of the Israeli government that oppress the Palestinians.

It is not lost on me that the Jewish people who suffered so greatly under Hitler can turn around and mistreat the Palestinian people. I understand that Hamas cannot be bargained with because they continue to deny Israel’s right to exist. They have to go. However, once they are rooted out and destroyed, I believe the world must come together and impose a two-state solution that finally gives the Palestinians their own nation, complete with the freedom and human dignity they have deserved, but were denied, since the establishment of Israel.

These are serious times with serious outcomes at stake on serious issues. The opposition is stubborn and tough and often uninformed or badly misinformed. So, like everyone else who ventures into the battle, I’m exhausted. Between the political fighting within our country, two wars abroad, AI and pandemic concerns, inflation and natural disasters, I find myself needing to escape from the turmoil and angst caused by political battles that must be fought. Like any human, my mind and my emotions need a rest to maintain mental and physical health. And so, I take frequent breaks throughout the day so that I can continue to battle over the political direction of our country.

Since I’m retired, I no longer have a job to provide an automatic distraction. I have to find distractions from the difficult news reports that are presented 24/7. I know that the problem would be solved if I simply turned off the news, stopped watching documentaries, and stopped reading the newspaper. But for me, disengagement and denial feel like an abdication of my responsibility as a human being, a grandmother, and a citizen of this country. I have a responsibility to stay informed. I then I have a duty to use my freedom of speech and freedom of petition to engage in activities that I believe will help improve life for all of us. These days, I feel like I’m in a battle against nefarious characters who are greedy for wealth, fame, and power at the expense of everyone else. It’s an emotionally draining battle and I’m thankful that I’m not alone in fighting it. But I’ve noticed a drop in the number of people willing to engage any longer. Understandably, they are either discouraged, exhausted, or feeling helpless against the tide.

I’m finding that the only way to fight these emotions is to rest, get informed and then fight in small doses. I spend part of my day absorbing information from a variety of sources. Another part is spent engaging others through a variety of social media platforms, often taking part in contentious discussions. And I frequently take some time to email or write to lawmakers directly. Interspersed throughout these political activities, I take breaks to clear my mind and regain emotional strength.

Walking away from the emotionally charged political fray is something I do throughout the day. In the morning, after C-Span Washington Journal, I take a walk while listening to music and then do some gardening. Other distractions include chores like grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning house and personal grooming. I’ll spend time watching YouTube videos about BTS or enjoying K-dramas on Netflix. I read books. I play Backgammon or Spider Solidary on my phone. I have lengthy conversations with my kids and FaceTime with the grandkids. I go out to breakfast or lunch with my husband or a friend. I recently got into raising orchids as a new distraction. And today, after posting this blog, I’m going to the movie theater with a friend to see the Taylor Swift concert tour. While I dread wearing a mask for 2 1/2 hours, it is still a welcome break.

The fight to preserve our democratic republic is a serious one that requires our attention at the voting booth at the very least. I’ve chosen to do a bit more than just vote. I want to influence voters and elected officials as much as possible to do what I believe is the right thing on a variety of important issues. My tools are my words, my pen, and a few well-placed dollars from my checking account. Others attend protests, make speeches, have podcasts, post opposition interviews, sing political songs, act out scenarios, or post videos and visual arts. I admire all of these non-violent efforts that seek to reason with citizens and leaders.

I admit that the fight is exhausting. But each day, I remind myself of one phrase from a poem by Edgar Albert Guest called, “Don’t Quit”. It goes: “When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don’t you quit”.

Of the 195 countries in the world, some estimate that 72 percent are now under some measure of authoritarian rule and the number keeps growing. Most have fallen under authoritarian rule through carefully orchestrated elections undergirded by fearmongering, bigotry, and empty promises made by a particular party. These modern authoritarians learned their craft from Hitler, using mesmerizing bombastic speech and personal charisma in rallies to gain cult-like followings. Today, the same strategy is being implemented in the U.S. and we allow it to progress at our own peril.

The MAGA Republicans, led by Donald Trump take their tactical cues from Putin and Steve Bannon, a man who is determined to blow up our current government to establish a fascist one-party authoritarian rule like we observed in Germany. Labeling news outlets as fake, disparaging judges, criminalizing groups of people, and banning books are all in the playbook. And now we observed the ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy because he worked with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. This was just a start to bring the House under MAGA rule. They are floating Jim Jordan, a staunch Trump ally, as a candidate to become the next speaker. Like Trump, Jordan skirts the truth, detests democracy, and will halt any funds to help Ukraine in favor of helping Putin. It should be crystal clear that anyone who takes that job as speaker will be beholden to the MAGA agenda which at its core supports a conversion to fascist authoritarian rule.

Sadly, too many Americans know very little about our Constitution and how our form of government is designed to function and so they abdicate their duty to participate in it. I hear too many people claim that they aren’t interested in politics, completely devoid of an understanding that political outcomes deeply affect their lives and livelihoods. Too many Americans fail to follow fact-based news and are poisoned by lies, omissions, spins, and outright fearmongering. Others either fail to research candidates or they fail to vote altogether. Too many Americans take for granted the civil liberties we now enjoy and are stunned when basic rights are rolled back because the religious right now operates within our governing bodies.

While the religious right and white supremacists have joined hands in a determined quest to make this a “Christian” nation under white rule, too many mistakenly think of themselves as ultra patriots, draping themselves in the American flag and MAGA hats, attending rallies, and not fully understanding that MAGA Republicans actually seek the destruction of our democratic republic. Their ignorance makes them gullible pawns and when combined with the apathy of busy or distracted people, our country has become vulnerable to the threat of falling under fascist authoritarian rule.

There are markers of an authoritarian government that everyone should know and understand. First, authoritarian governments do not have free and fair elections. In 2020, MAGA Republican leadership showed that they are willing to steal elections by confusing citizens with false claims that a secure election (by all accounts) was stolen. In addition, both MAGA and moderate Republicans continue to work toward limiting the vote of minorities and young people by unlawful gerrymandering and voter suppression tactics. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy along with some MAGA Republicans in the House suggest raising the voting age to 25 to limit the youth vote. What follows are the remaining attributes of an authoritarian government.

The second attribute of an authoritarian government is a lack of accountability for the use of government finances. Third, citizens are severely limited in their ability to participate in the political process as the government no longer seeks their opinion nor approval for its actions. Forth, freedom of worship is limited to state sanctioned forms of worship, if any. Fifth, there is no freedom of speech to speak out against the government and violators are met with levels of punishment ranging from prison to death. Sixth, information and entertainment content are controlled and disseminated by government sanctioned media outlets. Seventh, laws are made absent the consent of the people. And finally, under fascist authoritarian rule, civil order is maintained through violence.

This should be frightening to every American who values a free press and their civil liberties, including a) due process, b) access to the ballot box, c) access to accurate information, d) freedom of expression in speech, art, media, and music, e) freedom of religion, f) freedom to choose your profession, and g) freedom to marry whom you love. All of these freedoms that we rely on are at stake if MAGA Republicans succeed in winning the 2024 election at the state and federal levels. We have already had our right to choose whether or not to give birth restricted. Books are being banned. History is being hidden or revised. Gun owners and militia groups, the enforcement wing of fascist authoritarian rule, are being encouraged and empowered. Transgender safety and access to healthcare is being restricted. Teachers are being censored and muzzled. Public education is being threatened with starvation of operating funds. Judges are being threatened. And Trump literally threatened to close certain news outlets if he wins.

Every American should understand that Republican concern about the nation’s debt is a ruse to hide their actual intention. Probably 99% of Americans have debt in the form of a mortgage, car payment, student loan, or credit card. The question is whether you take in adequate income to manage that debt, not the debt itself. The same is true of the government. Republicans continuously make the nation’s debt management more difficult by cutting taxes on the wealthiest corporations and individuals thereby starving the government of needed income. At the same time, they want to cut spending that is designed to enable tax collection, protect the border, defend democracies around the world, and invest in the lives of Americans. Pay attention to the programs they want to cut, and you will understand that poor schools will be unable to function, climate change will accelerate, and millions of Americans will be left begging on the streets or turning to crime to survive.

I believe that their ultimate aim is to greatly reduce both the poor and undocumented immigrants who are disproportionately black and brown people through poverty-imposed horrific outcomes (starvation, sickness, disease, drug overdose, and violence). Trump’s plan is to create financial desperation and then shoot shoplifters on the spot. He will throw due process out the window. Remember how he ruthlessly separated children from their parents at the border without bothering to keep track of them? He publicly endorses police brutality. He openly called General Millie a traitor who deserves death. He refuses to defend democracies around the world while praising authoritarian leaders. He verbally attacks the character and credibility of judges. And we just learned that he wanted to bomb Mexican drug cartels in Mexico and make it look like some other country did it. This is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. And because of our electoral college system, he has a real chance of winning in 2024.

Despite that, Republicans know that it is becoming increasingly difficult to win elections through the democratic process because their policies continue to favor corporations, the wealthy, and white heterosexual Christian males. They simply do not appeal to an increasingly multicultural American society who value individual civil liberties, social justice, and equal opportunity. As a result, MAGA Republicans are introducing a strategy to maintain power and wealth that includes abandoning the Constitution in favor of authoritarianism. Some traditional Republicans are against this, but they too, may not have a choice.

It’s time to pay attention and to spread the word about the seriousness of the situation. Be registered to vote and make sure those around you are ready to vote in 2024 to preserve our democratic republic and our civil liberties. If we fail at the ballot box, the country we were hoping for will slip through our hands without a shot being fired.

The news this week broadcasted multiple images of groups of young people of color storming into stores and running off with armloads of stolen goods. They’re hitting high end stores, the Target and Walmart stores, as well as small businesses. Not surprisingly, Target announced that it will close seven on its stores due to excessive theft. Others will likely exit these neighborhoods too, leaving residents with fewer places to shop, higher prices, and fewer job opportunities. Actions have consequences and so does inaction.

While I sympathize with this youthful response to a system that has deprived them of a level playing field in which to thrive economically, I think family members and community advocates need to inform the young people in those videos that making away with stolen merchandise to sell on the black market isn’t winning. The system that failed them remains rigged to lock them up for their crime and to further punish their community.

I know all about this rigged system. It became clear to me as a teenager that the system wasn’t built to advance women nor black and brown people. From denying access to the necessities like decent housing and good education, to withholding the building blocks of wealth that come through high-paying jobs and capital investment, to flooding the streets with drugs and alcohol, to the over-policing and harsher sentencing of black and brown people, and to the media images that negatively portray blackness to the extent that the world blames our poverty on our cultural flaws and not on ongoing oppression and lack of opportunity. The reality is that poverty, generational trauma, and lack of opportunity inevitably lead to crime fueled by frustration, anger, desperation, need, drug abuse, and untreated mental health issues.

The Civil Rights Movement was a beacon of hope. However, I can point to how things really turned south after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. I felt that loss to my core. Our collective pain, frustration and hopelessness manifested itself in self-destructive violence and our communities never fully recovered. By the late 70’s, the promises of the Civil Rights Movement met with the reality of an economic and social system unwilling to change.

I observed the bars going up on the windows of homes. Liquor stores owned by Asian immigrants sprung up on most corners instead of grocery stores. I observed kids being beaten up for their tennis shoes. School fights became a daily occurrence. Sports became more important than school for most boys. My brothers had their leather coats stolen off their backs. I observed a woman being tied to a car and dragged down the street by her boyfriend. Drive by shootings and gang violence became commonplace as drugs became a means of mental escape and a major economic driver.

As a tween, I felt like I was stuck in a slow burning community, destined for death if I couldn’t find a way out. My mother knew enough to keep us in church and off the streets, but I eventually realized that the songs at church always pointed to heaven or Jesus’ second coming as the eventual relief from the misery this life seemed to offer. At home, my mother suffered physical abuse from my alcoholic father, and the church folks advised her to bear it as a submissive wife while praying for him. That wasn’t a serious solution. I was terrified of the violence that could end her life. And the police were no help. Every time they eventually showed up, they did nothing. I repeatedly begged my mother to leave. Then, finally, and with the help of her parents, she left my father and moved us away from the city.

That move changed everything. I was thirteen and for the first time in my life, I could see a bright future for myself. It turned out that living away from a community of color meant freedom from the fiery arrows meant to destroy lives and livelihoods. Government policies that sanctioned a lack of educational, health, and infrastructure resources while allowing high prices, drugs, bank discrimination, and excessive police presence were all absent. In the suburbs I discovered access to everything I needed to be successful if I just learned the new rules.

Rule number one was to take advantage of the highly resourced education being offered. Rule number two was to be persistent, brave, and exceptional. Rule number three was to keep my mouth shut and to pay attention to the silent cues. I learned that the way to be successful in a system rigged against women and people of color was to trick the system into believing you are a legitimate part of it. I learned to speak and write in the language of the system. I learned to dress for acceptance (AKA: to “dress for success”). I learned that I had to be doing better, not just as good, as my white counterparts to be recognized. I learned to overlook micro-aggressions, but to make note of the bias and work around it. I learned to value my few white allies who would mentor and later sponsor me. I learned to smile when I felt like screaming. As an adult, I learned to hide cultural indicators like family pictures or black heritage art whenever I wanted to sell a house. I learned to sue when it was warranted. I learned that humility is overrated, and that tactfulness would get me further than being direct. And I learned to always keep receipts and emails because insecure white folks will try to bring you down.

Donald Trump is correct that the system is rigged. He admits to benefitting from that system for many years. That system kept him out of jail despite his sexual assault and fraud. In his mind, “America was great” when women and people of color were oppressed and lacked opportunity and couldn’t do much about it. He now thinks it is “rigged” to give us access, opportunity, and power we shouldn’t have. Obama was his undoing. Not surprisingly, his rhetoric appeals to uneducated white people who failed to take full advantage of that system when it was available to them.

Trump is selling a revised system wherein he feeds his fragile ego by dictating how government is run, picking the winners and losers, and giving these poor white folks the hope that they will be the winners against those immigrants and people of color who are now competing to displace them. The problem is that his promises are empty. He has nothing to offer them when you dig deep enough. All he has is resentment against people like Obama who circumvented the rigged system and are now exposing him for the criminal he actually is. However, that resentment threatens to lead to violence and even genocide if allowed to proliferate.

While it is true that the system continues to be rigged against minorities, and wealth inequality remains a huge problem, there are ways to navigate it. Donald Trump wants to make that navigation more difficult for women and people of color. He certainly isn’t the person to fix this rigged system. If anything, he would like to reinstate and reinforce oppression.

The 2024 election is going to be about the survival of our democratic republic. Our current Constitution and system of government gives us with the opportunity to elect representatives who work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive society that is far easier to navigate to become successful. I’m hopeful that we can create a society where young people no longer feel the need to “mash and grab” to earn a living. To accomplish this, people of good conscience must vote.

Deception, equivocations, fraud, lying, misstatements and omissions amount to forms of rampant misinformation that poisons our ability to make sound decisions surrounding nearly every aspect of our lives. And some wealthy and powerful people are okay with that, especially when they benefit financially and politically from it. A few days ago, I watched a congressional hearing wherein Republican congressmen berated the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairwoman for questioning social media companies that permit dangerous misinformation to proliferate on their sites. The MAGA Republicans challenged her authority to determine what constituted misinformation. I thought to myself that this is the root of the problem.

Since Donald Trump brought his distorted relationship with reality, his introduction of “alternative facts”, and his branding of unfavorable journalism as “fake news”, too many in this nation have abandoned the notion that objective truths actually exist. Truth is simply the expression of verifiable facts. We have allowed opinions, feelings, hunches, theories, and unsubstantiated accusations to live on par with truth as if truth no longer exists. Misinformation is simply a broad term to describe any departure from truth. If the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is restricted from regulating fraud and deceptive business practices, then we are in great trouble as consumers. But some people, beyond the wealthy and powerful, don’t find this disturbing.

I have an immigrant son-in-law who can be described as a libertarian. He is against government regulations because he believes that the free market will eventually correct the poor behavior of businesses. He believes that allowing consumers to experience heartache and injuries leads to the eventual demise of those bad businesses. We argue over the merits of government regulations all the time. He thinks they are unnecessary while I think they are. At the heart of both our arguments is survival. He believes that the best businesses will ultimately thrive as customers abandon products that don’t work as advertised or when people are harmed by bad products. That is how markets are designed to work and he is correct. The problem as I see it that real people are injured, killed, and harmed in the process. The damage can be irreparable. I care deeply about the immediate survival of people and damage to the environment that is caused by deception motivated by short-term profiteers. And absent government regulation, the problem can only get worse.

With the introduction of artificial intelligence, the ability to distinguish between what is true and what is misinformation will become more difficult without new government regulations. It’s already difficult to find a reliable source of news and information. This has driven me to watch more congressional hearings in real time and to pay closer attention to people with actual credentials for information. It is evident to me that the credibility of politicians and news stations have been compromised by greed. I’m reminded of that Biblical passage in I Timothy 6;10 that says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil….”

In practice, my son-in-law is correct. Since corporations and billionaires have bought and paid for news outlets and politicians, the marketplace of information has been set free. We as consumers are forced to question everything and to rely on primary sources for information as much as possible. But it’s time consuming and few people have the time to invest in fact-finding. This is why I find it so disappointing that very few people have turned off Fox News, even after a court found them responsible for lying about the 2020 election being stolen and having to pay millions for defamation. Their viewers never even heard about it. I lament that the majority of Americans continue to get their information from unreliable sources and suffering because of it.

However, as an optimist, even given the diminished power of the FTC, I believe that we will reach a tipping point when the pain, damage, deaths, and injuries to people, communities, and the environment caused by misinformation become too much to endure. Only then will the free-market demand truth from the news media and politicians. I predict that greater truth and more reliable sources of truth are in our future. I just hope it isn’t too late for our children, grandchildren, and the planet.

I love music and musical performance, especially dancing. However, since the pandemic and our continued vulnerability, I haven’t attended any concerts in public spaces. These days, my enjoyment of musical performance comes through a screen. So, this past week, I tuned into the MTV Video Music Awards to watch a variety of performances from popular artists.

I got through about an hour of the show when I decided that I’d had enough with watching young black and brown women exposing their bodies while dancing and singing in overtly sexual ways. I get that this is performance art and self-expression, and I don’t begrudge anyone their right to express themselves in this way. I’m fine if this is how someone chooses to present themselves to the world. I just know I didn’t care for it.

During particular acts, I experienced a myriad of emotions as I watched. I’m probably a little bit prudish, but my primary emotion was disgust. As female after female exposed herself and twerked in front of the camera, each more sexually explicit than the other, I found myself downright bored. I turned off the television and went to bed.

The following day, when I learned that Taylor Swift won nine music video awards, I began to unpack my thoughts and feelings about the performances of the black and brown women I saw on the show. First, I am thankful to live in a country that allows for freedom of expression. Second, I’m happy if these young women find a sense of female empowerment by performing sexually explicit lyrics and dance moves. Third, I had this horrifying thought that these young black and brown women were persuaded that their ticket to fame and monetary success in the music industry was granted only if they performed in this way. Too many were downright nasty and I know I didn’t like it.

I don’t know the truth behind their motivation to expose themselves. I do know that the market and the award decision-makers decided to give the more conservative Taylor Swift a nod that night. It is a form of subtle censorship when powerful people behind the scenes actually decide who wins coveted awards for their art. Personally, I’m for letting the viewer, the reader, and the buyer, decide. For example, I engaged in a personal form of censorship by turning off the television and refusing to watch any longer. I engage in it when I refuse to purchase music with lyrics that I find offensive. I don’t watch performances that disgust me. I can be a prude if I choose to, while not denying others the right to enjoy violent or sexually explicit content. My entire adulthood has been an exercise in personal censorship and I’m thankful to live in a country where I get to decide for myself.

As a parent, I’ve exercised censorship regarding my own children, and I want to preserve that right for others. For example, there was a time when I didn’t allow my kids to watch “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. They were at an impressionable age, and I later explained to them that I didn’t want to expose them to people constantly insulting each other for laughs as an acceptable way to communicate in our home. I wanted their interactions with one another to be marked with mutual respect and acceptance. I also limited access to content that contained violence, sex, and horror during their formative years. So, as my children were growing up, I didn’t allow violent video games, rap music, or sexually explicit videos in our home. Adult words, adult conversations, and adult books were kept among adults. This is all censorship. In a free society, I’m all for the freedom to censor content to protect my own soul and that of my own children when they are young.

I’m fully in favor or self-censorship; not government censorship. I’m grateful for guides like movie ratings and labeling content as “explicit” to help us consumers know what to expect. It is true that one person’s art is another person’s trash. Some content hurts my soul while other people are completely unscathed by it. And that is okay. We are diverse human beings. I’m not sure why I’m turned off by near-naked women twerking, but I don’t like it, and I don’t have to explain myself. I also hate boxing and MMA matches because I’m repulsed by seeing folks hit each other. I literally become sick to my stomach. But I have a son and daughter who love those matches.

The ability to make these censoring decisions for my own children when they were young was essential to instilling my idea of basic human values within them. It doesn’t mean that they weren’t exposed to content I disapproved of outside our home. I know they were. But making censoring decisions at home empowered, encouraged, and enabled them to question their own values as they grew up in society and were exposed to other content.

It was my own mother who censored my exposure to certain things. As a result, I recall refusing a role in a play at fourteen because the content of the play went against values I adopted from my mother’s early influence. My mother left the choice to me, and I had to ask myself where I stood on the content before moving forward. I credit my mother’s early content censorship for helping shape my values. With that kind of clarity, I had the courage to refuse the role despite peer pressure. I was able to clearly articulate my objection to the content. That particular play was produced without my participation, and I was fine with that.

Essentially, what I’m saying is that the beauty of living in a free society is having the ability to exercise the tools of private censorship for ourselves and our children. We can turn the channel, refuse to purchase, scroll past, opt out, or not read. Living in a free society means everyone has the right to express themselves and consumers have the right to embrace or reject that expression on a personal level or on behalf of their underage children. What we don’t have the right to do is decide for others what they can and cannot see or how they can or cannot express themselves.

Right now, this freedom is being challenged by groups who believe they have the right and moral high ground to censor art, literature, and even history to limit what other people’s children are exposed to. That isn’t freedom. That is a form of religious tyranny that must be fought against at school board meetings, in the courts, and at the ballot box.

I may not like to see young women twerking half-naked, but I will defend their right to express themselves that way. I’ll simply exercise my right to turn the channel.

One of the only things I enjoy about visiting my dentist’s office is the friendly conversations with the staff. In particular, the dental assistant almost always asks to see the newest photos of my grandsons. Of course, I’m happy to share them. This week’s visit was no different until after viewing the pictures she entreated me to ensure they are homeschooled because teachers are teaching kids weird things. I asked what “weird things” were being taught? And of course, it was that whole right-wing propaganda surrounding gender and homosexuality. After I internally rolled my eyes and let out a sigh, I realized that it would be irresponsible to forego the opportunity to share a different perspective with her.

So, I did. I began with my experience as a former teacher, as a person with many teacher friends, and a former educator in a school of education. I calmly explained that teachers aren’t teaching children to question their gender nor are they grooming children to become homosexuals. I explained that teachers may need to explain human differences as a means of creating a learning environment free from bullying and discrimination on the basis of actual differences that children are already encountering. I explained that in the process of normalizing differences, some children might then feel safe and comfortable enough to admit to being “different”.

I relayed my experience with an enraged mother who accused the University of “turning her son gay”. I told her how I patiently explained to the mother that we lack both the ability and the motivation to do that. I continued to relay how I explained to the mother that her son was already gay when he arrived but that he finally felt safe enough to come out of the closet society had shoved him in. I explained how I understood that parents are afraid for their children because they know that being different will make life difficult for that child who identifies as gay or transgender.

After relaying my experience, I assured the dental assistant that teachers understand the hardships as well, which is why they don’t encourage students to question their gender or sexual orientation, but instead work diligently to create a safe learning environment for everyone, especially for those children who are different. I felt a sense of satisfaction when she expressed relief at my explanation. But she is just one of many people poisoned by a right-wing agenda to garner votes by propagating unfounded fears of teachers and books. Since the legalization of gay marriage, the introduction of new gender pronouns, and the popularity of pride parades and drag shows, religious conservatives are seeking ways to shove LGBTQ+ folks back in the closet.

I grew up in a family and a Christian community where we simply didn’t acknowledge the non-binary gender differences nor the non-heterosexual orientation of members of our family or church. The closet was a real thing and those who ventured outside of it were punished severely. It’s accurate to say that we rolled our eyes at the girl who dressed like a guy. We quietly referred to the gay pianist as “different” but didn’t ask any questions. Our belief was that only God had the right to judge, so we better not judge them. Instead, we engaged in this strange “don’t ask, don’t tell” social arrangement that was convenient for the majority, but devastating to those who were different. That tacit ostracization was not only disrespectful in its denial of the full humanity of fellow human beings, but it was hurtful and lead to murder, broken families, and high rates of suicide. It’s sad that in 2023, Black transgender murder rates are increasing and violent attacks on the LGBTQ+ community are also on the rise.

As with any legal and social progress that expands the rights and protections of minorities, there will be those who long for what they perceive as the good old days. As a society in 2023, we find ourselves arguing over whether a spectrum of human gender actually exists even as people who identify as non-binary present themselves publicly. Some people will go to their graves believing that God created only males and females. Period. They become confused when they learn that a few people are born with an indeterminate sex. They become even more confused when they learn that the human brain can be mapped as male or female and that a person’s brain gender may not match their genitals. They become enraged at the thought of these truths coming to light because it not only challenges their religious beliefs but calls upon them to expand their view of humanity itself.

It pains me to watch people I care about look upon a transgender person with disgust. I realize that no amount of reasoning can extricate the disgust they were socially conditioned to feel over a lifetime. And that is frustrating. All I can do is demonstrate my acceptance of that person by treating them with the same dignity and respect I afford all human beings. The same is true when confronted by a gay couple. While others look on with distain, I can model respect, acceptance, and kindness and hopefully bring some sustaining joy, comfort, and hope to people who are different.

As members of the human race and voters, we have a duty to recognize that violence and laws motivated by prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community are on the rise. Even social media support for LGBTQ+ is attacked. I was shocked and disheartened by the negative feedback I received when I promoted the idea that better humans are inclusive and utilized a pride flag as an example of expanded inclusion. Laura Ann Carleton, a mother of nine and a storeowner was murdered for displaying a pride flag.

As I write this, there are mean-spirited and extremely vocal religious zealots and social conservatives pressuring politicians and lawmakers to shove people back in the closet. Too many apathetic parents are allowing groups like Moms for Liberty to ban books and to punish teachers when they address the full range of humanity in service to a safe learning environment. These books and conversations not only build awareness and empathy, but they increase the capacity of children to accept differences without resorting to bullying and discrimination. Creating a safe and inclusive environment in our schools increases learning, reduces suicides, and likely will reduce school shootings that are often an angry response to bullying and feeling ostracized.

Let’s not shy away from a fight with a few closed-minded people who are trying to shove our friends, family members, fellow citizens, and human beings who are different, back in the closet. As educated and decent human beings, it is up to us to stick our collective foots in the door and refuse to return to the days of shame, disregard, and discrimination against human beings who just happen to be different. Are there complicated issues to address around sports? Sure, there are. So, let’s address them together using our knowledge of science, a commitment to fairness, and all the compassion we can muster.

In honor of my birthday weekend, my children and their families have come for a visit from Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Palmdale. So, I’m taking the week off from writing my blog to be fully present to enjoy the company of my three adult children, their three spouses and my three grandsons. Please take this opportunity to read some of my past posts that you missed or reread posts you enjoyed.

As always, thank you for caring enough to read my weekly musings about life. Have a great week.

Most Americans simply want to live their lives in peace, free from the political strife and turmoil that blankets the airways and social media. I admit that I’m one of them and that I’m not very successful at it these days. Each day, I do myself the favor of finding some time to turn away from the frustration caused by what I can only describe as a national identity crisis.

Americans are at war with each other over who we are and who we should become. At one extreme, there are those who long for simpler days when wealthy white men enjoyed the power of a democratic republic, and the fruits of capitalism were reserved for them. These people, including presidential candidates Trump, DeSantis, and Ramaswamy seek a future where poor people of color are essentially stripped of their voting rights, exploited for cheap labor, and women returned to the essential role of wife and mother. In their ideal country, faith in their God supersedes science, actual history is obscure, there are strictly two genders, LGBTQ folks will return to the closet they will build for them, and only wealthy Christian immigrants (preferably white) are welcome. This is Christian Nationalism at its core. On the other extreme, are the WOKE activists, regulators of capitalism, and socialists.

In this country, socialism and communism conjures up all kinds of fears in many people. Extremists among conservatives quickly label those who disagree with them as either a socialist or less commonly, a communist. But few people actually know what socialism and communism are. A quick search reveals that socialism is a system where the means of production and distribution of goods are owned and controlled collectively. Communism is a system of holding all property in common based on Marxism to create a classless society where all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state.

The reality is that there are very few socialists and even fewer communists among us. However, there are several systems in our country that are socialized. For example, our military, our public schools, our fire and police departments, our bridges and highways, national disaster relief, and public parks. These are systems wherein the production and distribution of goods are owned and controlled collectively. They are paid for by our tax dollars and controlled by elected officials and government agencies on our behalf. There are many people in this country who believe that socialized healthcare, called “Universal Healthcare” should be added to the list beyond Medicare and Medicaid. All these “socialist” systems fit within the preamble to the Constitution which tasks the government to “provide for common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.” In our democratic republic, the decision to add universal healthcare to the list would be determined by the representatives that we the people vote into office. It is ultimately up to us to decide. But at this moment, the fight is over the continued existence of democracy itself.

The actual frontline fighters in the current national identity war are the Christian Nationalists and the WOKE activists. WOKE activists believe in making it easier for citizens to vote while Christian Nationalists seek to curtail access to the ballad box and to limit the power of certain votes. WOKE activists embrace the aspiration of the Constitution to provide equal justice under the law, while Christian Nationalists favor some people over others. WOKE activists insist upon the civil liberties found in the Bill of Rights with practical safeguards and limitations while Christian Nationalists believe these rights are absolute even if they harm others. Both WOKE activists and Christian Nationalists view the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness clause found in our Declaration of Independence as their driving force. However, Christian Nationalists interpret it to mean they can freely bully and discriminate against others.

In pursuit of WOKE ideals, we had a civil rights movement which forced legal compliance to end discrimination. That was followed by diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. At their core, these are an effort to capture the hearts and minds of all Americans by building an appreciation for the diversity that exists within the country and to honor the rich histories, contributions, perspectives, and values everyone has to offer. Equity is an attempt to remove remaining systems that hinder the equal access to opportunity for economic and social progress among previously excluded groups. And inclusion is an effort to bring historically excluded people and perspectives into spaces of prominence, power and decision making. These core principles gave birth to the Black Lives Matter Movement to which White Christian Nationalists responded with copycat marches from Nazi-Germany.

I am grateful to live in a democratic republic. In our form of government, power is exercised by the people through their elected representatives. For now, we have the right to protest, to petition our government, and to vote and have our votes counted. Our democracy is characterized by the equality of rights and privileges among citizens. And herein lies the problem for Christian nationalists. Their view of what America should be is increasingly a minority view and they afraid of losing power. The election of Barack Obama and the subsequent backlash represented by Donald Trump signals the beginning of our current struggle.

I see how mentally disruptive it is for a person who believes white people are superior to see people of color excel academically, professionally, politically, and creatively. It must be abhorrent to religious folks to witness gay pride parades, gay marriage, drag shows, and transgender folks in the public square. It must be horrible to imagine women making a frivolous choice to abort a baby when you believe it is murder. It must be hard to have a female boss, especially if she is a woman of color. It must be frustrating to compete for college admission or employment with all these women and people of color when in your mind they aren’t nearly as qualified as you because you are white and male. It must be disgusting to watch females flaunt their bodies in sexually explicit ways and demand sexual fulfillment as an empowered woman who no longer relies on a man. These are societal changes that democracy enabled, and these unsettling changes are why many on the far right are willing to discard democracy.

The exercising of civil liberties among people who do not share their religious values or beliefs is so terrifying to them that in their quest to persuade voters to vote Republican, some are pushing a false narrative that abortion is legal up to the time of birth, that the southern border is wide open and dangerous people are coming in, that teachers are indoctrinating children to become gay or transgender when in fact they are helping to end the bullying caused by bigotry. In their zeal to win voter support, some have gone so far as to push false accusations that democrats are pedophiles, groomers, and baby killers.

The reality is that no one is stopping the religious right from exercising their religion. It is just that WOKE activists contend that others should not be forced to abide by the religious beliefs of others. For example, if a religious person doesn’t believe in gay marriage, they shouldn’t get gay married or attend gay weddings. If someone believes abortion is murder, they don’t have to have abortions. The problem is that these choices aren’t something the far right wants to embrace. A few are seeking to roll back the Constitution and the rule of law to get their way. The road to fascism is before us.

Fascism is a totalitarian governmental system lead by a dictator with an emphasis on nationalism, militarism, and often racism. The warning signs are easy to detect. Look for book bans to limit knowledge and perspectives. Look for an attack on the free press to suppress investigations and factual information. Look for anti-intellectualism. Look for the cult of personality. Look for the amassing of guns to enforce their will through violence. Look for the scapegoating of groups as the cause of problems. Look for the paranoia that says a good way of life is being threatened by outsiders.

This next election will determine whether we will maintain our current freedoms as a democratic republic or slide further down the road toward fascism lead by Christian Nationalists.