Sunday Musings – January 15, 2017
I am not sure whether I am amused, appalled, frightened or just bored with the twitter activity of certain citizens of the United States including the man who will be sworn this week as the 45 President of the United States of America.
On this Sunday, I will participate in some of the activities to honor the memory and the work of Martin Luther King Jr., a man whose work and life also engendered passionate positive and negative responses. I recall a woman military officer to whom I reported suggesting that while she was concerned about such issues as racism she thought that more could be accomplished by going through normal channels and not stirring up so much passion. At that time, I had not claimed the words or the courage to remind her that normal channels had not worked. At that time in the Washington, D.C. area my colleague Al and I were regularly denied service at many area restaurants. Although I cannot remember the context that was also the period in my life when I said something which led Al to think I had been so insensitive to use the word “boy” to refer to him. No matter what I did nor did not say, that was a good reminder that I needed to be very clear about some of the language I used and in what context I used it. Long before Twitter, language had been used to remind individuals and groups where they belonged on the continuum of moral and constitutional rights. Just the other day I was again reminded that there is a long list of words which have been historically used to distinguish between those who are deserving of respect and a livable wage and those who are not. Certainly, the use of the word boy was used to remind African Americans that they were not deserving of adult respect and rights. My grandmother was reminded of the same thing when she was clearly labeled a seamstress and not a tailor.
Although a link to my blog is published on Twitter and my daily blog is published on Facebook, I am one of those dinosaurs who does not chat or issue brief pronouncements or reminders of “the truth” on twitter or other social media pages.
Since it was announced that Mr. Trump won the requisite number of electoral votes but not the popular election I have daily, it seems, received invitations to join in written and in-person protests of this new administration and the policies some fear he might institute. At the same time, I receive many invitations to join in the grief of saying goodbye to President Obama and the policies and programs for which he fought.
I was among those who cried with relief and hope when it was announced that Barack Obama would be President of the United States. I am grateful to have lived long enough to celebrate the victory of a man who is generally identified as African American - given how we make that social designation in the United States. Since that time, I have lauded and disagreed with many of the actions of he and his administration. Never once have a failed to appreciate what I think are his intentions or hopes.
I am also among those who upon being told the results of the most recent Presidential election in the United States was surprised and somewhat embarrassed for the United States. Actually, I had been embarrassed with the behavior of both the candidates for some time prior to the election. Still, I expected to celebrate and support the election of the first woman to be elected to that august office in the United States.
I was quickly resigned to the fact that Mr. Trump is the new President of the United States. I know it is incumbent on me to keep an open mind while offering positive alternatives to those actions and policies with which I disagree. I was not prepared for the continuation of the election style negative approach by both the President Elect and those with whom I might otherwise more often (not always) align myself.
Certainly, there was a time when I assiduously worked to earn the title of which former Vice President Agnew so famously applied to many of us – effete snobs. While my belief system and passion might have come from a very sincere and thoughtful place, I often joined those who could be as negative and arrogant as those with whom we disagreed. Some of that was excused because of our youth.
Youth cannot be claimed as a defense by many of those who are protesting the election of Mr. Trump or what might be seen by some as his continuing use of a negative, reactionary approach.
One of the many characteristics of Martin Luther King Jr. was what I experienced as his ability to appeal to what is best in all of us. For the most part, in my memory, his “I have a dream” speech appealed to many of us because of the hope and courage it lit in the hearts of many of us. I read again the following section of this famous speech:
“But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So, we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”
The official day of commemorating the legacy of Dr. King is Monday, but in many communities, the celebrations began on Sunday. Again today the legacy of Martin Luther King calls us to vote with our feet and our voice. He calls us to proclaim our vision for the world which we inhabit - a world which includes John Lewis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Franklin Graham, our Muslims brothers and Sisters, our Jewish mothers and fathers, our neighbors who profess no religion but intense spirituality, our LGBT sons and daughters, our young, our old, those who suffer with addiction and other diseases and those who are differently abled. We are called to the courage of a vision which has room at the table for all of us including President elect Trump.
Written January 15,2017
I am not sure whether I am amused, appalled, frightened or just bored with the twitter activity of certain citizens of the United States including the man who will be sworn this week as the 45 President of the United States of America.
On this Sunday, I will participate in some of the activities to honor the memory and the work of Martin Luther King Jr., a man whose work and life also engendered passionate positive and negative responses. I recall a woman military officer to whom I reported suggesting that while she was concerned about such issues as racism she thought that more could be accomplished by going through normal channels and not stirring up so much passion. At that time, I had not claimed the words or the courage to remind her that normal channels had not worked. At that time in the Washington, D.C. area my colleague Al and I were regularly denied service at many area restaurants. Although I cannot remember the context that was also the period in my life when I said something which led Al to think I had been so insensitive to use the word “boy” to refer to him. No matter what I did nor did not say, that was a good reminder that I needed to be very clear about some of the language I used and in what context I used it. Long before Twitter, language had been used to remind individuals and groups where they belonged on the continuum of moral and constitutional rights. Just the other day I was again reminded that there is a long list of words which have been historically used to distinguish between those who are deserving of respect and a livable wage and those who are not. Certainly, the use of the word boy was used to remind African Americans that they were not deserving of adult respect and rights. My grandmother was reminded of the same thing when she was clearly labeled a seamstress and not a tailor.
Although a link to my blog is published on Twitter and my daily blog is published on Facebook, I am one of those dinosaurs who does not chat or issue brief pronouncements or reminders of “the truth” on twitter or other social media pages.
Since it was announced that Mr. Trump won the requisite number of electoral votes but not the popular election I have daily, it seems, received invitations to join in written and in-person protests of this new administration and the policies some fear he might institute. At the same time, I receive many invitations to join in the grief of saying goodbye to President Obama and the policies and programs for which he fought.
I was among those who cried with relief and hope when it was announced that Barack Obama would be President of the United States. I am grateful to have lived long enough to celebrate the victory of a man who is generally identified as African American - given how we make that social designation in the United States. Since that time, I have lauded and disagreed with many of the actions of he and his administration. Never once have a failed to appreciate what I think are his intentions or hopes.
I am also among those who upon being told the results of the most recent Presidential election in the United States was surprised and somewhat embarrassed for the United States. Actually, I had been embarrassed with the behavior of both the candidates for some time prior to the election. Still, I expected to celebrate and support the election of the first woman to be elected to that august office in the United States.
I was quickly resigned to the fact that Mr. Trump is the new President of the United States. I know it is incumbent on me to keep an open mind while offering positive alternatives to those actions and policies with which I disagree. I was not prepared for the continuation of the election style negative approach by both the President Elect and those with whom I might otherwise more often (not always) align myself.
Certainly, there was a time when I assiduously worked to earn the title of which former Vice President Agnew so famously applied to many of us – effete snobs. While my belief system and passion might have come from a very sincere and thoughtful place, I often joined those who could be as negative and arrogant as those with whom we disagreed. Some of that was excused because of our youth.
Youth cannot be claimed as a defense by many of those who are protesting the election of Mr. Trump or what might be seen by some as his continuing use of a negative, reactionary approach.
One of the many characteristics of Martin Luther King Jr. was what I experienced as his ability to appeal to what is best in all of us. For the most part, in my memory, his “I have a dream” speech appealed to many of us because of the hope and courage it lit in the hearts of many of us. I read again the following section of this famous speech:
“But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So, we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”
The official day of commemorating the legacy of Dr. King is Monday, but in many communities, the celebrations began on Sunday. Again today the legacy of Martin Luther King calls us to vote with our feet and our voice. He calls us to proclaim our vision for the world which we inhabit - a world which includes John Lewis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Franklin Graham, our Muslims brothers and Sisters, our Jewish mothers and fathers, our neighbors who profess no religion but intense spirituality, our LGBT sons and daughters, our young, our old, those who suffer with addiction and other diseases and those who are differently abled. We are called to the courage of a vision which has room at the table for all of us including President elect Trump.
Written January 15,2017
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