Teaching Moments
Some reading on this Friday morning that offered more perspective for me as I continue to sort my feelings and seek to understand how the President has benefited from a Twitter storm and public persona of “don’t look at what I do, just listen to what I say.” With a pitch perfect tuning fork he touched the notes of classism, tribal racism, and twenty years of shout radio in the form of Limbaugh and little Limbaughs. Sixty plus million of my neighbors in America preferred a caricature of Archie Bunker to be the President of these somewhat united States. Well, you got it and all the blemishes that come with it. Is your bank account worth it? Is the rage at demographic change worth it? Is America’s place as a leader in world affairs worth it? My neighbors find a way to rationalize their “yes”. I get it. I rationalize my choices as well. The #bigotinchief resides in the White House when he is not taking taxpayers money golfing at one of his resorts and enriching himself via the Oval Office (all in the public record).
Is this a teaching moment?
Behavior, language, and anti-intellectualism that once embarrassed has coopted GOP States Congregational representatives as they gloss over the open bigotry and economic conflict of interest of this President. They openly supported the unconstitutional block of former President Obama’s ability to appoint a judge to the Supreme Court that would have changed the balance of the court. Too much change. Marriage equality. Too much change. Regulated capitalism rather than wild west buyer beware. Too much change. Quality and shared equality in education. Too much change. Regulated military weapons in the public domain. Too much change. “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Yes, Yoda, we see it and feel it.
The status quo of America is caucasian supremacy, and some believe it Christian, though that is not historically accurate when you meet the founders honestly. What religious convictions they had were Deists in nature. And, America a a specific religious Nation is a damaging image of Christendom the way ISIS damages Islam and Zionism damages Judaism. Systemic caucasian supremacy, that no one wants to admit in a Nation that proclaims to be “the land of the free and home of the brave”, that supremacy has gone about nullifying the a non-white President who, like Jackie Robinson, broke a color barrier. It will do the same to the first female President. That change, though celebrated by many, threatened the old script of caucasian male supremacy. Our current President is the natural political backlash to the pace of change: demographic, economic, and religious. He gave segments of our citizens people to blame for their situation in life. Observe the evidence of his life. President Trump has never taken responsibility for his own bankruptcies, personal failure, or bad decisions. He has never spoken of his culpability in his previous marriages ending in divorce? He is never responsible, unless it is a perceived “good” and never wrong. Yes, this is an Occam’s Razor explanation. A teaching moment?
A thought experiment. Remove the name of this President and party affiliation. With the evidence we know in the public record, it is clear that the President benefited from the aid of a foreign government to get elected. That foreign government recognized the opportunity to alter our Nation from the inside the way our Nation helped alter the former Soviet Union. How should our Government proceed in holding itself, the system, and the President accountable? Observable evidence indicates that politicians, Government systems, and the President rely on credit default swamps on their character to realign our Nation toward greater segregation at all levels.
We are living through a time of systemic teaching moments. Our Nation will have to borrow form South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission as we outgrow caucasian male supremacy in this century. We need leaders that can help Americans reconcile without needing a Nation or person labeled “the enemy.” Ideas are easier to change than beliefs. It’s not our better nature. It’s our shared National moral compass that has given the United States moments of being a light upon a hill to the Nations as we rummage through and right our deficiencies in public view. Teaching moments.
And the men who hold high places
Must be the ones to start
To mold a new reality
Closer to the heart
Closer to the heart
[Rush, A Farewell to Kings, “Closer to the Heart.” (Mercury) 1977]
‘Vision, Chutzpah and Some Testosterone’
Letters to the Editor from Trump Supporters, The New York Times, January 17, 2018
An Exit From Trumpocracy
David Frum, The Atlantic, January 18, 2018
The Decline of Anti-Trumpism
David Brooks, The New York Times, January 8, 2018