Misremembering, By Accident or Design?

Many in our Nation will give thought to Martin Luther King Jr today.  It is the Federal holiday in his honor.  In recognition of this day people will attend parades, others will volunteer in their community, and many will go about this day like any other Federal holiday.  It is a pause or disruptment of routine. Employees with children that do not work for the Federal or State government, or employers that recognize this holiday, will need to rearrange schedules for sitters and other childcare.  Stores are open as usual, thank goodness, because I need to get dinner groceries this afternoon.  Movie theaters will do a brisk business ahead of Oscar night.  Over the weekend many, many more peered through the scope of American Sniper than crossed the bridge in Selma.  From observing the trailers and reading reviews, both films deal with personal struggle and systemic struggle.  I’ll see them both and suppress the notion that I may feel the same way I did after seeing The Hurt Locker.  Pause and disruptment.

This morning I read a column on The Nation website, The Misremembering of “I Have a Dream”, that offers another perspective on the words of MLK and gives me both pause and disruptment about the state of our Union.  Dissension, not unity, permeates our culture more than anytime that I can remember in my lifetime.  Dissension about the common good.  Dissension about what were accepted facts a short 20 year ago about science, about economics, about how government is supposed to work for all our citizens.  I wonder if the lessons of the last century are misremembered by accident or design?

, 01/19/2015. Category: Culture, Michael D.

Disillusionment

As Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan continue to return to civilian life society will need to listen when Veterans tell whatever they can about their experiences.  The newest term, “moral injury” is a good philosophical and theologically description of the pain that many feel about the things they saw and did, but disillusionment embodies a feeling to which many can relate.  Disillusionment best describes what I trust our Nation is feeling as we learn more about the torture of human beings in the name of National Security, but depending on what media outlet you follow my trust may be misplaced.  Michael Yandell describes his disillusionment through the lens of his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan over multiple deployments.  It is an eloquent expression to read and hear. Thank you Christian Century for providing him the space and grace to be heard.

The War Within
by Michael Yandell | The Christian Century | Jan 2, 2015

For me, moral injury describes my disillusionment, the erosion of my sense of place in the world. The spiritual and emotional foundations of the world disappeared and made it impossible for me to sleep the sleep of the just. Even though I was part of a war that was much bigger than me, I still feel personally responsible for its consequences. I have a feeling of intense betrayal, and the betrayer and betrayed are the same person: my very self.

, 01/03/2015. Category: Culture, Guest Column.
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