This
year’s political environment has sparked much division within our
families and among friends and those with whom we are close. Prior to
this year’s (2017 for future readers) presidential inauguration, I
posted the following in response to a statement of potential family
division, made by someone I love (a nephew). We must always remember
that our public affirmations, no matter how firmly held, can be damaging
to those we share family ties, but our responses cannot spark further division nor be personalized:
I
am blessed and honored to be have been alive in a period when a
president of the U.S. has been as kind, as graceful, having a complete
measure of integrity and dignity as Barack Hussein Obama. I am saddened
that we are entering an era of condescension, mean-spritedness and
arrogance. The past 8 years have been marked by intelligent and
magnificent oration, by thoughtful debate, by openness and, yes, humor
and humanity. We watch with dismay, an approaching time of immature and
painful discourse, of embarrassment on the global stage and profound
narcissism.
Words
matter!! There are many who share these sentiments, with whom we also
share a bond of family and friends. It is hurting and even insulting to
celebrate the temporary suspension of this phase of U.S. history that
has meant so much to so many. There are indeed 6 days remaining of a
presidency that has been able to represent the U.S. with pride, with
intelligence, with love and grace. We should all be extremely proud of
this, and extremely sad that it is ending.
My
parents, the grandparents of my children, would be extremely sad. My
parents were in the vanguard of the civil rights movement along with
John Lewis, who has been denigrated by the incoming administration. When
denigrating Congressman Lewis, we are all disrespected. We have all
been men and women of action in the struggle, and yes it has been a
struggle, for a Barack Hussein Obama to exist. It is unthinkable that
this period of history and those who lived it would be dismissed in this
manner. Yet this is what we can expect, so there is no real surprise
here.
But
there’s good news in that the coming week will present us with 2
important choices. On Monday we celebrate the birth of MLK. On Friday,
we inaugurate an incoming president. From Monday onward we can be
energized through commemorating the legacy of hope, grace and love we
have been bequeathed. Or, on Friday, we can be immobilized by fear,
close-mindedness and the hate that we are moving toward. And of course,
the third option is that for people of good will, Friday will serve as a
motivating force none-the-less.
The
arc of the emerging consciousness, I think, is bending toward a
re-energized hope. And there is an important distinction to be drawn
between the choice of hope or fear: Hope will, by definition, pull us
together, whereas fear will continue to wedge us apart. Being on a
lonely planet in an outpost of the Universe doesn’t make separatism
possible without insanity.
Therefore,
I pray that through all of this we will all ultimately hear echos of
Mother Teresa’s quote: “If there is no peace, it is because we have
forgotten we belong to each other.”
