One idea. The US (and the whole world) is in a period of transition. Changes in the way people can now communicate bring an opportunity to people of all kinds to vent, and to act on, their ideas of how society should work. We can expect an upheaval and chaos for a long period of time. Either humanity will survive or not but that depends on which type of people survive and persevere. But takes a willingness to act.
I wrote this in the summer of 2020 shortly after George Floyd's death. It is still relevant.
-----------------------
A Prayer for Forgiveness
I sit in my office sifting through my history – my family’s stories – and hold centuries of hate in my hands.
On the desk is my proud grandmother’s certification as a Daughter of the Confederacy; scattered currency guaranteed by the Vicksburg Railroad; my grandfather’s fiercely held copy of The Clansman; slave papers from New Orleans in both French and Spanish. In my memory my father’s love of the Arkansas Traveler; his deep Southern drawl; his adoration of Robert E. Lee (and the portrait of Lee that was still in the attic when we sold his home); and his assurances oft given that the South Would Rise Again.
Growing up, I was so accustomed to Dad’s accent that I simply could not hear it. Only two decades after his death, when I found the tapes I’d recorded of his oral history, was I left breathless by his genteel Louisianan drawl. Dad’s beliefs about the benign nature of the South; about the “Negra’s” superiority in music, rhythm and athletics as a gift given in lieu of the deficiencies in that person’s intellect; were so subtly woven into my childhood that I simply couldn’t know them for what they were….
….until I was truly an adult.
….until I found a paper he wrote in high school asserting those “truths”.
….until he sent back a set of photographs I had taken at the beach because he couldn’t believe I had associated with “colored people” and assumed the store had erred.
….until he insisted at the dinner table that slaves were happy on the plantations – and my wife left the room in rage.
Dad was born in 1905. His grandfather had given all and lost all to the rebellion. He knew Confederate Veterans and used to search for musket-balls and arrowheads in the fields behind his house. His childhood was saturated with the terrible magnetism and lie of the Lost Cause – and with that uniquely gentle and mannerly style so characteristic of the old South. I loved him. I loved his stories – and I was taught to love those invidious, poisonous myths.
We are taught to hate – but not so obviously. It is never named hate. It is a casual, subtle and insidious schooling, happening before we can even be aware of such a construct as “race”. But it is potent, durable and in spite of all my efforts, seems in some ways painfully permanent.
I remember – 66 years ago – the very first time I encountered a black child. It was at Burt Lake in Northern Michigan in a changing room. I felt an instant chill and fear; he was alien. That I remember it now marks the depth of the conditioning.
Today, in spite of all my efforts, the horrible fact is that whenever I see a person of color, that truly is the first thing I notice. Color. I can feel that whispered hesitation. That tinge of suspicion. And I hate it.
Today, I cannot begin to imagine what that little boy saw when he looked into my six year old eyes.
Powerful, and a distant parallel to my own perspective. My father was born in the hills of Tennessee, and was inbred with similar traits, although perhaps a generation later. He treated everyone equally, but every now and then, he'd say something that exposed his roots. My own upbringing was in New Jersey, where I was, like you, isolated from others with different heritages during my formative elementary school years. Your paragraph near the end, "Today, in spite of all my efforts, ..." captures my dilemma as well. I guess, on a positive note, we realize it.
Robert’s letter today spoke eloquently of the burdens we’re carrying and the need to stand strong and support each other. I’m reminded of the help we have by this poem: Footprints
Provided we remember that we’re all, even the ones we disagree most strongly with, brothers and sisters, we will get past these challenges and, if we persevere, we’ll bring about a better world for those who follow us. My regards to everyone:
Hello, Hubbell community. I just heard from an organization called Blue Future, which spent $175,000 to promote youth turnout in the midterms. Apparently the DNC only spent $25,000! If you're interested in supporting their efforts, join me at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bluefuture, or just check out their website, google our blue future.
The Tale of Two Videos: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." Charles Dickens's words seem prophetic these days. But in the videos, it's hard to see much on the positive side.
Fortunately, for me, I was driving when the Paul Pelosi video came out. I was listening to CNN or MSNBC, so I could only hear the audio. That was enough. When I got home, I started to watch the Tyre Nichols video(s) but stopped after a short time. That too was enough.
I guess if there's anything positive about the Paul Pelosi video/audio, it's that it puts to rest some of the despicable speculation and theorization that followed the attack, and showed how fortunate he was that the 911 operator finally picked up on his hints, and then how her quick actions got him the help that he needed.
If there's anything positive about the Tyre Nichols video(s)/audio(s), it's that they capture the utter disregard of the life of a single man by a significant number of our supposed protectors. The fact that they had body cameras recording their actions and inactions supports the need for such cameras, but makes one wonder how much worse things might have been without them.
The video records in each case make justice less escapable than it would have been otherwise. For that, we should be grateful. But gratefulness is not enough. We need to be moved to action to change the trajectory of violence in America, caused by either the unleashing of political malice or the callous inhumanity some of us show toward others.
Jon Margolis made some great observations in this thread. Perhaps before we take action against or speak ill of others, we should see them as something other than a target for our anger.
After reading about Charles McGonigal (FBI) and the NYT story about John Durham and Bill Barr, I was shocked that these stories didn’t get much attention. PBS Newshour didn’t cover the Barr/Durham story at all last night or the night before. Even with all the other newsworthy stories of the week weren’t these stories worthy of more attention than they received?
I cannot, in all honesty, continue to watch over and over and over and over again, ""man's" brutality to to his fellow human beings. I believe that the endless replaying of violence is making us numb and disengaged from the reality that we are witnessing. I mostly blame the electronic media for this....yes, bad news is "fit" to print but it also spawns more bad news. The initial handling of Memphis' horror was superb...the constant replaying of this serves to dilute the power of the message of the Police Chief and other officials as well as the pain and grief of the family of Tyre Nichols, and others.
I also saw no need for the video of Paul Pelosi's beating. Had the people who were supposed to be monitoring the security cameras in the house were doing their jobs this violence might not have occurred. Oh yeah, Nancy was in D.C. so no need to protect her family....Sorry for the rant........Stay warm, dry, and safe.
Several readers have questioned the need to release the Paul Pelosi video. I certainly understand, and as Nancy Pelosi has noted, she will never watch that video. However given the vile conspiracy theories that surrounded the beating, the release of the video proved that an older gentleman was attacked by a vicious intruder, nothing more. And yet, I heard commentators on Fox News claiming that the videos did nothing to dispel the conspiracy theories. However, it then became clear that those commentators had not bothered to watch the video. That fact was elicited by questioning by a Fox interviewer who cross-examined the conspiracy mongers, to her credit. So, as unfortunate as it is that some people have to watch the Paul Pelosi video, it is helpful in stopping the flow of disinformation.
I am always thinking that a component of hate is fear-fear of others, fear of the unknown, fear of change. Life is all about change, let us learn to love each other for a change.
Rather than sit and watch, endless replays of the horrific events of this week, I turned the TV off and wrote 50 postcards to turn out our (majority) voters for the all-important state supreme court race in Wisconsin. I say to you the immortal words of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, "It comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying."
Of course there are exceptions. However, I encourage you to do a little online research about the effects of involving more women in police work. The findings are provocative and what you would expect based on social scientific theory and research about gender roles and behavior.
There is no respite from violence, it seems. The horror of January 10 was followed by slaughters in Monterey Park, Shreveport, Half Moon Bay and Oakland, as well as a mass shooting in Baton Rouge, from which, thankfully, no one has died, as yet. There is an ongoing matter of extremists whipping up fear among those who simply want to go about their lives as usual-but that is nothing new. Sal La Barbera is no different from Steve Bannon, DJT or the late Rush Limbaugh. Yell "Communist!" and otherwise composed people become unglued. The crisis, if you will, is not one of a threat TO America from the Left. It is one of a lack of spiritual grounding-and falls primarily on those who dwell in a world of narcissism.
One idea. The US (and the whole world) is in a period of transition. Changes in the way people can now communicate bring an opportunity to people of all kinds to vent, and to act on, their ideas of how society should work. We can expect an upheaval and chaos for a long period of time. Either humanity will survive or not but that depends on which type of people survive and persevere. But takes a willingness to act.
Oh! Emmett, help us!
We are still bludgeoned with fear
Save us from ourselves
Jayne Hamel
I wrote this in the summer of 2020 shortly after George Floyd's death. It is still relevant.
-----------------------
A Prayer for Forgiveness
I sit in my office sifting through my history – my family’s stories – and hold centuries of hate in my hands.
On the desk is my proud grandmother’s certification as a Daughter of the Confederacy; scattered currency guaranteed by the Vicksburg Railroad; my grandfather’s fiercely held copy of The Clansman; slave papers from New Orleans in both French and Spanish. In my memory my father’s love of the Arkansas Traveler; his deep Southern drawl; his adoration of Robert E. Lee (and the portrait of Lee that was still in the attic when we sold his home); and his assurances oft given that the South Would Rise Again.
Growing up, I was so accustomed to Dad’s accent that I simply could not hear it. Only two decades after his death, when I found the tapes I’d recorded of his oral history, was I left breathless by his genteel Louisianan drawl. Dad’s beliefs about the benign nature of the South; about the “Negra’s” superiority in music, rhythm and athletics as a gift given in lieu of the deficiencies in that person’s intellect; were so subtly woven into my childhood that I simply couldn’t know them for what they were….
….until I was truly an adult.
….until I found a paper he wrote in high school asserting those “truths”.
….until he sent back a set of photographs I had taken at the beach because he couldn’t believe I had associated with “colored people” and assumed the store had erred.
….until he insisted at the dinner table that slaves were happy on the plantations – and my wife left the room in rage.
Dad was born in 1905. His grandfather had given all and lost all to the rebellion. He knew Confederate Veterans and used to search for musket-balls and arrowheads in the fields behind his house. His childhood was saturated with the terrible magnetism and lie of the Lost Cause – and with that uniquely gentle and mannerly style so characteristic of the old South. I loved him. I loved his stories – and I was taught to love those invidious, poisonous myths.
We are taught to hate – but not so obviously. It is never named hate. It is a casual, subtle and insidious schooling, happening before we can even be aware of such a construct as “race”. But it is potent, durable and in spite of all my efforts, seems in some ways painfully permanent.
I remember – 66 years ago – the very first time I encountered a black child. It was at Burt Lake in Northern Michigan in a changing room. I felt an instant chill and fear; he was alien. That I remember it now marks the depth of the conditioning.
Today, in spite of all my efforts, the horrible fact is that whenever I see a person of color, that truly is the first thing I notice. Color. I can feel that whispered hesitation. That tinge of suspicion. And I hate it.
Today, I cannot begin to imagine what that little boy saw when he looked into my six year old eyes.
Lord, Have Mercy.
June 7, 2020
Powerful, and a distant parallel to my own perspective. My father was born in the hills of Tennessee, and was inbred with similar traits, although perhaps a generation later. He treated everyone equally, but every now and then, he'd say something that exposed his roots. My own upbringing was in New Jersey, where I was, like you, isolated from others with different heritages during my formative elementary school years. Your paragraph near the end, "Today, in spite of all my efforts, ..." captures my dilemma as well. I guess, on a positive note, we realize it.
Robert’s letter today spoke eloquently of the burdens we’re carrying and the need to stand strong and support each other. I’m reminded of the help we have by this poem: Footprints
https://www.onlythebible.com/Poems/Footprints-in-the-Sand-Poem.html
Sometimes we’re carried, sometimes we’re the carriers:
https://youtu.be/Jl5vi9ir49g
Whatever happens, there is a reason for it, even if we don’t understand the reason right now or think we don’t need the reminder:
https://youtu.be/W4ga_M5Zdn4
Provided we remember that we’re all, even the ones we disagree most strongly with, brothers and sisters, we will get past these challenges and, if we persevere, we’ll bring about a better world for those who follow us. My regards to everyone:
https://youtu.be/ph1GU1qQ1zQ
Hello, Hubbell community. I just heard from an organization called Blue Future, which spent $175,000 to promote youth turnout in the midterms. Apparently the DNC only spent $25,000! If you're interested in supporting their efforts, join me at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bluefuture, or just check out their website, google our blue future.
The Tale of Two Videos: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." Charles Dickens's words seem prophetic these days. But in the videos, it's hard to see much on the positive side.
Fortunately, for me, I was driving when the Paul Pelosi video came out. I was listening to CNN or MSNBC, so I could only hear the audio. That was enough. When I got home, I started to watch the Tyre Nichols video(s) but stopped after a short time. That too was enough.
I guess if there's anything positive about the Paul Pelosi video/audio, it's that it puts to rest some of the despicable speculation and theorization that followed the attack, and showed how fortunate he was that the 911 operator finally picked up on his hints, and then how her quick actions got him the help that he needed.
If there's anything positive about the Tyre Nichols video(s)/audio(s), it's that they capture the utter disregard of the life of a single man by a significant number of our supposed protectors. The fact that they had body cameras recording their actions and inactions supports the need for such cameras, but makes one wonder how much worse things might have been without them.
The video records in each case make justice less escapable than it would have been otherwise. For that, we should be grateful. But gratefulness is not enough. We need to be moved to action to change the trajectory of violence in America, caused by either the unleashing of political malice or the callous inhumanity some of us show toward others.
Jon Margolis made some great observations in this thread. Perhaps before we take action against or speak ill of others, we should see them as something other than a target for our anger.
Tyre Nichols photography, courtesy of Heather Cox Richardson. Just adds to the heartbreak but so important to see. https://thiscaliforniakid2.wixsite.com/tnicholsphotography
After reading about Charles McGonigal (FBI) and the NYT story about John Durham and Bill Barr, I was shocked that these stories didn’t get much attention. PBS Newshour didn’t cover the Barr/Durham story at all last night or the night before. Even with all the other newsworthy stories of the week weren’t these stories worthy of more attention than they received?
https://open.substack.com/pub/sherrilyn/p/a-response-to-conor-friedersdorf?r=536qh&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I cannot, in all honesty, continue to watch over and over and over and over again, ""man's" brutality to to his fellow human beings. I believe that the endless replaying of violence is making us numb and disengaged from the reality that we are witnessing. I mostly blame the electronic media for this....yes, bad news is "fit" to print but it also spawns more bad news. The initial handling of Memphis' horror was superb...the constant replaying of this serves to dilute the power of the message of the Police Chief and other officials as well as the pain and grief of the family of Tyre Nichols, and others.
I also saw no need for the video of Paul Pelosi's beating. Had the people who were supposed to be monitoring the security cameras in the house were doing their jobs this violence might not have occurred. Oh yeah, Nancy was in D.C. so no need to protect her family....Sorry for the rant........Stay warm, dry, and safe.
Several readers have questioned the need to release the Paul Pelosi video. I certainly understand, and as Nancy Pelosi has noted, she will never watch that video. However given the vile conspiracy theories that surrounded the beating, the release of the video proved that an older gentleman was attacked by a vicious intruder, nothing more. And yet, I heard commentators on Fox News claiming that the videos did nothing to dispel the conspiracy theories. However, it then became clear that those commentators had not bothered to watch the video. That fact was elicited by questioning by a Fox interviewer who cross-examined the conspiracy mongers, to her credit. So, as unfortunate as it is that some people have to watch the Paul Pelosi video, it is helpful in stopping the flow of disinformation.
I am always thinking that a component of hate is fear-fear of others, fear of the unknown, fear of change. Life is all about change, let us learn to love each other for a change.
Rather than sit and watch, endless replays of the horrific events of this week, I turned the TV off and wrote 50 postcards to turn out our (majority) voters for the all-important state supreme court race in Wisconsin. I say to you the immortal words of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, "It comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying."
Also, Sherrilyn Ifill's comments
can you post her comments?
I recommend Joyce Vance's comments last night. Robert and Joyce will see us through...
Of course there are exceptions. However, I encourage you to do a little online research about the effects of involving more women in police work. The findings are provocative and what you would expect based on social scientific theory and research about gender roles and behavior.
There is no respite from violence, it seems. The horror of January 10 was followed by slaughters in Monterey Park, Shreveport, Half Moon Bay and Oakland, as well as a mass shooting in Baton Rouge, from which, thankfully, no one has died, as yet. There is an ongoing matter of extremists whipping up fear among those who simply want to go about their lives as usual-but that is nothing new. Sal La Barbera is no different from Steve Bannon, DJT or the late Rush Limbaugh. Yell "Communist!" and otherwise composed people become unglued. The crisis, if you will, is not one of a threat TO America from the Left. It is one of a lack of spiritual grounding-and falls primarily on those who dwell in a world of narcissism.