Wednesday, August 7, 2019

A Line Across Humanity


A Line Across Humanity

A few weeks ago, when I promised to be a more regular presence here on the blog, I mentioned how much more difficult that promise is to keep that it used to be.  The world has changed dramatically in the past two and a half years.  It seems ridiculous to pretend otherwise.  But I vowed to try and post various things, more regularly.  Then as I was working on a few ideas for this week, the shootings in El Paso and Dayton occurred and I realized how impossible it is for me to post what I'd planned in the cold light of such tragedy.  Anthing I came up with would be so irredeemably trivial it would feel obscene.

There have been 255 mass shootings in the United States so far this year.  The current occupant of the Oval Office, along with his champions at Fox News,  blames this chiefly on video games and mental illness, never once mentioning the idiocy of a citizenry that is allowed to walk the streets with assault rifles in their hands.  While other countries around the world have both video games and mentally ill individuals, their statistics on gun violence reveal these "causes" to be nothing more than what they are:  a continued appeasement of an evil and increasingly unhinged gun lobby.  And while the occupant of the White House decried white supremacy in his official statement Monday morning, one cannot help by refer back to his shocking behavior during his rallies and the endless rascism contained in his tweets to see how well his knows the language of white supremacy.  He uses it freely.  When racist websites are gleeful over their "friend in the White House", it is beyond disingenuous to deny the connection.  When hateful manifestos of mass murderers echo his own words, the responsibility squats like a poisonous toad on his shoulders.

I'll keep trying to write something other than this in later posts.  But for now my thoughts are best expressed by an offical letter released last week, before the shootings, by the National Cathedral.  It is a rare thing for them to put out such a statement, even rarer as it is addressed to a sitting president.  But I'm very grateful they did, and I hope you'll take a few moments to read it.
  This man has drawn a clear line across humanity.  
It is up to each one of us to decide where to stand.

Have We No Decency? A Response to President Trump
The escalation of racialized rhetoric from the President of the United States has evoked responses from all sides of the political spectrum. On one side, African American leaders have led the way in rightfully expressing outrage. On the other, those aligned with the President seek to downplay the racial overtones of his attacks, or remain silent. 
As faith leaders who serve at Washington National Cathedral ¬– the sacred space where America gathers at moments of national significance – we feel compelled to ask: After two years of President Trump’s words and actions, when will Americans have enough? 
As Americans, we have had such moments before, and as a people we have acted. Events of the last week call to mind a similarly dark period in our history: 
“Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. … You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency?” 
That was U.S. Army attorney Joseph Welch on June 9, 1954, when he confronted Senator Joseph McCarthy before a live television audience, effectively ending McCarthy’s notorious hold on the nation. Until then, under the guise of ridding the country of Communist infiltration, McCarthy had free rein to say and do whatever he wished. With unbridled speech, he stoked the fears of an anxious nation with lies; destroyed the careers of countless Americans; and bullied into submissive silence anyone who dared criticize him. 
In retrospect, it’s clear that Welch’s question was directed less toward McCarthy and more to the nation as a whole. Had Americans had enough? Where was our sense of decency?
We have come to accept a level of insult and abuse in political discourse that violates each person’s sacred identity as a child of God. We have come to accept as normal a steady stream of language and accusations coming from the highest office in the land that plays to racist elements in society. 
This week, President Trump crossed another threshold. Not only did he insult a leader in the fight for racial justice and equality for all persons; not only did he savage the nations from which immigrants to this country have come; but now he has condemned the residents of an entire American city. Where will he go from here? 
Make no mistake about it, words matter. And, Mr. Trump’s words are dangerous.
These words are more than a “dog-whistle.” When such violent dehumanizing words come from the President of the United States, they are a clarion call, and give cover, to white supremacists who consider people of color a sub-human “infestation” in America. They serve as a call to action from those people to keep America great by ridding it of such infestation. Violent words lead to violent actions.
When does silence become complicity? What will it take for us all to say, with one voice, that we have had enough? The question is less about the president's sense of decency, but of ours. 
As leaders of faith who believe in the sacredness of every single human being, the time for silence is over. We must boldly stand witness against the bigotry, hatred, intolerance, and xenophobia that is hurled at us, especially when it comes from the highest offices of this nation. We must say that this will not be tolerated. To stay silent in the face of such rhetoric is for us to tacitly condone the violence of these words. We are compelled to take every opportunity to oppose the indecency and dehumanization that is racism, whether it comes to us through words or actions.
There is another moment in our history worth recalling. On January 21, 2017, Washington National Cathedral hosted an interfaith national prayer service, a sacred tradition to honor the peaceful transfer of political power. We prayed for the President and his young Administration to have “wisdom and grace in the exercise of their duties that they may serve all people of this nation, and promote the dignity and freedom of every person.” 
That remains our prayer today for us all. 
The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington
The Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas, Canon Theologian of Washington National Cathedral


14 comments:

  1. You have stated the heartbreakingly sad state of our USA very clearly. I agree with. I will try to get others to vote and hope we can change this government. It's all such a tragedy.

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  2. my eyes are full of tears. I simply do not understand.
    lies were told by President Clinton about sleeping with someone who was not his wife. and he was impeached! is that all it takes?
    has this current man not lied enough?
    this man in the white house has lied about anything and everything to the point of our not even being shocked by it anymore? WHERE are the dogs of congress? the watchdogs? are they ALL in the powerful greedy pockets of the NRA and other lobbies? to the detriment of America at its core? this is worse than anything I've known or heard about and I'm 74 years old. thank you for this post. thank you.

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  3. It is all overwhelming. The time has come to send him back under a rock. But how? Half in this country love him. I can't wrap my head around that. I think what galls me the most, is when his followers say if we don't love him and America we should leave. Any candidate opposing him is preferable, yet, I don't think a single one of them can beat him. I hope someone steps up soon.

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  4. I didn’t finish reading this. As sad and heartbreaking as these tragedies are what we do not need is finger pointing from either side. The breakdown of our government is equally due to rhetoric from both sides of the isle. Divisions among our American brothers and sisters started long before Trump was elected. I do not like him and I did not vote for him. I wish he would choose his words wisely but the clap back is just as awful. There are no adults left in Washington whether red or blue stripe. What I am seeing and hearing this week is doing nothing to heal this country. It is time to step back and become rational before getting in front of a tv camera be it politician or ‘news’ journalist. The victims deserve better, their families deserve better. The American people deserve better.

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  5. Please, no politics. I love your blog, Pamela. I love hearing about your furry family members and your writing. It's a refuge from the real world. If I want politics I can turn on the news. It's easy to blame these tragic incidents on the current occupant of the White House, but the perpetrators of these acts were people that had long standing emotional and psychological problems and most likely would have committed these acts no matter who was president. The real problem is people's access to guns, specifically high powered fire arms. I don't advocate for taking away everyone's guns either. To me, that doesn't seem a realistic solution. It would just create a black market. Nor can I believe this was what the founding fathers intended when they declared that we have the right to bear arms. No one ever said people have the right to own automatic weapons. No one needs an automatic weapon. The problem with our elected officials - all of them - is that they no longer care about doing what is best for the people they represent. They don't talk to one another or make an attempt at reaching solutions. They only point to "the other", their political opponent, in their own interest and in the interest of getting elected or re-elected.

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  6. Many of us in this county despair about the situation too Pamela.

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  7. A blog is nothing if it does not express the true heart of the blogger. You must be genuine if you are to be believed. Anyone who has followed you on this wonderful journey that is your life knows that you do not carelessly insert your views on the politics of the day, nor do you seek to point fingers of blame against the innocent. Anyone who knows you even through only the filters of this blog should know that you do not have a heart to divide. But there comes a time when division is necessary. You must be true to the message that is in your heart to convey. When it's necessary to express alarm for strands of ideology that will warp the moral fabric of this land if they are allowed to remain in the weave, there is no need for apology. Sometimes you have to separate yourself from the fracas, and make a stand on higher ground.

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  8. This is not politics. This is a moral issue. It needs to be addressed, not swept under the carpet. I applaud Pamela for taking a stand. The present occupant of the White House does empower some crazy people rather than bring the nation together to deal with this moral issue.

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  9. Pamela, This is an excellent post. Please continue to post what you feel is appropriate. This is your blog and you have every right to your opinion. None of us should be silent, and accepting, of the horrific things that are going on in our country and government.

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  10. I appreciate that you express what is true to your heart and mind. This is much larger than if one agrees with the choice of blog topic or the opinion you relate. It asks us to examine our action or lack thereof and encourages us to be better citizens. It is a reminder that we have choices and that antipathy and complacency has no place in these times. I cannot thank you enough for the courage you have.

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  11. Thank you for this post. Despite some people not wanting politics to intrude on posts, it's important to articulate what is happening and where we are as a country. You help morale when you address things as you have in this post. Keep posting.

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  12. Thank you for this post. It's important to articulate what is and has been happening in this country, even if it makes some people uncomfortable. Your words help morale and bolster strength of spirit. Please keep posting.

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  13. I commented on this post when you first wrote it, but I see my comment didn't go through. I (like many others) share your angst over this horrible administration, but please don't abandon your blog. Your thoughts are always so well expressed and they express the thoughts of others. In these times, we need to see the words of kindred spirits, even as we work to counteract the ills afflicting our land right now. Your words give strength.

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!