Land Of The Still Figuring Its Shit Out
How to handle "independence" day.
Lest you think you are unable to handle all of this, remember, this is not new.
Your ancestors went through very difficult times. You come from people who survived. They echo and beckon in your DNA. Summon them to speak up. Tell them you will listen.
America is and has always been a grand experiment. Observe. Collect the data. Work hard to fashion a better outcome this time.
As James Baldwin famously said, “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”
These are those times and we all need to get clear that our voices and actions are everything.
_____
It is late 2019. I am inside a famous college basketball stadium about to watch my daughter perform as a member of the school's dance team. I am proud of my kid for making this elite squad, and this is my first opportunity to see her in action. I am also excited to see this storied group of hoopsters do their thing.
Before the game begins, the college band plays the National Anthem, a sports ritual that exists for reasons I still cannot fathom. In the iota of moments it takes for the band to blare the three notes to "Oh-oh say" I search my conscience. For years, I've chosen neither to stand for the anthem of, nor pledge allegiance to the flag of, a country that willfully, flagrantly denies liberty and justice to all. But I'm in a southern state and I'm a stranger in this crowd and they're all standing. But a ritual where you and others around you pull yourself up to standing, as if robots, as if by rote, as if without thought, where you're expected to stand and pledge to something with words and song when you feel the thing you're pledging and singing about mistreats many people feels like coercion. Subjugation. Like a lie. Like brainwashing.
I do not want my legs and mouth to betray my values.
I sit.
My partner (a white male) sits, too.
A scrabbly white man standing right behind us slurs accusatory words in an ominous southern drawl: Yew're naat standing! I steel myself and sit. He taunts us a few more times. We continue sitting. I say to myself This is why you sit. If no one is around to notice, you aren't really doing anything at all. It's not a protest if you're the only one who sees it. Protest requires guts, requires taking chances.
Two hours later when the school appears to be losing its game, the slurry voice behind me says "Yewwww didn't staaaaaand," as if our not standing is the proximate cause of this impending loss. I freeze. What will this drunken southern man do with his opinion? Will he continue to speak? Will he become physical? Will he follow us out of the building into this dark night?
_____
Your clear articulation of what you believe, value, and want from America is what is required. Today's a great time to show yourself and those around you what you're made of. My advice to you today (and every day) is:
don't sing a song whose lyrics you disagree with
don't stand, if standing feels like betrayal of your ideals
take a knee if you want to make a statement
wear a t-shirt with a slogan that represents your values
refuse to pledge allegiance to a state of mind that does not want liberty and justice for all
go to that barbecue and be brave with neighbors and friends and family; don't get into fistfights, but speak your mind with kindness in your heart and a smile on your face
when people say "Happy 4th!" reply, with a smile, "Is it?" then utter one sentence about what's concerning you
honk your horn
sport that bumper sticker
hold up your homemade sign
stand up for what matters to you
register to vote
vote like the very planet depends on it
protect the right of others to vote
ensure that others vote
And while it's too late for today, if you want some great signage in your yard going forward, check out the Syracuse Cultural Workers website which is where I found this lovely thing. (I just bought a new one as the one I had was fading from the hot California sun). These folks also have a bunch of other wonderful signage, shirts, etc. that I encourage you to check out.
This land IS your land. Have hope. BE hope. Through hard work and dedication in the years ahead, we shall overcome. Your ancestors said the same thing. And they did overcome. And we shall, too.
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Share your thoughts below about the complexity of celebrating America, and on the concept of "independence," in this bewildering era!
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