Is the world changing or is it just us? Thinking back to the 1970’s I fondly recollect viewing “All in the Family” with everyone’s favorite conservative, Archie Bunker. The show would open with the song “Those were the Days.” The voices of Archie and Edith kind of singing “Girls were girls and men were men, Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again,”. Archie portrayed the American male envisioning a time in our country when essentially white males were in charge. The times in America were changing including women in the workforce not just the kitchen, African Americans and other minorities were gaining protection and entrance into the jobs dominated by males even in leadership rolls. Perhaps this vision was of an America that never really existed but time passing can magnify certain memories out of proportion. How is that different from today?
We now have a President who visualizes a world that never existed. He sees some people as belonging in a lower caste. Possibly his wealthy upbringing or his inherited wealth that created a void, a lack of understanding of his fellow human beings. Having never served in the military he lacked experiencing people from different groups, social economic status, races, ethnicity even religion. In the military you are forced to accept people in higher ranks without regard for wealth. Whether during a time of war or not one learns to trust and rely on other people.
Mr. Trump sees a world where a future of the nation is being shaped by non Anglo people. That is scary to him and his appeal is to people with similar fears. Why do immigrants, legally here or not, create fear? African Americans have loved and served our country even though their ancestors were brought here on slave ships. Why would we fear them? Are many of us so prejudiced against anyone who is not from some Northern European country? In earlier times many objected to the Irish immigrants both with the way they talked and their religion. When Southern European immigrants began arriving their olive complexion created a concern for some people. Later groups arriving from South and Central America, Mexico, Asia all looked a little different spoke different languages and were too inclined to stick together. This was a problem that we created by not openly welcoming many. Clinging together by these immigrants wasn’t a choice, it was about survival. These people have fit into our country and gave credibility to the meaning of the “melting pot.” These changes have been ongoing for years, benefiting our country, our way of life. There has always been some prejudice but only recently has it been expressed from the highest levels of our government serving as an invitation to hate, to fear.
This is the face of our nation that has gone to wars, landed on the moon and ventured back and forth into space, helped other countries improve the lives of its citizens and built the greatest economy in the world. These feats were accomplished under both Republican and Democratic leadership working together. Saying it isn’t or outright denying it won’t change who we have been nor who we will be.
At times we might feel we have lost our way. Our government may seek to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion by declaring them wrong or somehow inappropriate but that is who we are. These words have the same meaning now. We can not change their definition. Firing government employees without any valid rationale or review of the work being done is wrong. Incarcerating people for alleged crimes or even no crime without due process is wrong. Sending our military into our cities to control civilian society is not only inconsistent with our constitution it is dangerous. Many governments are over thrown by military coupes, are we being set up for such a happening here? These actions and others have been opposed by our population without question. We have condemned other governments for these actions.
I wonder how this all ends. Some people object and protest in words and actions. Others may see no need to get worked up and believe it will right itself. I am much less optimistic about the road our country is currently traveling down. My fear is not the lost vision of the country we never were. It is fear of losing the country we have been and are. If the solution is in protests as it was during the civil right protests and antiwar in Vietnam protests, then we must step up our efforts. Stopping our current decline will require millions of people, regular people, protesting in Washington DC marching from the Capitol, the people’s house, up Pennsylvania Avenue to the house the people provide for the President. If he and our Congress don’t understand then some one should be carrying an eviction notice.
Phil's Personal Perspectives 