7/5/2020: Independence day and heritage
This is a tough Independence Day weekend here in the U.S. We are watching our pandemic numbers climb, and our president gave two of his most divisive speeches yet. And yet, we touch a historical context that, with all its problems and limitations, is still an important innovation: founding a nation on "an idea, rather than an identity." (Credit for this phrase goes to journalist Hannah Allam: https://www.npr.org/2020/07/05/887386841/a-look-at-protests-in-richmond-over-independence-day-weekend)
At the time of writing the Declaration of Independence, too many humans were left out of the notion of being "created equal." The power of that notion is undeniable, however, as it has fueled efforts to expand inclusion into the democratic enterprise ever since it was written. And each effort at expansion of democracy meets with strong resistance, as we saw this weekend. The demands for inclusion of marginalized groups into the created equal sphere was characterized as a rejection of "our heritage."
Well, that's sort of correct. We do reject the thread within our heritage that based participation in democracy on perceived race, gender, and economic status. We do reject the thread within our heritage that considered white male landowners as the only full humans. We do reject the thread within our heritage that has conflated whiteness and Christianity with privilege and power. We do reject the thread within our heritage that generates fear of our fellow Americans. We reject the thread within our heritage that views material wealth as a mark of virtue, of being chosen for leadership and privilege by some supernatural force.
Perhaps the only way to maintain the huge disparity of wealth in this community that is (arbitrarily) boundaried by the 49th Parallel North and the 28th Parallel North is to entice the people who live within those lines to look away. If we truly absorb the reality of the disparity of wealth, we are moved to action. We realize that the "enemy" is not left or right, not immigrant or asylum seeker, not person of color or individual police officer. The "enemy" is the entrenchment in a system that requires huge numbers of relatively poor and powerless laborers, and a smaller number of relatively comfortable but economically precarious workers, in order to preserve the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few.
There are many relatively simple and comparatively inexpensive solutions that are widely supported and yet left idle by our national representatives of the people, Congress: raising the minimum wage, ensuring paid sick and family leave for all workers, expanding ways for individuals to vote. More expensive, but also supported by most (and less costly than the 2017 tax cut): health care for all, infrastructure rebuilding, and aspects of the green new deal.
All of these reforms would reduce the wealth concentrated in the top one percent; none would become impoverished, but all would see their fortunes (personal and corporate) reduced. And that, apparently, is so unacceptable to those in power that they would rather see the majority of us afraid of and fighting one another. A powerful narrative is required to pull our attention away from the daily reality of inequality. Made more visible by the pandemic, economic disparity of the kind that exists in this nation would not be tolerated unless we were convinced that the alternative is worse. Enter the "American carnage" story, a new chapter of which was written over this weekend. In this narrative, we are a nation under threat from anything and everything BUT wealth disparity. It's misdirection, the simplest trick of the stage magician: "look over there," while the trick happens right in front of our eyes.
In the spirit of "created equal," that powerful idea within the Declaration of Independence, let us resist such misdirection with all our collective might. Let us continue to enrich the story of expansion of democratic inclusion, human rights, and care for the planet as our true heritage, worthy of our embrace. Let us put our history in context, and show up for one another in powerful, compassionate ways.
I hope you are staying safe and healthy, and I know you are doing what you can every day. Take good care, and thank you for your company on this journey.
With love,
Liz
P.S. If you are interested, I highly recommend the PBS series "The Vote," which tells the story of women suffrage. It offers insight into the powerful resistance to expanding democracy, and while it falls a bit short (I think) in examining the racial issues it acknowledges, it does help us understand the intersection of gender, race, religion, and economic factors. It will be broadcast this week, and is available to stream as well.