I Wonder

by Ruth A. Sheets

I’VE spent a lot of time THESE PAST 5 YEARS OR SO completing and signing petitions related to the issues I care about most.  One theme that comes up often lately in my responses is, “why am I begging for a right that all American citizens, all human beings should already have?”.  Recently, I realized there are a lot of things I am wondering about.

I remember back in my simpler days when I wondered why the sky is blue and what I would do over summer break.  Of course, today’s wonderings seem to me more complex because the answers can’t be found in a science text or resolved by my own choices.  These are some of my wonderings today.  Feel free to add to them with some of yours.

I wonder . . .   

- why we the people have to beg our representatives for the most basic right of being a citizen, the right to vote unimpeded by political partisanship so one party, (these days, the Republicans) can gather and consolidate power they have not earned. 

- How is it vote suppressors are allowed to get away with voter suppression.  I know part of it is that our Supreme Court  does not seem to be able to be trusted to do the right thing for anyone but rich white Christian (OK claiming to be Christian) men and their corporations.  I know that was not what the founders had in mind, but they who cry that they are originalists simply lie because what they are really deciding is what is comfortable for themselves and what gives themselves the most prestige with their masters, the rich white "Christian" men and corporations.  That doesn’t fully explain it, though, so I still wonder.

- how Republicans believe they should have power even though they have to cheat and lie to get it, and no one seems willing to stop them, even Democrats.

- why we the people haven't risen to vote out the representatives at all levels who regularly lie to constituents.  Oh wait, their cheating, lying, and voter suppression may be giving them edges in certain states, like maybe Texas, Iowa, others while they challenge votes in states that have actually proven their integrity related to the vote.  This does not explain this completely either.

- why a president we just elected to right the wrongs of the previous administration has done so little, even in the areas where he has power.

- how it is that Donald Trump is never held accountable for anything he does.  This has led to a lot of likeminded people trying to follow his game plan, whatever that is to keep themselves from accountability too.

- how 74 million people voted for an impeached president who clearly committed the crime the Republicans in the Senate refused to acknowledge.

- why we, an enormously wealthy nation allow children to be raised in poverty, a condition that warps the spirit as well as the abilities of those who live it, then, we blame them for their condition.

- why medical care is not available to every person in this country.  Not covering everyone ends up costing more than if we did in work days lost to illness, and pro bono coverage by hospitals of those who are not covered.

- why we have allowed tech corporations to become huge and able to control all areas of life, nearly unregulated and with little evidence of any kind of positive ethics related to the people who use their services or are employed by them.

- why so little is being done related to the size and complexity of global warming, to stop its progress and reverse its effects, even in the face of massive wildfires, storms, and flooding.

- how it is we the American nation have not fallen under the weight of our own divisiveness, selfishness, and nationalistic foolishness.

- why so many people refuse to get vaccinated when it is clear that is the best way to protect oneself and others from a destructive disease.  They whine that they should have control over their own body and should be able to decide what happens to it.  OMG, isn’t that what women have claimed for generations about their bodies and reproductive freedom?  Perhaps that “right” only goes for men and conservatives, not those pesky women.  

- why white people are so afraid of everyone who is not white, so persist in trying to limit the rights and opportunities of people of color and won’t acknowledge that is what they are doing.

- why gaslighting (telling people they are not experiencing what they are experiencing) is so popular among leaders these days.  I am guessing it’s because it works, but I don’t understand why we let it work.  Republicans now claim the January 6^th insurrection was just some loving peaceful tourists visiting the Capitol (OK, even if that were true, due to COVID, tourists were not permitted in the capital building).  Can they not see what is in the videos taken even by their own attackers? 

- How Republicans get away with calling bills in Congress  and their PACs and organizations opposite of what the bill or organization actually does. (e.g., the “Freedom to Vote” bill was really the freedom to exclude people of color, young people, and students from voting act).

- how Christians can claim to be Christian while supporting leaders who don’t follow any of the teachings of Jesus:  do unto others . . ., welcome the stranger, give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, do good to those who hurt you, care for the orphans and widow (not deport them), love your neighbor as yourself, and so on.  They even support candidates who don’t even begin to follow the Ten Commandments which Evangelical Christians claim to love so dearly.

- why so many white men believe they need guns, not only in their homes to “protect their castle,” but also in their car, and in their pocket, but don’t want other groups to have the same privilege and are OK when police kill a Black man for having a registered gun.

- police officers believe they should be immune from responsibility for whatever they do on duty.  People in most other jobs don’t have that privilege, except maybe Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and the people who got pardoned by Donald Trump.  The police are supposed to be our employees, not our intimidators and killers.

- why so many white people claim they don’t have a racist bone in their bodies, then do or support racist actions, like voter suppression and denying funds to stop poverty.  I am thinking maybe it’s because they actually don’t have “a” racist bone, but a whole racist skeleton, and it is hidden inside, but I am not sure.

- why I am a chocoholic and don’t want to be relieved of my addiction.

I’ll keep wondering and hope you will too so we can bring our wonderings to our people in power.  I will not apologize for my biases in this set of wonderings because that is where I am right now and want change that will make a difference for all, not just the privileged few.

PROGRESSIVE STANCE (a poem)

by Ruth Sheets

Go forward not backward, the progressive theme

We hang with reality, don’t stay caught in a dream

Appreciate others, what they have to say

Believe men and women should get equal pay 

Working hard forty hours should let one live well

And one’s working conditions should not be a hell

High minimum wage is the right thing to do

And supporting more unions would help us all too

Know science is key to the progress we make  

Our earth is worth saving, our lives are at stake. 

Your rights must end where my rights begin

Choose what’s best for my body, it isn’t a sin 

One should not be judged by condition of birth

Race, age, or gender should not mark one’s worth.

A fact is a fact and a lie is a lie

They can be distinguished but you’ll have to try.

When you do something wrong you must answer for it

If you claim lies are true, let your punishment fit 

Criminal justice is rare if you’re black

Cops maintain law and order, a knee on your back

Police should be serving not ruling the town

Not immune for their actions toward Black, Gold, and Brown

President Trump should be out of the way.

He lost fair and square last Election Day

Insurgents invaded the Capitol ground

They need to be jailed; there was video found

Our Government’s size lets it do lots of good

Taking care of our people, it’s right that it should

Learning to compromise, to negotiate

Make a positive deal then go celebrate

Conservatives claim that money is speech

Which adds to corruption, extending their reach  

Easy voting should be each American’s right

So stopping suppression is everyone’s fight

If we’re fair, the Electoral college is through  

‘Twas designed to give slavery states more than their due

Your religion should never be foisted on me

Not its laws nor exclusions, indefinitely  

It’s time we grow up and put war aside

Stop making more weapons, that’s just suicide

The “War on Drugs” was a disaster you know

‘cause destruction and drugs continue to flow

Guns are a bad habit for folks on the Right

Concealed, open carry, but just if you’re white

Our climate is warming that’s not what we need 

We’ve let fossil fuelers destroy with their greed

Ecosystems collapsing and more species die

We humans have done this, too much wet too much dry 

Wildfires and floods are now stalking our land

Depriving our kids of the future they planned

So we must step up, precious planet to save

Or we’ll have created an unending  grave

L-G-B-T-Q have plenty to say

So do women, disabled, and kids, by the way  

Race is a challenge America faces

And Conservatives like to prioritize races

They don’t want our schools to discuss our dark past

They want their position above all to last 

But excluding non-whites can’t go on any longer

We all know diversity makes us much stronger

Let’s call a patriot, one who can see

That the goal we should strive for is equality 

So with empathy, integrity, and care we stand tall

Progressives!  Work toward a great future for all!

CONSERVATIVE & PROGRESSIVE CONTRASTS PART 2

by Ruth A. Sheets

Last week I expanded on a friend’s idea of contrasting Conservatives and Progressives and realized there was a lot more to say on the subject.  Here is the next set of contrasts, equally disturbing but thought-provoking.

PROGRESSIVES

- will try to negotiate so that everyone can win at least some points even when what Conservatives want is often not good for anyone but themselves in the name of bipartisanship.

- know that facts are facts and lies are lies and it is wrong to pretend lies are facts no matter who puts them out there

- believe Religion is personal and often spurs believers to action on behalf of others, living one’s faith

- believe the death penalty is just plain wrong

- are fully aware of the racist nature of our criminal justice system and know it must be changed

- know the “War on Drugs” has been a disaster for everyone involved and most want it stopped

- know that the second amendment to the Constitution is not talking about hand guns, automatic and semi-automatic weapons, and large magazines, so believe these should be well-regulated

- believe every citizen should be able to vote and arbitrary voting rules should be dropped everywhere (For example, a person can’t vote until after an outrageously long parole is completed or no one can give food or water to people waiting in huge long lines to vote – in minority communities, of course) 

- know and have proof that the former president lost the 2020 election by a significant margin in both popular votes and in the outdated, racist Electoral College

- believe police have the job of serving not ruling over or intimidating the people they are serving

- believe police need to be held accountable for all of their actions and interactions with the people they are supposed to serve

- know education is the path to successful adulthood

- believe a wide range of literature is essential for a well-rounded education

- believe learning about race in history is essential if our nation will recover from the systemic racism that engulfs nearly every aspect of modern society as it has always done

- believe in including a wide range of people in decision-making because diversity is our strength

- understand and acknowledge that global warming is human generated and want to do what is necessary to stop it before it is too late

- understand that ecosystems are a balance among many species, each one contributing something to it which will be lost if species become extinct

- understand that no one’s rights should be more valuable than those of other people and money is not speech because it gives the rich more rights and influence than they deserve

- know that attacking the US Capitol is insurrection and the attackers should be treated and prosecuted as insurrectionists even though they were white

CONSERVATIVES:

- Decide that If they don’t get what they want at first, they will manipulate things to try to get what they want no matter what is right, fair, or actually needed.  If they go back on a deal, they consider it a victory.

- believe blustering white men (and occasionally women) must be telling the truth because they are loud and blustering

- buy into the patriarchal idea that God is male and males are superior and what they pronounce at whatever level is somehow worthy of becoming law.  (for example, government gets into women’s personal decisions regarding what women can and can’t do while there is no equivalent interference with men)

- believe the Bible should be the source of our laws and punishments, except the ones they like to break 

- think the death penalty is necessary despite the fact that innocent people have been executed and it has never been a deterrent

- believe people of color are more likely to be criminals, so arresting them for small acts will keep them from committing larger ones later

- think white people use and abuse different drugs and so it is OK to arrest and convict white people significantly less often than Black and Latino users

- believe the “War on Drugs” has been a success

- believe or claim to believe anyone who wants a gun should have one – even concealed and open carry are perfectly acceptable and should be permitted everywhere

- feel it is acceptable to jail people of color for voting mistakes while letting white people go with a warning who voted for their dead relative

- believe or claim to believe “The Big Lie” that the former president won the election and it is only not acknowledged because of voter fraud – the former president will get back in power soon

- believe it is OK for police to have qualified immunity which police sometimes see as a license to kill, particularly Black and Latino men

- believe only conservative values (whatever they are) should be taught in school and rich white men with no teaching experience or real knowledge of history should determine what those are and how teachers should teach them

- fear teaching about race in American history - it might make white kids feel guilty – for what, the privilege their skin color still gives them?

- feel there is a specific set of books that all students should read, by white authors, of course, maybe one Black author’s poem or short story if it doesn’t challenge white beliefs

- believe or say they believe global warming is a hoax and began calling it “climate change” so it wouldn’t seem as serious as it is because denying its existence means nothing has to be done about it

- care little for species that don’t bring in wealth or that cause discomfort or impede their business no matter the value to its ecosystem

- believe money is speech and people with lots of money should be able to speak more loudly and more often than those poor folks who have no money, even to the point of corrupting our elections (Oh wait, they don’t call it corrupting, do they?) 

- claim to believe the events of January 6, 2021 were like “tourists visiting the Capitol” despite all the videos and bragging by the insurrectionists to the contrary

- those who participated in the events of January 6th should not be prosecuted – they did nothing wrong, not really

I do think there are good folks among the Conservatives though it is hard to know that from their silence.  Conservative media does not include their voices because they don’t hype the controversial party line, are usually not loud and overbearing, constantly wearing their anger and fear on their sleeves.

Some Progressives are sure some kind of violence is going to be necessary to make significant change in our society toward improving things.  Fortunately, this group is not a majority because violence just gets more violence and always has.

I do wonder sometimes if Conservatives actually sit down and think about what they are listening to and ultimately agreeing to.  It has been said that when one is privileged, equality seems like oppression and right now, Conservative white people are being told over and over that they are the ones being oppressed and losing their rights.  They can’t see the flaw in such thinking.

One way to slightly impact one’s thinking could be that in counties where there is allowed only one or a very small number of drop boxes for ballots, they should be in the poorest neighborhoods in the county.  The rich have the means to get there to drop off their ballot while poor people can’t afford to travel far, and, maybe, the rich could have a tiny peak at what life is like for the non-privileged, those they believe have caused their own poverty.  They can note their own racism as they quickly rush to deliver their ballot and dash off in their shiny car that no one in that neighborhood could ever afford.  OK, it could also keep them thinking they are superior, but it would be worth it just to see what would happen.  In either case, the poor would get the chance to vote. 

In our society where news is available in all its forms all day, every day, Conservatives as well as the rest of us are exposed to people other than ourselves.  Even Conservatives, if they took a moment to consider, know deep down that Black people and other people of color are treated differently even if they can’t admit or verbalize it.  Maybe they know many of their beliefs are hollow but cling to them because doing anything else would mean discarding thoughts and behaviors that have sustained them and their families for generations.  Believing one’s Black or Latina housekeeper, lawn service workers, or nanny are equal to themselves would be terrifying, so they faithfully watch Fox “News” and continue to absorb the lies because it has worked for them and keeps them from being overwhelmed by the swiftly-changing world around them.

As I read through these lists of contrasts, I see that changing one’s mind in just a few areas could massively impact one’s perspective and actions.  I hope Conservatives will take that to heart and rethink some of the ways they look at what is going on in our nation.

Yes, my biases are showing again and I still hope an honest Conservative will update my understanding of Conservatism.  That would require ditching the mis and dis information, the lies, the made-up stuff because I did say “honest.”  Then, the person responding needs to use a voice that is moderated and shows they understand what is real.  I know, that’s such difficult criteria for Conservatives/Republicans these days 

Progressives mess up too, and may be too idealistic and believe anyone can change and do better, but I would rather believe that than that I am inherently better than someone else just because I was born white or with some other arbitrary characteristic.

Oh, by the way, I am still looking for more positive comparisons.  Got any?

STARK CONTRASTS – PERMANENT?

by Ruth A. Sheets 

A friend was considering the juxtaposition of Progressives and Conservatives as to their world view.  It got me thinking too.  I compiled the following list of contrasts.  It is clear where my biases lie and I must admit I am OK with them.  We just got past 5 years of a blustering ignorant would-be autocrat whom Conservatives love, four of those years with him as president.  I’m thinking it’s time to move on. 

During those years, I felt Conservatives had taken over the airwaves and did a pretty good job of demonizing Progressives as OMG, Socialists, Communists, reverse racists, unpatriotic traitors, whiners, and more.  When questioned, on the rare occasion when they were, they couldn’t explain what they meant by these terms except to point to Bernie Sanders or members of “The Squad.”  

The following are the contrasts Conservative America has helped me to identify based on current and recent actions and speeches.  I would be interested to see a Conservative’S juxtaposition and how it differs from mine.   

PROGRESSIVES

- have empathy

- think about and plan for the future

- Are usually willing to hear other people’s ideas even if they don’t agree with them

- generally have thinking firmly based in reality

- Appreciate the contributions of science and think science and technology can make life better for all if employed effectively

- understand that a reasonable minimum wage is essential for fairness ($15 per hour at least)

- workers keep our economy strong and should be treated well, and unions can help with this

- see the government as a source of positive help for the people of the country

- believe people should be held accountable for what they do

- think groups should not be judged as a whole, even Conservatives

- know that racism exists and is systemic in our nation and want to do something to end it

- believe there are inalienable rights each person has including the right to choose. 

- believe their rights end where another person’s begin, therefore, for example, one gets vaccinated to protect themselves and others

- see patriotism as working to see that everyone in this country is treated equitably.

- think everyone is responsible to work to protect the earth in whatever ways they can

- believe men and women are equally valuable and should not be judged because of their gender or condition of birth

- see voting as critical for every citizen and that it should be easy for every citizen to do it

- feel public spending should be mostly for programs that serve the American people directly with defense and the military a much smaller part of the budget than it is now

- believe one’s personal integrity and how things are done matter 

CONSERVATIVES

- consider only what works for themselves and those like them

- Think the past was so much better than what is happening now, even though there is little to no evidence to support that thinking.

- Are so sure of their own ideas others’ ideas are rarely entertained

- often find themselves going along with words and actions that are not based in reality but keep telling themselves they are the ones living in reality

- like what science has brought to them to make their lives comfortable but don’t want science if accepting its findings makes them uncomfortable

- are OK with the minimum wage as it is now because if workers were really worth it, they would be paid more, in fact, for many workers, minimum wage is too high

- see workers as just tools to get a particular job done

- see the boss as king and workers are essentially slaves while on the job - if they don’t like it, they can leave and move on. (Amazon workers are subject to this thinking all the time)

- believe Reagan’s saying the “I’m from the government and I’m here to help” is the most frightening thing for an American to hear. 

- believe only certain people should be held accountable because true conservatives are always acting in the best interest of “the people.”

- think Black people are scary, “except for the ones I know”

- believe they are not racist, ever – Progressives are the racist ones and it is white people who are the real targets.

- believe they should decide what rights people have and those rights will be ones they are comfortable with and those other people may not even deserve those rights

- see a fetus is more valuable than any living woman or child

- believe if they don’t want to be vaccinated, no one should even try to encourage them to do it for the good of the people or any other reason

- believe patriotism is waving the flag and covering your heart when singing “The National Anthem,” and, of course, not “taking a knee” during a sporting event

- believe that since they pay for public services and utilities they can use as much as they want to and no one can stop them or even ask them to limit their use

- believe men in general and white men in particular should rule the home and pretty much everything else.

- see war and conflict in general as ways men can prove their manhood, and women have no right in the military

- believe if religious groups don’t like a particular type of person they should be allowed to “exclude them” from their businesses and their presence

- believe voting should be hard except for conservative white people who will vote the right way

- believe most of our government spending should be on the military and defense with service programs for the people, a minor part of the budget (except when they need something)

- believe the ends justify the means, even if it means lying, cheating, and making things up (like voter fraud)

I have been working to think of what Conservatives and Progressives have in common.  It was hard, but here are a couple of things.

- Family is important (at least one’s own family).

- The United States is a good place to live.

- People should be able to make a decent living.

- Utilities should be reliable.

- People should have the opportunity to advance in their career.

- people should be safe.

Even if we just started with these six points, we could perhaps find other commonalities.  I am only slightly hopeful because attitudes of each group toward the other right now are so negative it is hard to even get discussions going, let alone agreements of any kind.

That does not mean we should give up and let the chaos break out.  Conservatives had their four years.  It’s time for Progressives to have ours.  It will be interesting to see where our nation will be after four years with Progressives supplying the ideas and working to make them a reality.  We’ll see. 

MAY BE SUPREME, BUT FAIR?

by Ruth A. Sheets

The Supreme Court ended its 2020-2021 session with a bombshell.  It was dropped on July 1^st and essentially told Arizona it can make restrictive voting laws if it chooses and there will be ways to claim they are not discriminating against Black Americans and other people of color.  The Court essentially told Arizona and any other state that is interested, that voting restriction can be a viable means of keeping unwanted votes from entering the election, and the Court will approve if the law doesn’t specifically say “to keep Black people from voting.”

I was not surprised at this ruling.  I knew when the Court’s conservatives let the Affordable Care Act (ACA) stand there would be a destructive decision to come.  I was not sure exactly which it would be, but it was a guarantee.  When I realized that voting rights were among the final rulings to be handed down, I was pretty sure it would not be good for those who are against voter suppression.

The Court conservatives for the past few decades have done what they can to represent the interests OF white, male, wealthy individuals and corporations.  They have done a pretty good job of it too. 

To seem to be “non-partisan” one or two members will occasionally rule against the desires of their constituency, in ways that don’t usually directly impact them.  Acknowledging same-sex marriage is an example of this.  In exchange, they gutted the Voting Rights Act despite its recertification by nearly everyone in Congress.  They ruled that it is acceptable to discriminate against people you don’t like on religious grounds (Christian, of course).  They claimed money is speech and said it does not matter how much money people put into a campaign it is acceptable.  They even told California this year that it doesn’t matter what they want.  Corporations, rich individuals, PACs, and anyone else with lots of money can contribute to anyone they want and no one has the right to know.  So much for state’s rights.

The conservatives on the Court claim to mostly be originalists which means, somehow, they know the minds of the founders who didn’t even know their own minds on many of the issues they were voting on in the Constitutional Convention in 1787.  That’s pretty amazing!  It’s almost as good as having the ear of God.

Who are these conservatives?  Clarence Thomas was George H.W. Bush’s slap in the face to Thurgood Marshall, the man he would replace as well as Black Americans in general.  Two of the conservatives, Thomas and Kavanaugh  have credibly been accused of sexual misconduct, but that’s OK as long as they are guaranteed votes on most, if not all, rulings that benefit rich white males and are against women’s rights.

The conservative test to be approved for the Court has been anti-abortion which means, anti-Rowe v Wade.  Why this should in any way concern men who will never be pregnant is unclear.  Amy Barrett was the slap in the face for women who support women’s rights and Ruth Bader Ginsberg whom she was carefully picked to replace.  Just as Thomas is the token Black man who will stand against the rights of Black people, Barrett will do the same to women.  Misogyny is alive and well among all six of the conservatives and maybe racism is sneaking around that group too.

One way the Court can be brought to a more balanced place, perhaps, is to expand it.  I am thinking 4 additional seats would be a good start.  I would also like to see the terms limited to 18 years, then the justices can either retire or move to one of the other Federal courts to finish serving their lifetime terms.  These changes are worth a try since the trick now with Republicans is to stack the Court so they will get the rulings they want/need to help keep themselves in power.   

The Court’s current “liberals” seem to be standing for people’s rights but that may not always be the case.  Therefore, more members of the Court and limited terms may help justices to think about the fact that there is life after the Court and maybe better decisions will be handed down that positively impact citizens, not just citizens of one race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, region, etc.  Will that be fair?  It’s worth a try to find out because right now, it’s not. 

The Tyranny of Scared Men

The last pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong has folded.  What did it publish that was so terrible, so frightening to the powers that be?  It told the truth.  It seems lately that the scariest thing in the world is the truth and the ones most frightened of it are men, specifically, men in power.  And to cover their own fear, they create fear, promote fear, establish a list of the specific things and folks people must fear.

You can see it all over the world, starting right here in the United States.  Men who would be successful in their run for office if they are Republicans or conservatives these days must have an agenda of fearmongering that is as extensive as their constituents can handle.  Those fear targets change periodically to meet their current needs.  For example, a candidate may be afraid that people of color might out-number us,” so the fear de jure is immigrants which includes undocumented persons, refugees, asylum-seekers, anyone who didn’t come here “the right way” has their own ancestors did and does not have a skin as white as theirs.  This is a particularly good  fear to promote because it covers so many other potential fears that are the products of racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and so much more.  These candidates will claim that hoards are crossing the southern border.  They are mostly criminals, disease-carrying “animals,” people who are after my job and don’t or can’t understand the American dream and so on. 

This one as most fear these days is often tied to fear of inner-city or “urban” people (code word for Black) who are takers while, of course, the candidate’s supporters are the givers, always providing for those “good-for-nothing” lazy poor people in the cities.  Mitt Romney actually called them “takers” during his 2012 presidential campaign, Conservative white candidates and their handlers may not specifically use the racial and class terms, but they convey their position very clearly referring to welfare queens, thugs, and the unwilling to work.

The candidates really do fear these people; they might actually rise up and demand their rights as American citizens.   Or, refugees and asylum-seekers may demand their rights by international law.  Can’t have that!

Once the fear and the target of the fear have been set, the scared male candidate then needs to claim that he will take care of the problem and he is the only one who can.  How does he plan to protect the white victims of these immigrants and urban (Black) people -- law and order, stop crime by whatever means, keep or drive the unworthy out as fast as possible, cut regulations of all kinds, ramp up the drug war.  

So many people here and around the world have been raised to think that if a person (male) says something loud enough and long enough it must be true.   Why bother thinking about the words.  Go with the feelings.  Vote for the guy.  Then cleave to him indefinitely because he (based on his own claims) is the only hope.

Sound familiar?  Donald Trump practiced this fearmongering skillfully with the help of people who were even more willing to fearmonger than Trump himself.  For power, Trump and those like him sacrifice their integrity, (if they ever had any) and often their constituents in the process, but neither notice.

I can’t help wondering if men are scared all the time, from the first time they encounter people who challenge their supremacy.  That’s got to be exhausting and may explain the need that some men have to have complete control over everything they see.  They need to infect everyone around them with the fear that will instill an urgency to protect this man.  Give people around you just enough authority to pass the fear on and to inspire followers, often with some kind of religious implications.  If done well, the man faces no accountability, and hopefully no one will discover the depths of his fear.

Whenever the community faces a challenge, scared men, jump in to push everyone else out of the way so they can rule with impunity at whatever level of society they can dominate from a household to a nation.  Globally, there are scared men in power right now, in ?Russia, China,  Turkey, Iran, Israel, Hungary, Ethiopia, Brazil, India, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Poland, North Korea, and more.  To stay in power, these men have started wars, murdered people (sometimes many), , killed and imprisoned opponents, tortured people for minor infractions, stifled women’s education and other rights, and a lot more, because the people’s fear lets them. 

We just dumped our own fearmonger though his fear and ignorance are causing him to claim he is still president.  Trump’s fear would have led him to do even more harm to our democracy had he not been voted out.  He still has an enormous following who have swallowed whole, his fear and the conspiracies that support it.

In every case, steadfast followers allow themselves to be led, even into destruction.  Why?  They get to bask in the light, community, and importance of the leader putting all their energy into maintaining their position in the leader’s project.  That is often more recognition than they have ever had in their lives, even though they are actually invisible to the man in charge.  The feeling of belonging and holding the secrets of the group are powerful, and controlling people they think are inferior is intoxicating.

There are real things we can fear like global warming, the rape culture in society and the military, voter suppression, poverty, deportation, COVID.  Real fears don’t work well for scared leaders because it means the leader actually has to have ideas, to listen to people, to cooperate, to motivate, and to get something positive done.  The manufactured fears are so much easier because they are unending.  The leader needs to do very little except run his mouth and enlist others to help him promote and expand on the “causes” of his fear de jure and keep that fear spreading throughout the population.

We the People can fight this here at all levels by calling it out whenever we see it. 

It’s difficult to address the fear in leaders in other countries, but sometimes it works to shine a light on it.  A journalist at the meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin actually asked Putin about his incarceration of his opponents.  Her final question, “what are you so afraid of?”  Yes, Putin is scared.  Donald Trump is pretty scared too.  He is currently scared of a life with little or no power and a name spoken with scorn.  These fears make both men and their adherents dangerous, even violent as with the January 6, 2021 insurgency at the U.S. Capitol. 

The media can help by actively working to avoid false equivalencies in their coverage and can point out examples of fearmongering when they show up.  Some already do but it needs to be expanded.  

Fear is a powerful tool and when wielded against people and ideas for power over and political gain is a serious problem.  Lets stop fearing our neighbors and potential neighbors and exercise our fear, (if we need to ) on homelessness, uninsured illness , rising sea levels, wildfires, animal extinction, loss of voting rights and other human rights.  You get the idea.

Then, we need to stop following men (and now a few women who want to be like them) who stoke fear and distrust, and make outrageous promises of fixing things by blaming groups of people whose presence or actions they say are the cause of their resentments.  These would-be tyrants are not worthy of our attention.

So, Hong Kong has surrendered to the Beijing fearmongers.  The rulers are so scared of the people of Hong Kong, and throughout China that they have to eliminate rights, watch the people every moment, commit genocide, and disappear people they don’t like.  Courage by one or two will change nothing.  It will get folks stuck in labor or concentration camps and have all kinds of horrific things done to them.  Things change when a whole people gets fed up with the insanity and stands against it. 

I’d love to see that here in the good old USA.  We got rid, at least temporarily, of our fearmongering president, so now let’s work on the fearmongering in Congress, the courts and all other offices.  We need to expose some of the fearmongering ideas for what they are. 

Here is a start.  White people, you are not being suppressed by discussing race, gender, or sexuality.  Learning about Black history will not destroy your kids and make them feel too guilty.  Spreading fear of vaccines is destructive and can cause people to die.  There is no Democratic pedophilia ring, and Q-anon conspiracies are truly lies. 

Stop inoculating others with your own fear and hatred.  Stop voting for people just because they fearmonger for your vote.  They truly are not worth it.  You and all of us deserve better so let’s demand better.  Let’s grab our courage and stop permitting fear to be used as a weapon against ourselves and others.  Let’s go for the truth.

RACISM ALIVE AND WELL IN OUR LEGISLATURES

by Ruth Sheets

As a teacher, I am appalled at what scared white people will do to keep folks, particularly their kids from knowing the truth about what white people have done pretty consistently to Black Americans for 400 years. State legislators should feel shame that they have benefited and are still benefiting from the abuses of power white Americans have perpetrated against Black persons and other people of color. Unfortunately, sometimes with privilege comes the sense that one’s privilege and entitlement are deserved and that the others (fill in the blank) also deserve what has happened to them: poverty, a messed-up criminal justice system and excessive incarceration, deplorable housing, poorly resourced schools, low-quality healthcare, low-paying jobs, you get the idea.

Every white legislator in this nation should read At the Hands of Persons Unknown by Philip Dray to get an idea of how pervasive and horrific the abuse of Black Americans has been since slavery and how people are still living with the consequences, both white and Black.

So, you Republican/conservative whites don't want anyone to teach about race. Does that mean you want to hide out in the lie that "I wasn't alive then, so it wasn't my fault and I shouldn't be blamed. I have no responsibility for what is happening to Black people today. That’s on them. It has been more than 150 years and . . . . " That’s it? You didn’t enslave people or lynch anyone yourself so you have no responsibility? You might want to remember that white ancestors did the deeds and also rejoiced in the lynchings, the destruction of Greenwood- Tulsa, OK, Rosewood, FL, destruction of the biracial government in Wilmington, NC, the bus riots in Boston in the 1970’s, the incarceration of Black men at far higher rates than would be expected with their numbers in the population, and sooooo much more. Remember that not so long ago, white parents and grandparents participated in redlining and not holding police accountable for abuse of Black citizens. They denied Black people the vote and you, white legislators are working to continue and expand their efforts at voter suppression in states all over the country.

If racism were truly past, you all wouldn’t feel the need to deny any citizen their rights and yet you are working hard to do just that. You would not be pushing over 360 bills in state legislatures to limit voting or make it far more difficult for Black Americans and others to vote. You wouldn’t fight so hard to keep from raising the minimum wage which impacts by percent, Black Americans far more than white Americans.

White people of the American South are desperate to defend the presence of monuments to literal traitors to the United States claiming they are part of their heritage, but slavery isn’t? It seems that rubbing Black people’s faces in Confederate monuments is totally acceptable while teaching about the racism that led to the war that led to those monuments is not acceptable.

So, tell me again why is it you white Republican racist legislators don't want race to be discussed in classrooms and you want to deny free speech to teachers? Is it you want taught only the “whitewashed” history you all have created over time that keeps white Americans at the center of everything, while relegating Black and other Americans of color to positions of either inferiority or invisibility? Your ancestors came here “the right way” while Black persons just showed up here as slaves on the plantations of loving masters and mistresses.

I suspect you know the truth and are trying hard to hide it, or bury it so deep in the footnotes students will be too overwhelmed to investigate. What I really want to know is, to what end? What do white legislators get from keeping students, particularly white students from knowing the truth? Black students already know a lot of the truth because they live it daily. They just don’t get to learn the specifics.

Then you want to go after teachers, teachers who do what, tell the truth? What about freedom of speech, is that no longer in operation in your white Republican/conservative world? Are you frightened that you may have had ancestors who participated in some of the horrors Mr. Dray speaks about in his book? You just told us that you aren’t responsible for what they may have done. Maybe it’s time you let go of your fear of the truth and start to embrace it instead. You don’t need to propose a Nazi or Soviet style silencing effort to subvert the truth if you just accept it, make working with people of color to improve their situation and ultimately the situation of the entire nation your priority, or at least support efforts being put forward by Black people and organizations.

Stop the bullying, the voter suppression, the blaming, the forgetting, the pretending that being in power with no ideas and no concern for the people is acceptable for any American running for public office.

White men and women, Republicans/conservatives in power, racism is real. The acts you are proposing regarding voting are racist. Agreeing to a federal holiday for Juneteenth is not enough, though it is a start. Cutting off unemployment because Black people aren’t jumping in to take those low-paying jobs they once took 2 or 3 of just to survive is racist. Standing against bills in legislatures that propose to improve conditions for poor people, which often means people of color is racist. Telling us you don’t have a racist bone in your body is racist because of course you do, you’re white and all white people have at least a few racist bones in our bodies having been raised in such a deeply racist society. And, ignorance is no excuse. If you just look around, you can notice what is happening, and maybe you can choose to ditch your pre-conceived notions about racism.

Unless you actually do something in support of Black Americans, you are supporting a racist platform designed to keep white men on top, everyone else down, with Black people and some other people of color as far down as the law and the courts will permit, and both permit a lot of down.

We’re watching to see where you go from here and what you do along the way. Will you stand for what is right or just for what is white?