LIVING IN THE BIG LIE

by Ruth A. Sheets

It is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States of America and the nation declares its reverence for Dr. King once more.  The irony is that only 12 days ago, white supremacists decided to attempt to take over our government on behalf of “White America.”  That, of course is completely antithetical to everything Dr. King stood for, but when a group of people is living a lie, it is hard to present any kind of reasonable argument they can hear. 

A book and article I read this weekend point out that people choose to live within lies.  The best part for them, they don’t even need to acknowledge that the lie has such an important role in their lives because the lie is so ubiquitous and often the origin is lost or has been misidentified.

The article I read is “Why Democrats Keep Losing Rural Counties Like Mine” by Bill Hogseth, December 1, 2020 in politico.com.  The Book is Red Summer, The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America by Cameron MCWhirter.  At first glance, it might seem these writings have nothing in common, but I suspect that with a little thought you can see that both are about one group and its incessant need for priority, even supremacy. 

In the politico article, rural Wisconsinites can’t seem to vote for Democrats any more because Democrats didn’t give them everything they felt and feel entitled to.  They jumped on the Trump train because his lies fed into their big lie.  Whatever has happened to them was caused by someone else, in particular the elites with the subtext, Blacks, immigrants, and others who just don’t understand them. 

The book presented the events of 1919 when white mobs all over America did their very best to inflict as much harm and fear as they could on Black citizens.  Why?  They believed Black people were just getting too uppity.  They were taking what white men were led to believe was their birthright.  Whites joined in killing-mobs because there is safety in numbers and one is less likely to be held accountable.  But really, the accountability they wanted was with their friends and neighbors who saw their brave stand against those awful people who are trying to usurp white power.  And, they knew they had the “law” with them. 

The difference between the rural whites of 1919 and those of the 21^st century is degree.  Now, white Americans don’t have to do harm to Black Americans in person, they just have to vote for and support a racist president and his entourage who would take care of those pesky folks who get every advantage while the rural white people  are in their rural county suffering.  The lie is still the same.  White people deserve the best of everything and Black Americans deserve only what is left over.

Few white people would actually say that out loud and most probably try hard not to think that, but it is buried deep in the white American psyche. 

It was no accident that I never learned about the white mob violence of 1919 and again the destruction of Tulsa’s Black community two years later.  We white students were expected to believe that Black people were often poor because of their own actions, laziness, and lack of motivation related to education.  We were fed the lie that the American civil war was about “states’ rights” and slavery was just a side issue.  Slavery was pretty good; slaves were fed and clothed for their work.

There are many who still believe the lie and continue to incorporate it in their actions.  We saw the result again on January 6, 2021.  The mobsters of that date were avowed white supremacists but if asked, they could not identify any ways they are actually superior to Black people or other persons of color.  They don’t have to defend their stand because they just know they’re superior.  They just know they deserve whatever they want.  If they say they won an election they clearly lost, they can righteously take over anyway. 

The rural voters of Wisconsin knew exactly what Donald Trump was, yet voted for him anyway.  It means they still maintain the lie and will likely pass it on to their children into the future.  It is comfortable to think/believe you are right and those others are wrong or irrelevant.  If you have a bunch of like-minded residents of the lie, you can do almost anything and be furious if someone wants to hold you accountable for it as the attackers of our Capitol may be.  The mob participants paid no price in 1919 for the hundreds of lynchings and murders they perpetrated. because the lie was far more pervasive then.  Even the governments supported their actions and officials often participated. 

Lies can feel good if they reenforce what we already think or want to believe about ourselves and our place in the world.  However, lies are destructive.  They keep us from seeing who we really are and what we can positively contribute to our communities, our nation, and humanity.  Lies let us hide behind walls that divide and don’t really protect. 

The big lies are also an attempt to shield us from being afraid, but they actually make people more afraid.  The lie can promote fear of us in others which could put us at risk in the future (or we think that’s what could happen). 

Dr. King and so many others have called out the lie.  He directed our attention to systemic racism which kept Black Americans from fair housing and good jobs.  He showed how war disproportionately impacts poor people and people of color.  That was clear in 1919 too, when Black soldiers were not accorded the same respect as white soldiers. 

Dr. King pointed out that the criminal justice system is inherently unjust for Black citizens, perhaps only a little better today than in 1919.

The citizens of the rural counties of Wisconsin know of Dr. King and probably invoke his name at this time of year (if they don’t actually resent him).  They have at least heard the “I Have A Dream” section of Dr. King’s most famous speech, but have they considered why Dr. King would have had to hold these ideas as a dream?  If they think it through they might see that it was a dream because it was so far from reality at the time King described it.  I can’t help but wonder what their dream is for their children.  Is it similar to Dr. King’s or the same as the dream of Mr. Trump and his supporters, power over rather than power to do good. 

There were white people who stood up for Black citizens back in 1919 but not enough.  There are more white citizens demanding rights for Black people today, but not enough.  Too many of us still live with or in the lie.  Maybe this Dr. King Day, we need to break out of the lie and live with the pain of the truth for a while.  We need to hear how we can act on behalf of those whom white America has stomped down for generations.  This could be the year when enough white people stand with Dr. King instead of just invoking his name.

Overwhelmed

by Ruth A. Sheets

I just checked back and saw that this is near the anniversary of the founding of the leastheardfrom blog.  I also noted that I have not made a contribution to the blog for a few months. That is really pathetic. It is not that I have nothing to say. There is a lot going on that screams for comment.

I realized as I sat down this evening that I am overwhelmed by the avalanche of dislike and disdain that some elements of America have aimed at the vast majority of Americans. 

I had hoped that with the victory of President Obama in November that some civility would seep into the work and rhetoric of Republicans. I  thought they would notice that the country is crying for some degree of unity.  Boy, was I naive!  If anything, the anti-Obama talk and the smear tactics Republicans crafted for 2012 are still in force.  The Republicans are still in “oppose everything” mode.

Sensible gun regulation should be a no-brainer, after the mass killings and the ongoing gun violence.  However, Republicans, along with their NRA handlers are doing their best to see that no changes in gun laws happen.  Well, not exactly, they want more people to own and carry guns, even in our schools.

Immigration reform should have been at the top of the Republican agenda since they received fewer than 30 percent of the Hispanic vote in November.  Nearly four months after being sworn in, this congress still has not even begun to seriously look at the topic. They want more and bigger fences before they do anything for the people involved.

Republicans whine that they are not perpetrating a “war on women.”  They even send their squad of token women out for interviews on shows that claim to present a balanced  view of the issue.  While these women gush that they have everything they need, Republican legislatures are significantly limiting women’s reproductive choice and equal pay. Men in the military are allowed to dismiss cases against convicted rapists, just "because."   

Our Republican “friends” are determined to limit Social Security and Medicare because it supports the folks they refer to as “The Takers” while of course, the Republicans are “The Givers.”  Even President Obama is caving and willing to stop cost of living increases for seniors to placate Republicans who have no intention of allowing the rich to pay their fair share.

The Republican assault on education continues. Vouchers, charter schools, funding cuts all undermine our real public schools. Then, in Atlanta, the teachers who cheated on the state tests so their kids could get more funding and resources were imprisoned with bails that murderers and rapists rarely see.  Isn’t it nice we don’t have to seriously look at the relationship between low scores and poverty?  It’s teachers who are to blame for all that.

Our Supreme Court talks of “racial entitlements” and complains that same-sex marriage is just too new to be ruled on effectively.  They didn’t seem to have any trouble giving the money-soaked corporations opportunities to influence our elections anonymously, calling these corporate players,  “persons.”  What about the real persons who just want their relationships to be recognized?

So, possibly like you, I am overwhelmed.  I am appalled that we taxpayers support Republicans in congress who are not working for us.  They can’t give up cherished biases for the good of the country.  In fact, I suspect that most elected Republicans have no idea what “the common good” is.  The sad part is that I am not sure how much more aware Democrats are.  They too have their handlers for whom they must perform. 

Where does that leave those of us who do know what “the Common Good” means?

 

MA and PA Senate Races

by muon

Time to talk about some of this year's Senatorial races.

Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts, during his debate with challenger Elizabeth Warren, decided to introduce race as an issue in his campaign, He complained that Ms. Warren claimed to be a Native American. He hinted that she only used her claims of race to advance her career. He said he could tell whether she was Native American simply by looking at her, and to quote him, "Clearly, she is not." (I suppose, in Brown's limited experience, he believes Native Americans need to look as if they've ridden out of a Roy Rogers movie, complete with feathers and war paint.)  In a pathetic echo of the Obama birther movement, he challenged her to "release her records."  If you want to watch this part of the debate, click here.  

 Last Saturday, some of Brown's staffers tried to disrupt a Warren rally by doing tomahawk chops and war whoops. (Watch the clip here.)  Seriously, fellas? It never occurred to you that those actions might be considered racially offensive? Especially since anyone watching sports in the last decade has heard of Native American tribes repeatedly asking the Atlanta Braves to discourage their fans (the vast majority of whom are white, surprise, surprise) from doing the exact same offensive behavior.

The staffer in the tan cap leading the chops and whoops is Brad Garrett, Brown's state GOP operative. The guy in the blue cap and camo shirt is Jack Richard, Constituent Services Counsel for Brown. Mr. Richard is on the federal payroll to the tune of 60,000 taxpayer bucks annually. Yes, while spreading racial devisiveness, Jack Richard's pocketing our tax money.

Scott Brown, though he said he regretted the actions of his staffers, launched a new website this week, where he calls Elizabeth Warren a "Fake Indian." Last night, Cherokee Chief Bill John Baker released this statement:"We need individuals in the United States Senate who respect Native Americans and have an understanding of tribal issues. For that reason, I call upon Sen. Brown to apologize for the offensive actions of his staff and their uneducated, unenlightened and racist portrayal of native peoples."

I'd go further than that. As a taxpayer, I demand that all staffers on the federal payroll who participated in the event be fired.  If Brown wants to keep them on and pay them out of his own pocket, fine. But I don't want them on my dime.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tom Smith                            Bob Casey

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, senate challenger Tom Smith is running ads claiming incumbent Bob Casey "hasn't passed a bill in 6 years." This is quite true. Senators cannot single-handedly pass bills. However, Mr. Casey did vote support the following bills: Middle Class Tax Relief, Veterans Jobs, FDA Food Safety, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Children's Health Insurance and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to name a few. If bills didn't pass, it was because of GOP filibusters.

In August, Smith stated that he opposes abortion in all circumstances, even in cases of rape and incest, and he equated the trauma of pregnancy by rape to that of having a baby out of wedlock.

Smith claims to have been a successful job creator, owning a coal company that employed over 100 people. If you look up Thomas J. Smith, Inc., records state that the firm employs 25 people, yet had gross annual sales of $5,075,000 in 2011. Which explains how Smith has the moolah to primarily self-fund his campaign and flood the airwaves with lies.  Smith claims he retired in 2010, yet the site above still lists him as the owner. If he ever did employ 100 people, he shrunk his workforce by 75%.  Good work, Job Creator.

Voting A.B.B.

by Ruth A. Sheets

The latest of many many polls has the upcoming presidential election essentially tied.  I find that incredible. Generally, an incumbent is reelected when he does a good job, that is, improves the economy from the time he took office, ends an established war, passes legislation to support the middle class, and takes care of the poor to some extent.

President Obama’s reelection should not even be in question this year since he presided over a country whose stock market rose more than 5,000 points, pushed a health care program which, although not perfect, does increase significantly the number of people who will be covered, and designed a stimulus program that employed a lot of folks to improve our infrastructure.  He also has championed a tax reform that would increase the share the haves will contribute and gives extra money to the middle class who will spend it to help the economy.  He is continuing the war in Afghanistan, but has ended involvement in Iraq.  His support of veterans far exceeds anything by previous presidents.  He wants to get us to the top of the world in energy and innovation.

So how can he be tied with someone who has no clue about the life that more than 99% of the population lives, who is a war hawk with no experience of what such hawkishness will cost, who has no concrete idea of what would build the economy?  Mitt Romney is not even in the same league as President Obama in his ability to empathize with Americans.  He believes that he got where he is only through hard work and his own brilliance (which, of course, he didn’t; it was his family’s wealth that gave him the leg up).

Why would poor folks even consider Mitt Romney? He thinks that the programs in place are sufficient to help the poor, and are even harmful since they promote laziness and a bad work ethic?  Why would women support someone who is in favor of restricting all kinds of rights for women?  Why would small business people support someone who has no sense of how valuable government support of company start-ups is?  Why would any public worker like police, fire fighters, teachers, etc. support someone who, along with his party, blames these workers for being the vampires who are sucking the life out of the economy?

What is it that Romney supporters see in him, a mediocre politician, businessman, and governor? 

I believe it is not so much what they see, but what they do not see.  The antipathy of many Americans toward President Obama is directly related to his racial mixture.  He is self-identified as African-American. 

Some of the Romney supporters tried him four years ago and were expecting miracles.  If one looks at his record, it does not include miracles, but some significant achievements.  President Obama got one chance.  He did not give every American exactly what they wanted, so he is branded a failure.  A minority person gets only one chance and the results must be amazing or, kick him out.

On a smaller playing field, I have experienced this phenomenon.  As a seriously visually-impaired person, I have known since childhood that to be seen as equal with non-disabled persons, I have to be very much better at whatever I am doing.  When I make a mistake, it is not like a non-disabled person’s mistake.  I must fear for my job, position, or reputation.  Asking for help is seen as a significant, sometimes crippling weakness.   Then the double whammy hits.   When I am better at something, the resentment of people around me can be isolating and painful.

Being the first of anything is hard, but in this culture, being black and first is nearly impossible, even for someone as talented as Barack Obama.  If he can’t be painted as incompetent, a fool, or some other stereotype of African-Americans, he is called an elitist.  He gets the double whammy too. 

So, why do so many people support Mitt Romney? People who have no economic or political reason to?  The answer, no matter how inept Romney is, he isn’t black and there are a lot of people who vote A.B.B, Anything But Black.