This past weekend we celebrated Memorial Day. As summer approaches, the US takes time to celebrate its hard-won freedom on the Fourth of July, Independence Day, the day which marks the beginning of a revolution that began a grand experiment in governance, a country of the people, by the people, and for the people. An experiment which continues 235 years later.
Today we are witnessing the so-called “Arab Spring”or “Jasmine
Revolution” as millions of disenfranchised citizens take to the streets in
countries as separate as Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, Libya and Bahrain to
insist on voting in free and fair elections and to demand their governments be responsive to all their people, not just a ruling clique. As members of a functioning democracy, these scenes should give us hope. Aside from Syria and Libya, these protests have been by and large peaceful; that is, peaceful enough to say some of these countries have not fallen into civil war, as in the case of Libya, nor into mass reprisals by the tyrannical ruler, as with Syria.
These fledgling democracies have a long way to go to be sure, but they
are on their way to fully functional, elected governments.
Before our own Civil War, Abraham Lincoln cautioned us that war could not come to this continent unless we brought it upon ourselves. His words were never more prophetic. We are at this time beginning to commemorate the 150th anniversary of our Civil War. Last April marked the fall of Fort Sumter. Soon the bloody battles will be highlighted as they pass by: Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Petersburg.
My hope for this time is clarity. When I was in elementary school, the 100thanniversary of the Civil War came and went. There were TV shows, movies, a host of documentaries. It was also the time of the Civil Rights Movement. It seemed to me there was a disconnect because the Confederacy was held in praise during this time. Its generals, especially Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and the cavalry officer, J.E.B. Stuart, were glorified as gallant and honorable men. Yet, these“honorable” men broke an oath they swore to serve and protect the US Constitution and then went on to defend a “nation” set up solely to keep the institution of slavery alive. They fought not to set men free but to continue their degrading captivity.
Additionally, the lingering effects of slavery and the Civil War didn’t seem to come up during the 100th Anniversary. There were marches with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the forefront, but there didn’t seem much discussion of the War’s aftermath. The Civil Rights Movement went a long way in healing the War; President Barack Obama’s election is a piece of that as well.
I am a firm believer, to shift gears, that most of the Tea Party’s
reaction against President Obama stems from the fact that he is a black
American. I know that nationally, the minority party will always and understandably rally against a president. With most presidents, however, there is a honeymoon period before the political daggers come out. Obama had none of that. The rabid, extreme Right Wing and hate-mongering talk show hosts went after him from election night on.
Politics this election cycle is again proving Lincoln correct. An invading Army can never stand astride the Mississippi River; any discord fracturing this wonderful, experimental country of ours is often home-grown.
And I don’t fear the tyranny from the so-called“Left” as many decry. I fear the tyranny of ignorance, fear, and intolerance from all sides of the political spectrum.
I am an educator. I have a long history of being educated in Catholic schools. Before coming to SMSU, I taught at Catholic high schools and
colleges. I taught at a Lutheran college. During those times as a
student and teacher, I never heard a whimper of conflict between science and religion. Science was reason; religion was faith. It was the job
of the scientist to reveal truthfully how God created this world. It was never hinted that Genesis was factually scientific or that this book of the Bible was a “code” to science.
I am aghast at the number, (a growing number, I fear), of so-called
educated leaders and politicians who espouse the literal accuracy of the Bible
and want to dictate scientific policy accordingly. I am also concerned about educators not being allowed to speak of Darwin, or educators who must stress that it is “the Theory” of Evolution, and thus not a proven scientific fact. The homeschooling movement and charter school craze is a part of this, I believe. These groups sit farther from a sensible Board of Teaching list of requirements; some misguided parents have taken over their children’s education so that scientific nonsense and 19th Century curricula can pass for a 21st Century education.
Think of the agenda that we as a nation need to address: global climate change, health issues ranging from diseases like Parkinson’s and AIDS to the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics, and energy policy. Now think of trying to solve those problems based on a slim book of the Bible. A beautiful book. An inspiring book. I especially love the refrain, “and God saw that it was good.” But not a science book.
Some reactionaries do not want to work to reverse our planet’s climate
change. Some call on us to not study stem cells. It is inconceivable to me that an obstinate few can hold up progress in these fields.
The fear-mongering today is beyond belief. Some on the fringe are so rabid in their attacks against “government” that they don’t seem to realize that our government protects us from an anarchy so destructive we can’t imagine it. Do you want to live in a society without law courts? (Have you heard the fringe rant about our courts?) Do you want to live in a society without an educational system in place? (Have you heard them rant
on education and educators?) No safe roads? No hospitals? No safety net for children or the elderly? Is this the society they want? If so, let them move to Somalia, a perfect example of their theocratic society complete with an AK-47 on everyone’s hip.
And the intolerance. I am cynically amused by religious people who use their religion to espouse hate. They quote the Constitution on guns, but not on separation of Church and State. Well, I believe in the separation of Church and State, as our Founding Fathers did. Furthermore, I believe
in the separation of Church and Hate.
These folks should reread the New Testament, especially those parts where Jesus rails against the established religious leaders of his day and the
powerful, entrenched rulers (Roman and their Jewish sycophants) who crushed the poor, the widows, the orphans, the powerless. WWJD? Can you imagine the Wedding at Cana being a gay wedding? I can. If here right now, I think Jesus would be ministering in an AIDS clinic or serving meals in a homeless shelter, and certainly not on TV begging for money.
And so, perhaps this summer, we will spend some time reflecting on our
country. I hope we spend time honoring those who gave their lives to move this grand experiment, this unique country of free and educated people, forward.
One can only hope that fear, ignorance, and intolerance does not become
the invading army that straddles the Mississippi.
Today we are witnessing the so-called “Arab Spring”or “Jasmine
Revolution” as millions of disenfranchised citizens take to the streets in
countries as separate as Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, Libya and Bahrain to
insist on voting in free and fair elections and to demand their governments be responsive to all their people, not just a ruling clique. As members of a functioning democracy, these scenes should give us hope. Aside from Syria and Libya, these protests have been by and large peaceful; that is, peaceful enough to say some of these countries have not fallen into civil war, as in the case of Libya, nor into mass reprisals by the tyrannical ruler, as with Syria.
These fledgling democracies have a long way to go to be sure, but they
are on their way to fully functional, elected governments.
Before our own Civil War, Abraham Lincoln cautioned us that war could not come to this continent unless we brought it upon ourselves. His words were never more prophetic. We are at this time beginning to commemorate the 150th anniversary of our Civil War. Last April marked the fall of Fort Sumter. Soon the bloody battles will be highlighted as they pass by: Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Petersburg.
My hope for this time is clarity. When I was in elementary school, the 100thanniversary of the Civil War came and went. There were TV shows, movies, a host of documentaries. It was also the time of the Civil Rights Movement. It seemed to me there was a disconnect because the Confederacy was held in praise during this time. Its generals, especially Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and the cavalry officer, J.E.B. Stuart, were glorified as gallant and honorable men. Yet, these“honorable” men broke an oath they swore to serve and protect the US Constitution and then went on to defend a “nation” set up solely to keep the institution of slavery alive. They fought not to set men free but to continue their degrading captivity.
Additionally, the lingering effects of slavery and the Civil War didn’t seem to come up during the 100th Anniversary. There were marches with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the forefront, but there didn’t seem much discussion of the War’s aftermath. The Civil Rights Movement went a long way in healing the War; President Barack Obama’s election is a piece of that as well.
I am a firm believer, to shift gears, that most of the Tea Party’s
reaction against President Obama stems from the fact that he is a black
American. I know that nationally, the minority party will always and understandably rally against a president. With most presidents, however, there is a honeymoon period before the political daggers come out. Obama had none of that. The rabid, extreme Right Wing and hate-mongering talk show hosts went after him from election night on.
Politics this election cycle is again proving Lincoln correct. An invading Army can never stand astride the Mississippi River; any discord fracturing this wonderful, experimental country of ours is often home-grown.
And I don’t fear the tyranny from the so-called“Left” as many decry. I fear the tyranny of ignorance, fear, and intolerance from all sides of the political spectrum.
I am an educator. I have a long history of being educated in Catholic schools. Before coming to SMSU, I taught at Catholic high schools and
colleges. I taught at a Lutheran college. During those times as a
student and teacher, I never heard a whimper of conflict between science and religion. Science was reason; religion was faith. It was the job
of the scientist to reveal truthfully how God created this world. It was never hinted that Genesis was factually scientific or that this book of the Bible was a “code” to science.
I am aghast at the number, (a growing number, I fear), of so-called
educated leaders and politicians who espouse the literal accuracy of the Bible
and want to dictate scientific policy accordingly. I am also concerned about educators not being allowed to speak of Darwin, or educators who must stress that it is “the Theory” of Evolution, and thus not a proven scientific fact. The homeschooling movement and charter school craze is a part of this, I believe. These groups sit farther from a sensible Board of Teaching list of requirements; some misguided parents have taken over their children’s education so that scientific nonsense and 19th Century curricula can pass for a 21st Century education.
Think of the agenda that we as a nation need to address: global climate change, health issues ranging from diseases like Parkinson’s and AIDS to the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics, and energy policy. Now think of trying to solve those problems based on a slim book of the Bible. A beautiful book. An inspiring book. I especially love the refrain, “and God saw that it was good.” But not a science book.
Some reactionaries do not want to work to reverse our planet’s climate
change. Some call on us to not study stem cells. It is inconceivable to me that an obstinate few can hold up progress in these fields.
The fear-mongering today is beyond belief. Some on the fringe are so rabid in their attacks against “government” that they don’t seem to realize that our government protects us from an anarchy so destructive we can’t imagine it. Do you want to live in a society without law courts? (Have you heard the fringe rant about our courts?) Do you want to live in a society without an educational system in place? (Have you heard them rant
on education and educators?) No safe roads? No hospitals? No safety net for children or the elderly? Is this the society they want? If so, let them move to Somalia, a perfect example of their theocratic society complete with an AK-47 on everyone’s hip.
And the intolerance. I am cynically amused by religious people who use their religion to espouse hate. They quote the Constitution on guns, but not on separation of Church and State. Well, I believe in the separation of Church and State, as our Founding Fathers did. Furthermore, I believe
in the separation of Church and Hate.
These folks should reread the New Testament, especially those parts where Jesus rails against the established religious leaders of his day and the
powerful, entrenched rulers (Roman and their Jewish sycophants) who crushed the poor, the widows, the orphans, the powerless. WWJD? Can you imagine the Wedding at Cana being a gay wedding? I can. If here right now, I think Jesus would be ministering in an AIDS clinic or serving meals in a homeless shelter, and certainly not on TV begging for money.
And so, perhaps this summer, we will spend some time reflecting on our
country. I hope we spend time honoring those who gave their lives to move this grand experiment, this unique country of free and educated people, forward.
One can only hope that fear, ignorance, and intolerance does not become
the invading army that straddles the Mississippi.
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