A spoonful of sugar

An older friend liked to teach, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” It was somewhat of a mantra for her, and it became one of the most profound jewels I’ve ever learned regarding playing nicely in the sandbox of human interaction. It’s somewhat of a more sophisticated version of Mary Poppins’ “spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” This simple, elegant remark has informed my thinking about how to deal with others, respond to challenges, and even express my most emotionally hijacked concerns.

For me, the greatest calamity to befall American politics in the last decades has been the decline, or utter collapse, of civility in public discourse. I’m not speaking here of the debate by some about “political correctness” or “saying what’s on my mind” or “spouting the ugly truth” – though these notions are certainly at play. Rather, what distresses me is that the willful (and often nasty) use of demeaning, demonizing language has replaced thoughtful, intelligent, articulate dialogue – beyond the political arena, this has become true of sports, communal life, and perhaps its most complicit provocateur, the media. Vilification (and the ultimate desensitizing to its effects) has become de riguer to the children of this generation. This is sad for us all.

Yes, I wish I were in the position to call for a return to civility, a collective elevated sense of how we are supposed to engage one another, particularly when we disagree. I am hopeful that we as a society have not “jumped the shark,” never able to repair this broken part of our culture’s day-to-day reality. And even witnessing the awful behavior of so many during the current political season, I think that there are an overwhelming number of us who would prefer, insist, that better standards should guide us.

Last week’s Republican National Convention was a farce at best. Third-rate “celebrity” speakers regurgitating hateful, ill-informed (and often outright false) accusations to help foster fear in an ignorant electorate; self-righteous, narrow-minded elected officials and hopefuls cheering their own spate of bigotry; poor planning and execution by the conference organizers; all enough to wish for the time prior to reality TV. I cannot guarantee what might happen during the DNC which begins today; I remain mystified by the ongoing blathering of so-called “Bernie-of-Bust” people – if they hadn’t rendered themselves irrelevant by their actions so far, Senator Sanders’ support for Hillary Clinton’s candidacy concluded that last week. Yet I do remain ever expectant that we will see something far more civilized, more refined over these days ahead: as I look at the scheduled speakers, the rollout of Tim Kaine as running mate, at the *positive* perspective that the Democratic party and campaign have tried to muster – there may yet be a way that we will be, according to Lincoln, touched by the better angels of our nature. 

Spark plugs & the mechanics of democracy

When I was about 15 years old, before I was allowed to start learning to drive, my dad insisted I learn certain fundamental mechanics of car maintenance and care. Prior to me ever sitting behind the wheel, he taught me to change a tire, change the oil, replace spark plugs, check/refill brake fluid, antifreeze & windshield washer, beyond simply knowing how to pump gas (this was true for my siblings as well). At first I thought, “why do I have to know how to do this stuff?” Over the weeks of practicing driving, and years on the road, it’s become always more apparent that if the driver doesn’t know how the parts work, and have an appreciation for the system as a whole, I’d never become the safe – or best – driver I should be.

*****

The same holds true, or should, in our political arena. From career politicians to idealistic hopefuls, from part-time dabblers to overzealous business moguls, too many of those who run for public office seem to have precious little grasp of American history, governmental process, and the basic mechanics of democracy.

It be powerful, and yes perhaps transformative, if before people register as a candidates for office, there was a demand that they have a working understanding of the system. I guarantee this would make for better suited contenders, elevated dialogue, and stronger, more effective governance. The following is a list of ten volumes that I suggest might be a good place to start, offered alphabetically by author.

 

Sara Bullard, Free at Last: A History of the Civil Rights Movement and Those Who Died in the Struggle

Joseph Ellis, Founding Brothers

Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution

Doris K. Goodwin, Team of Rivals

Allen Guelzo, Gettysburg: the Last Invasion

Pauline Maier, American Scripture

Robert Putnam/David Campbell, American Grace

William Rehnquist, The Supreme Court

Gordon Wood, The Idea of America

Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States

Of course this doesn’t even begin to scrape the surface of the vast amount of important, inspiring, instructive material to be explored. These few truly came off the top of my head. Yet wouldn’t it be something if we knew that political aspirants had *some* general knowledge of what they were talking about, *before* they did so?

What items would you add to the list? This could be a very interesting conversation.

Eid Mubarak, for all

(I originally posted the following piece more than five and a half years ago, in a very different place, time, and period of my life. Yet its hopeful message about the world we live in, the world that might yet be, remains. Whatever your faith, conviction, religious background: Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Bahá'í, None, or Whatever, we all deserve the blessing of EID MUBARAK.)

Yesterday, on Rosh HaShanah afternoon, a group of us from Temple made a visit to the local mosque. This year our holiday coincides with the last day of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month centered on fasting, prayer, repentance, and purification. A few weeks ago in a planning meeting, about five of us came up with the idea that we’d like to make outreach to the Muslim community. When I discovered the overlap between our two Holy Days, I also looked up if there are any special customs for the end of Ramadan. As I shared what I found about Iftar (the evening meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan) we immediately saw the similarity of eating sweets as a symbol of our hope for goodness in the year ahead. We brainstormed the idea of asking about the idea of Temple members bringing a basket of such goodies to the mosque – we hoped to demonstrate our desire to cultivate a relationship between our congregations.

With the encouragement of the others around the table, I sent a note to the Islamic Society of Michiana, posing our question about a possible visit. I concluded my message: As we look to enter the New Year on the Jewish calendar, with hopes for sweetness and peace, we wish you a season of goodness and blessing. Please accept our best wishes. May this holy season be meaningful. I didn’t really have any idea about what kind of response I’d receive. I got a warm and enthusiastic reply, which included the following: Thank you so much for reaching out to us with your kind wishes. We are very excited and looking forward to the visit of your Temple members. We also want to extend our warm wishes for your Rosh HaShanah. May the New Year be filled with health, happiness, sweet moments, and peace. Needless to say, I was delighted.

Perhaps more than our little discussion group would like to attend? We decided to announce our plans during our Holy Day worship services, opening up the invitation to anyone from Temple who’d like to join us. We arranged to meet at 5:30 in the afternoon to “assemble” our gift baskets, and then caravan to the mosque. I thought it would be great if ten of us came together. Nearly thirty of us made the outing – a source of genuine pride and satisfaction.

We were welcomed with gracious hospitality – as should always be the case in our human interactions. It was amazing to mix, mingle and share with our Muslim neighbors. And it came as no surprise as we live in a smaller, tight-knit city – that several of us, Jews and Muslims, already knew somebody else: from the neighborhood in which we live, or the local supermarket, seeing one another at the gym, or having sent our children to the same schools. This was a truly uplifting culmination to our celebration of the New Year. What began as a modest outreach effort became something much more. As we continue to strengthen the connection between our Jewish and Muslim communities, I think we have a real chance to create meaningful relationships among the members of both. I look forward to this ongoing opportunity, as we might just make a difference in the world.

#StraightNotNarrow

Highlights of Seattle Pride 2016.

Pride, gun control, immigration reform, education reform, all intertwined on a beautiful sunny activist day.

Yesterday, on the one year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality, some 500,000 people gathered in downtown Seattle for the annual Pride Parade and Pride Fest. For a moment, the many challenging issues facing our world feel to the wayside (as if they’ve already been handily defeated), and the widest variety of people celebrated their shared humanity in the soaking sunshine.

Without regard to race, gender, sexual identity, age, ability or any of the other factors that otherwise “separate” people, the scene surged with positive energy and uplifting spirit. From the very cute, very young parade participants to the float representing protective LGBT elder services to the variety of gender-fluid apparel and presentation to the unlimited variety present – it was a display of the BEST that our society, our world can be (if there was one overwhelming unifying feature, it was surely the ubiquitous Prince and Madonna tunes throughout the day). And wonderful to have Seattle's mayor, our governor, elected officials, the police, every imaginable high-tech company, and all the wonderful agencies out demonstrating support throughout the day. 

Along the way, quite naturally, we saw continued advocacy on a range of interests that are obviously tangled together especially of late: LGBTQ rights, sensible gun control, women’s health care access, education reform, comprehensive immigration concerns – an complete array of progressive political undertakings. It’s reassuring to know that the many different efforts I’ve addressed all fill the same bucket of working toward improving the world; even if none are yet entirely completed. 

Perhaps most significantly – late in the day, well after returning home, I learned that there were no arrests made during the entire event. That in itself seems quite remarkable. More so – a powerful statement about what Pride means to so many of us who only wish to do what’s right by our fellow human beings. It’s a small – not insignificant – reminder that together, we can move the world from what it is to what it ought to be. 

Fight the Power

One of the fundamental features of our society, as set out in the Constitution of the United States, is the notion of Separation of Powers. Though stemming from thinkers as far back as ancient Greece, the Separation of Powers is one of the elements that distinguished U.S. government structure since its inception. As every young student learns (or should learn!), this is what allows for *checks and balances* among the three Federal branches, and fosters balance among the Judiciary, Legislative and Executive functioning bodies. 

Today, and recently, the long-honored - and required - Separation of Powers has been under assault. More specifically, it is being held hostage by the GOP-led Congress (both Senate and House) driven by the tainted influence of special interests. The GOP continues to flaunt its self-appointed right to demand ransom from the American people regarding the hamstringing of our Courts and office of President. 

A few key examples at play include: 

• Senate Republicans outright refusing to hold hearings for confirmation on the President's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. They are willfully ignoring one of the basic roles outlined in the Constitution.
• GOP members in both houses dragging their feet regarding common sense gun control - which is sought by an overwhelming majority of the country, no matter where on the political spectrum. Special thanks in this regard is due in this regard to the money-hungry gun lobby, particularly the NRA. 
• Denial to address comprehensive immigration reform, and the blatant disregard of the vital immigrant history of our nation. This one is highlighted just today, as the Supreme Court, deadlocked at a 4-4 decision (directly related to not filling the last seat) on upholding a Presidential executive order that was challenged by Texas, refers that back to the lower court, effectively undermining the powers of both the other branches. 

The list goes on. And I'm certain we are nowhere near the end of this systemic blockade which impacts us every day in so many ways.

HOWEVER -one power that supersedes the checks & balances that have been broken by the GOP-held Congress. And that is the power of the vote. The only way to overcome the frustration and disappointment in how our government is limping and wounded in its ability to perform is to remove those who are responsible for this overall impasse. It is time to end the tenure of the far-too-many members of Congress whose sole priority is their own standing, while relying on and deferring to the corporations and lobbyist who seem to line their campaign pockets in return for electoral support and policy votes. 

If Republican officials won't do their job, if they won't uphold their Constitutional obligations, if they won't serve our needs, then we the people must act. It is up to us, the true holders of political clout, to be the agents of change. 

FIGHT THE POWER - VOTE 'EM OUT. 

We're the agents of change

I previously shared these words of Jack Riemer as part of an invocation for a university commencement I was privileged to join. My hope that day was that they might encourage those in attendance to be agents of positive change. For the religious-minded among us, this poem represents an attitude about the efficacy of prayer, that prayer is only actualized by what we do. For the atheist, this offering reminds us of the power of human artistic expression, no matter the inspiration.

We cannot merely pray to God to end war;
For the world was made in such a way
That we must find our own path of peace
Within ourselves and with our neighbor.
 
We cannot merely pray to God to root out prejudice;

For we already have eyes

With which to see the good in all people
If we would only use them rightly.

We cannot merely pray to God to end starvation;

 For we already have the resources 
With which to feed the entire world
If we would only use them wisely.

We cannot merely pray to God to end despair;
For we already have the power
To clear away slums and to give hope
If we would only use our power justly.

We cannot merely pray to God to end disease:
For we already have great minds
With which to search out cures and healings
If we would only use them constructively.

Therefore we pray instead
For strength, determination, and will power,
To do instead of merely to pray
To become instead of merely to wish;
That our world may be safe,

And that our lives may be blessed.

As we look at the world around us – we are charged to be champions of goodness and compassion, justice and right.  May your words and deeds be so dedicated– so our world might yet be made better because of you.  And may we all forge this blessing together.

United We Stand

Infighting is just part of party politics, right? And disparaging antipathy defines the two-party system – hasn’t this always been the case? Well, to a degree yes, this goes back to the original presidential succession following Washington. In his monumentally important book on the real George W., His Excellency, Joseph Ellis teaches us regarding the last stage of his relationship with Thomas Jefferson:

The two men exchanged a few more letters the following year, all safely focused on agrarian topics like their respective vetch crops. Then, when on of Jefferson’s more offensive private letters condemning Washington’s leadership was reprinted in the newspapers – Jefferson claimed it was not quite what he had said – all correspondence between Monticello and Mount Vernon ceased. Historians have always had a difficult time trying to pinpoint the moment when the party system displaced a government founded on trust and bipartisan assumptions. For Washington, this was it (p. 232).

And so, over our history – whether Federalist or Whig, Republican or Democrat (or any of their various morphed iterations), party politics have often gotten in the way of national interests. This has merely been accentuated in our time – due in part to the oversaturation of news info provided to us via modern technology (24-hr. cable news, the internet, social media and so on) AND by the precipitous decline in journalistic responsibility, described by some as the fall of the noble *press* into today’s ratings- (and sadly, advertising revenue-) driven *media.*

Especially following the tragic mass hate crime in Orlando this past weekend – it is time for ALL of us to break down walls of division, within our parties, and across the aisle. So-called “Bernie-or-bust” supporters of Senator Sanders only do disservice to our American system if they continue to threaten to “take my marbles and go home;” i.e. plan not to be involved and vote in the general election as their candidate didn’t prevail in the primary. Yes folks, grow up, we’ve all been there, passionately promoting a beloved contender who simply went so far, no further. And as for Republicans, if you truly believe in classic ideals as the American dream, the melting pot, the significance of our society as a beacon of hope for the rest of the world – NOW is the time to evaluate your allegiance to the presumptive nominee of your party. Open your eyes – Donald Trump is an ill-prepared charlatan. He is ignorant of national and world affairs (and the basics of history and politics), flouts “leaders” of the GOP by disparaging anyone who remotely disagrees with him, and openly professes deep bigotry toward anyone who is not like himself. Or rather, toward anyone who is NOT himself.

There is still great opportunity for we the people to come together to address the significant and varied issues that we face. The first step is just that – a willingness to come together. And together we CAN tackle our economic concerns; we CAN root out the baseless hatred that is hurled toward so many; we CAN stop the spate of senseless violence that threatens our children, our friends, our neighbors; and we CAN foster an environment in which all people – regardless of color, religion, gender and sexual identity – have the opportunity to find their inner gifts and let them successfully shine.  

Insightfully referring to Washington’s famous “Farewell Adress,” Ellis further states that it was “primarily a great prophecy that the first word in the term “United States” was destined to trump the second” (p. 236). Let us be ever vigilant to fulfill this dream, for we are better together than apart.