mea culpa

In my last post I discussed some effects of racism on our society as I personally see them. It appears that in some of the stories told, I mislead my message. By no means whatsoever do I want anyone to think that the people here in Rhode Island make me feel slighted or discounted in any way. No one has presented themselves in a remotely derogatory way toward me or to my family at all. In fact it’s been quite the opposite. The entire community opened their arms with welcome and warmth since the day of our arrival.

The rant I proceeded to run with stemmed out of other developments that I witnessed and felt a need to respond to. I received a message that was for lack of better terminology, hate speech. Rather than respond to that piece directly, I made the choice to speak in more broad terms and unfortunately in doing so offended some people. Sometimes I am guilty of putting a cart before a horse. It’s easy to sit here solitarily at the keyboard and believe everyone reading the words will receive in them my precise intent. I lost sight of the fact that writing is only half of the message. The remaining 50% is left up to the interpretation of the reader.

If the message is not accurately delivered, it can be easily misunderstood. If such is the case, it is by no fault of the reader. I veiled my inspiration too deeply beneath misleading examples. I am still a relative newcomer to living in this small town. The wonderful thing is, people here are not at all small minded in the ways far too often represented by movies and television.

I can be extremely sarcastic at times. When asked about the differences between my religion and others, I tend to fall back on those bad habits to diffuse any discomfort as well as attempt to bring humor to the situation. While writing this piece I used such tactics again and highlighted some of those instances. My intention was not to make anyone else seem ignorant or stupid in any way. I featured my sarcasm in an attempt to be funny and did not mean to belittle other people.

I could not absolve myself if I let my original intentions be further misconstrued. Please know that my post was not a matter of Jew vs. Christian or Atheist vs. Believer. I begrudge no one their faith. I am still working on my own and plan on continuing to do so well into my later years. Life is a process for all of us. Each individual should be allowed the ability and the freedom to chose for themselves. Especially in the arena of religion.

Once again, I apologize to anyone who might have been offended.

Thank you for reading. It means more to me than you know.

-alex

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Doomed to repeat it repeat it repeat it repeat it repeat it...

"racism - rac·ism[rey-siz-uh m]
noun
1.
a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2.
a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3.
hatred or intolerance of another race or other races."

-Dictionary.com


Sometimes hidden below thinly veiled sheets of political correctness. Sometimes worn on literal sleeves with ugly symbols coopted from more ancient peaceful beliefs. Sometimes it stands in the way of getting a job. Sometimes it murders millions of people. Sometimes it appears in unexpected places where its existence was previously thought impossible.

The world bore witness to the power of racism’s capabilities many times over. The Spanish Inquisition. The Civil War. World War II. There are too many horrible examples to list here. Unfortunately the rhetoric of intolerance still continues. We see it in Europe, Asia and even here in the U.S. all the time. The genocide occurring in parts of Africa started with conversations not unlike what we hear on our own televisions and radios today.

Personally, I have been fortunate. I grew up in a very integrated part of Los Angeles. There was a large Jewish population around us, so I didn’t get attacked too much for that. (Red hair and freckles stood in for me on that issue anyway.) We had kids of many nationalities and religious backgrounds. Christians hung out with Jews who hung out with Buddhists hanging out with Muslims. We didn’t care. It was never an issue we ever thought about. At least I didn’t anyway.

Two years ago next week we moved to a much more rural part of the country. It’s gorgeous and the folks around here are very friendly and kind. The adults don’t say anything to our faces, I assume out of not wanting to seem rude. But the kids have so many questions. “What is it like being Jewish?” “But you still believe in Jesus right?” “What do you mean you don’t celebrate Christmas?” “You never had a Christmas Tree?”

The last couple of holidays we’ve had company come that have never seen what a Chanukkah celebration is like. I couldn't resist the temptation. My sarcasm bone kicked in and I told her, “Make sure when you come over you don’t forget to bring the sacrifice.” Then my wife added, “Oh yeah. And be prepared to dance naked in the moonlight covered in blood.” She stood there staring at us in silence for a few seconds looking stunned. Unsure if we were serious or not. Then we all had a pretty good laugh her expense.

It’s funny, but at the same time it’s not. I understand people growing up a certain way might not be exposed to other cultures. I understand the desire of family members wanting their children to hold on to traditions and continue the practices they love for future generations. But does it really need to be at the expense and vilification of others? In the 21st Century do we really need to continue placing ourselves above others to prove that we’re right and we’re better? That I do not understand.

To avoid the stigma that comes along with the word racism, I’ve heard our politicians trying to cover up their bigotry with the term “nationalism”. That way they can foster the idea that everything they do and say comes out of allegiance to their country. Anyone who disagrees with them must not love America. I’ve got to admit, it’s a bold and creative move. It worked really well for a struggling young painter in the early 1930’s. I heard Adolf was pretty successful in building his following.

We try so hard in America to claim that we’re a country built on the principles of freedom. We claim to be the most educated country in the world. It’s becoming more and more obvious that we are not. We get rid of more teachers and destroy the educational opportunities of more students every year. We allow them to graduate without being able to read. We let them go to college based on how well they can tackle as opposed to how well informed they are about human history.

Some of us are familiar with the phrase, “Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.” Well, we are dangerously close to repeating it. If we continue to keep our population uneducated, those who are anticipating that ignorance will exploit it. The strongest defense against totalitarianism or fascism isn’t an angry mob with guns. The strongest defense is a group of people with knowledge willing to act.

More and more we are being told to hate. It may not be spelled out in so many words, but the message is clear enough. Listen to the rhetoric coming from politicians and you will hear it. Certain classes of people need to be treated differently that others. Certain countries are better than others. Certain religious beliefs are evil and must be eradicated. Yes, there are most definitely bad people in the world. Yes, there are those who are out for nothing but inflicting pain and anarchy on the world. However we must not allow ourselves to lump each and every person into one category or another. History has proven without a doubt that that way of thinking is far too dangerous.

As a father, all I want is to protect my children. To provide them as happy and positive an upbringing as I possibly can. To give them shelter. To feed their hungry minds. Lead them in whatever direction they choose to go toward finding happiness. To leave them a world better than the world I was left by the previous generation. I choose to believe that this is what all parents around the world want. Isn’t that what we all want? To be safe and happy?

There will always be differences between people. Siblings growing up in the same house will feel different things. Parents and children will feel different things. How could the same not be expected of people who are raised on the other side of the planet let alone on the other side of a bedroom wall?

Some may say I’m being too liberal or too “hippy-ish”. I won’t argue. But I refuse to believe that it’s a negative thing to think everyone in the world deserves an equal shot at living a happy, peaceful life filled with love. We’re all made up of the same molecules. We’re all the same. We all smell bad. Human.

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Give and Take

2012. Already. Weren’t we all just freaking about the world ending when Y2K struck us down? Time is a sprightly little bugger. There are moments when it creeps like molasses though. Especially in this day of instant information. Our microwave culture demands everything instantaneously. Now. Now now. Nownownownow. NOW!

The other day I offered to help my neighbor scan in some old family pictures and letters to preserve the images digitally in case anything happened to them. There were some photographs of his Grandfather from the 1940’s, a letter from his Great Uncle written in the trenches during World War 2 and a postcard from 1907. Beautiful images and I was certainly happy to help protect them.

While the machine scanned them in, I found myself growing impatient. Why was it working so slowly? I didn’t have to be anywhere. We already ate dinner. Work was finished for the day. Why was I in such a rush? Back when I was a kid we couldn’t save the pictures in any way other than by keeping them in a frame or packed away nicely in some protective plastic. It took me a few minutes to breathe and recognize the miracle of this technology.

A few weeks ago we went out to the movies for my nephew’s birthday. The theater was in an unfamiliar part of Rhode Island. We drove on several highways and wound our way around side street after side street losing all sense of direction. Plus, we were following my in-laws in their car so we didn’t pay too much attention to where we were.

After the movie, we separated and were left on our own to find the way home. It was dark. Leaving the main road we instantly became turned around. Fortunately my wife received a Magellan GPS for her car during the holidays. Good old Ferdinand (as I like to call it) told us to make a left here, turn right past the bridge that’s under construction, then go straight for a quarter mile to the freeway heading home. So much better than the old days of flipping through Thomas Guides or fighting with the unwieldy folds of a map stuffed into the glove box.

I miss the smell of paper and wood while perusing through the stacks at my local bookstore or spending half a day walking around the record store with my friends searching for some new band we heard on the radio. I really do miss those things. However, it’s so great to sit in my chair, turn on this tiny metal machine, type in a few words and instantly be transported to websites where other like-minded people give me recommendations on artists and authors I might enjoy. I can type in another word or two and hear samples of music I wouldn't have been exposed to otherwise. I can read pages from a book written by an independently published author that changes my way of thinking forever and download instantly. I never have to leave my house

It’s the true definition of give and take. I have to learn to give up on a few of the older ways of being that I grew up with in order to take advantage of the new world we live in today. Will I ever stop missing my fingers shuffling across the edges of old, used vinyl records and feeling that rush of excitement when I find that one elusive Keith Jarrett album? Will I ever not feel the urgency of the moment when I see the title on the spine of the new Danielewski book hidden up there in the stacks? Probably not. Hopefully some brick and mortar places will still be around for the occasional treat I can give myself.

Fortunately I’m a geek for technology. I love my computer. I enjoy the internet. I love iTunes, Amazon, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook, reading and writing Blogs, Booktrope (wink wink), etc. It will never replace spending time out in the “real” world for me. But used in the right times and places, it’s such a wonderful tool.

We don’t have jet packs yet and we’re not living on the moon. That’s okay. We can talk to friends on the other side of the world using Skype for free. We can send messages across the country at the speed of light. That’s pretty damn cool if you ask me.

I look at this faded letter sent from a young soldier to his girl back home. The ink has a gorgeous thickness to it unlike the cheap plastic pens we use today. The paper is soft and sturdy to the touch. He’s standing guard against the enemy he knows is coming. It’s a dark night in a foreign country and all he can do is pray that he lives long enough to write her again next week. The letter won’t even reach her for a month.

On the postcard the young man sits in a boat playing his mandolin to a beautiful woman waving her handkerchief over the orange sails of a ship out on calm blue waters. We can only imagine the hours it took to paint the image back in 1907. The artist didn’t have Photoshop. He couldn’t retouch the picture if his brush slipped unless he did it by hand redoing hours and hours of work.

Hopefully SOPA won't pass. Hopefully we won’t limit the ability we have today to observe and participate with each other and with the rest of the world. Yes there are a lot of illegal things that happen on the internet. There are many things that go on away from technology that shouldn’t happen too. Quite a bit of them committed by the very same government public servants trying to pass the legislation. If we really do live in the “Land of the Free”, we need to be “Brave” and keep it so.

As I mentioned before, it’s all about give and take. We’re still in the infancy of these new technologies. Discovering the boundaries and pushing them forward is how we’ve always moved ahead as a species. Ferdinand Magellan and Christopher Columbus made their journeys. We headed West into the wilds across the frontier. We sat atop giant bombs that when they exploded, shot up through the atmosphere all the way up to the moon. Who knows how far we can go now if we let ourselves push.

So here we are in 2012. The future already. Not what we expected, but it never is. Is it?

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