Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Me Too






Me too. 

Now what?  It’s appalling how many times I’ve seen that phrase in the last couple of days. What’s going to happen?  What’s going to change?  I have my suspicions, and they aren’t optimistic. 

We have a culture in which abuses and injustices are eagerly rationalized by the huddled masses, all while we are willing coconspirators in preserving the myth of an equitable nation. We  “the form of [liberty] without the power thereof,” to paraphrase a biblical concept. We are so desperate to hang on to the illusion of freedom, that we ostracize anyone who tries to reveal the smoke and mirrors. 

We are compelled to give up our freedom of speech to worship a flag. We conspire against and vilify anyone who dares to kneel and say, “me too .”

We scream in outrage that a white nurse is manhandled by the police, then accept lame excuses when we see it happen to black men, women, and children. Dead men can’t say, “me too.”  

We insist we honor our military, but with $600 billion dollars, we can’t find any money to rescue them—broken, jobless, and homeless—from our streets, as if they are expendable.  After we’re done using them up, who is hearing “me too” from them?

We, the immigrants, argue viciously about who else is welcome in these stolen lands without even thinking about consulting the native people.  Have they not been saying for hundreds of years, respect “me too?”

Are we not all saying the same thing?  Me too!  See me, too. Believe me, too. Value me, too. We must all work together to fully realize the America dream first envisioned by the signers of the Declaration of Independence. If we ever want to see a great America, and bring to fruition the ideals of freedom and justice for ALL, each one must work to give others the exact same liberties that we, ourselves, yearn for. We have to do it together. Make no mistake; we are in a war, and we have a powerful battle cry.

I see you. 
I believe you. 
I value you.