How Have You Changed in the past Four Years?

 I saw this question asked on Facebook and in the media. I recall the bleak day after our last presidential election. I crawled out of bed bleary eyed, dragged myself to a part-time job, and could barely speak. When I returned home, I plopped on my sofa in the middle of the day, which I never do unless ill. I was ill, so to speak, with despair. Of course, I called my sister and friends.

During the first days and weeks post election 2016, people I met appeared normal. Either they, like myself, were screaming internally, or they were unaware of the immense changes to come. The Shabbat after the election brought me some solace. It was the beginning of the Resistance movement and a strong camaradarie. The Rabbi asked the congregants to talk, as we sat in a circle. Many of us asked, "How could people vote for him?"

Returning to my original question, the change in me is utter shock and dismay that half of the population rejects truth in favor of  partisan politics. On a deeper level, I discovered that half of the country and the majority of Republican politicians and leaders accept outright lies, corruption, treason and crime. Naively, I believed that truth and morality were the final arbiters over political party. Politicians have stretched the truth forever, but Trump introduced a new era of anti-Democracy. Stupidly, I believed Americans would stand proudly for truth and goodness. Silly me, I expected Americans to respect the rule of law. Unfortuately, I have ascertained that fear, individual gain, and religious fundamentalism (Christian and Jewish) outweigh truth. When religious zealots choose death over life, we have lost the American spirit. When people listen to fear over reality, we have crossed the border into a bleak dystopic land. We are no better than the citizens from other nations whom we readily criticize. What has happened to F.D.R.'s words--"There is nothing to fear but fear itself?"

The list is endless--Muslim ban, loosening of environmental protection, anti-semitism, racism, police violence, collusion with Russia, adulation of the world's most ruthless dictators, and detention and expulsion of asylum seekers at our southern borders. Nothing matters anymore. Dead children at the Rio Grande River, over 200,000 dead from COVID-19, and numerous killed from random shootings does not sway predominately white people (of some privilege) to cheer for Trump and vote for him in two elections. Often, these voters pick one issue and are blind to what is occurring around them. For example,"Trump says he is against abortion, so I'll ignore eveything else." Or "My taxes will be lower and the stocks are doing better, so he gets my vote."  Continuting to believe Trump's crimes would dissuade people, I was so wrong. Lies are accepted because they assuage fears enough for these voters to suppress reality. Even an impeachment had no affect on the "base."

Now, this is the clincher. Even when friends and loved ones are dead, Trump's supporters refuse to change their minds. Death is evidently insufficient to awaken a person in denial. I live in a foreign country now. I was born here, but I do not belong. There is nowhere to go, especially with the virus. Where can a 69 year old retiree move to? Perhaps, by some miracle, Biden will win. I will be elated. But, these others are out there. We are not a United States of America. I am very sad. I was never a blind patriot. I criticized the leaders; I was skeptical of various policies and presidents.  But an ugliness has been revealed that will take generations to change. 

Despite the negative picture I have created, we Americans have experienced great changes in my lifetime. So why would people want to go back to segregation, a hierarchy that prevents minorities from participating fully in our society, the disabled back in institutions or on the streets, smokestacks spewing pollution, guns on people's belts, and an absence of health care for all? Is one selfish, misguided rationalization or fear strong enough to allow for the abuse of women, the handicapped, homosexuals (transgenders, etc.) and racial minorities? 

Evidently so. 

More Musings on Racism

 Racism has been with humankind for centuries. Americans focus on our sin of slavery. After slavery was abolished, a more subtle form of subjugation took hold in the South. The remainder of what was the United States at the end of the 19th century continued to function with other forms of bondage. Less obvious, but detrimental to African Americans, were discrimination in housing, education, justice, and overall opportunities for socio-economic advancement. Asian-Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic Americans suffered greatly, in specific regions of the country, during our history.

Mea culpa--I am white. I will never know exactly how it feels to be non-white. I am Jewish, though, so I have an inkling of the deadly effects of discrimination.  

The brief summary above takes one through the 20th and early 21st century. Unfortunately, racism is alive and well. I grew up in a period when segregation of races was commonly accepted. My parents never demonstrated hatred of other races; however, my mother and father did not exactly embrace people of color. There's was a standoffish attitude. 

The San Francisco of the 1950's and 1960's that I experienced during my childhood was characterized by segregated schools and neighborhoods. I never set foot in the Black and Mexican neighborhoods. I did visit Chinatown because of the restaurants and shops. As cities go, San Francisco was liberal and polite. Hatred was not acceptable nor encouraged. However, integration of the races was discouraged. 

When the house next door was sold to Black Americans, my parents and the neighbors went slightly ballistic. I knew then that something was not right in the state of Monterey Heights, my neighborhood in San Francisco. The family moved in, and there were never any serious problems or incidents. My younger brother played with their youngest daughter. I remember fondly when Myrenia and her grey cat came to our kitchen to "play cards" with my brother. The experience of having Black neighbors in the mid 1960's enabled our family to grow and become less fearful. It must be noted that we never socialized.

My first direct experience with African American peers was in junior high school. The kids lived in an area called Ingleside. They were hardly ghetto tough, but to me they were intimidating. They didn't shy away from asserting themselves. I shrunk like a fading flower. Most important was the academic tracking that occurred. As the achievement level of the students in a homeroom increased, the amount of Black youngsters decreased. This was classic discrimination based on race.

My class had two Black students; I was in an average group. I remember them well. Ted was probably the first gay young man I ever met. Rochelle was very sweet, smart, and an excellent student. She went on to become a pediatrician. Again, I knew that something was rotten in the state of Aptos Junior High. My academic high school consisted primarily of white and Asian students, with a sprinkling of Blacks, reminding me of a pinch of pepper in a creamy colored soup.

This is shameful to admit but I do not remember any Black students during my college years, in the 1970's. As I think back on this realization, I am astounded. There was one African American young woman--who unfortunately dropped out--in my master's degree program in Boston. There was a large population of Blacks in Boston at the time.

My most valuable lesson occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland, where I have lived for the past 44 years. I was employed by the public school system, so I plunged into a pool of staff and children from all over the world, including the ghettos of Washington D.C. I feel lucky to have worked side by side and socialized with staff of all colors and shades. I learned a great deal of value, both from the adults and students. Not all was positive, I admit. The lingering affects of generational poverty--caused by inequities--left me feeling frustrated, defeated, and hopeless. 

I am a work in progress in relation to racism. As Americans, we must constantly re-evaluate our opinions about others--not a task for those who refuse introspection. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) required staff in the 1980's to take in-service classes in Black, Asian, and Latino studies. Therefore, I have a strong foundation in racial/cultural bias. I was also exposed to the concept of institutional racism in college classes. Nothing nor anybody are perfect, and the school system is continually criticized and forced to address racial issues; but, I believe MCPS was ahead of its time.

Now I move on to a subset of racism or a branch on the huge tree of racist thought and policy. I write of religion, a most controversial subject, especially in the present chaos that is our society. I am Jewish, so I will only address what I know. This is in no way meant to focus on Jews in a critical manner. I am writing about positive change; we can improve ourselves forever. 

It is a well-established fact that Jewish people have lived in a variety of countries, literally in all parts of the world. Jews are not only white and European; they are brown, black, and tan. They are Middle Eastern, African, and Asian. By now, the majority of Jews are aware of Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews, the former being of European descent and the latter of Spanish and Middle Eastern origins. But, do you know that there are Jews who live or have resided in China, Morocco, Central Asia, India, and Ethiopia, to name a few countries? 

In our quickly changing society, intermarriage of the races and religions is increasingly commonplace. International and domestic adoption creates interracial families. So, a Black person, for example, may come to a Shabbat service some Friday night or Saturday morning at a synagogue near you. I know that my first thoughts when I see someone of color sitting by me (before COVID) on Shabbat is, Why are you here? Are you Jewish? How did you come to be Jewish? In contrast, when I see a person who looks Jewish and/or is white, I think, Oh, good, maybe he/she is interested in our congregation. When I see an Asian child sitting with a Caucasian parent, I think adoption. But, I could be wrong, the young one could be from the union of an interracial marriage.

But what happens when that child grows up and steps into a synagogue? My son, adopted from Peru, refuses to visit my accepting, inclusive congregation. He feels he would be the only "brown person." And on most Fridays and Saturdays, he would be correct. My fellow congregants would not ask, "Are you Jewish?" They know he is adopted. 

But what would transpire if my son walks into a synagogue somewhere else? He would probably be welcomed. But congregants would ask themselves the questions I say to myself. Would the police guard get jumpy? Would the women shy away from him? And just as damaging, would he have to explain himself ad nauseum, each and every time he meets a new congregant.? Why not a Jewish person who comes from Peru? I happen to know of a Jewish woman, who is brown, beautiful, and Peruvian. Her father was posted to Israel for the foreign service. She converted to Judaism while living in Israel. 

The most embarrasing error one could make is when a person of color is at a Jewish celebration and is questioned per usual. His/her answer is, "My father/mother is Jewish." Why should this person be put on the spot, to feel awkward, or to divulge personal information? The visitor or congregant is from an interracial marriage. Of course, the individual is as Jewish as I am. Skin color is not part of the equation.