Kase for Karen/Case for Caren

 Laugh all you want. LOL. OMG. You, too, if you are lucky, will be middle aged and older some day. Let's get some basics out of the way. Black Lives Matter. I believe in masks. I am the mother of two children who are brown. I am the oldest daughter of Holocaust survivors. I abhor the dangerous systemic racism that permeates our institutions. The police shamelessly target young men of color. If you know me, you know that I fight for those who are disadvantaged.

If you prefer to call me a racist, go ahead. As we say, "it is a free country." Please, for your sake, refer to Ibram Kendi's book, How to be an Anti-Racist. Kendi, a proud black man, clearly states that anti racism is a belief in policies that treat all people equally or not unfairly based on race. Anger towards white people is understandable, but to spew disdain towards caucasians is not anti-racism. It is merely switching one "racism" for another. So if you want to hate white women go ahead. I know I have an inborn privilege. The black/white discrimination is ancient, with deep roots which permeate almost every culture known to humankind. Also, read about Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Jimmy Carter, among a myriad of important,contemporary thinkers and doers.

Please realize, you are being sexist by using the epithet, "Karen." Hatred of women is equal opportunity. Misogynsts hate all women, no matter their color. Why not Karen and Kris or Caren and Connor? Why just the women? It is easier for everyone to yell at women. We are not as scary as men. And criticizing women is a national pastime. Frequently, I observe women being the target of disdain, ridicule, and aggression. Young black women need to realize that for every white Karen, there is a black Karen who is your aunt, grandmother, or mother. 

Memes of any sort are bad. I am extremely careful not to utter these code words, since they hurt one way or another. Actually, memes are stereotypes, the latter being extremely dangerous as history has demonstrated. Use of these words, ideas, metaphors perpetuate hatred, misunderstanding, and racism, the basis for genocide, slavery, and murder.

As Kendi wrote, we all have racist thoughts occasionally. But thinking, then analyzing, and finally self-monitoring are different than tweeting out an incendiary message that goes viral. I am not Amy Cooper. I keep my dog on a leash, and I would not call the police about a black man who is birding. But, whoever started calling Amy Cooper a "Karen" is immature and wrong. Amy Cooper has psychological issues which she needs to address. And she committed a crime, but, she too, can repent for her bad behavior. I repeat, I would only call the police if in imminent danger, whether the person is white, black, yellow, or brown. I have witnessed what the police do to men and women of color. 

Our country has committed sins--slavery being the most obvious. However, the treatment of Native Americans has been criminal. All races have been treated unfairly at some point in history. OK, call me racist if it makes you feel better. 

I know hatred. For years, I hated Germans. My family lost their lives, homes, country, and livelihood due to the Nazis. Sometime in middle age, I realized that blaming Germans was senseless. First, most of the Nazis are gone. Secondly, there are more decent Germans than not. The rise of Nazism occurred due to complex issues in an environment fertile for hatred. Ordinary people allowed themselves to be coerced by fear-mongering sociopaths. Sound familiar? Germany has made tremendous contributions to European civilization. I am German Jewish, so why would I hate the culture that nurtured and supported my ancestors for centuries? 

I know this is not the same as being Black in America. I understand! The United States owes African Americans land, reparations, and actual equal opportunity. But my name is Karen because my mother chose the moniker. I want these advantages for Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans. Why would you think otherwise because I look like a "Karen" and happen to be actually, Karen?

Antiracism

Challenging, New, Fresh, Comprehensive--How To Be An Antiracist (Audiobooks version), by Ibram Kendi, encompasses those qualities. Listening to a writer read their words creates a virtual immediacy and intimacy for the listener. Mr. Kendi expresses his theories with candor and clarity in a deeply resonant voice, with a uniquely patterned rhythm. He blends his personal experience with didactic thought, keeping the narrative interesting.
Ibram Kendi distinguishes racism, non-racism, and anti-racism as three separate ideas leading to different policies. Put another way, one can contrast segregation and assimilation as leading to racist policy and antiracism resulting in antiracist policy. Without a doubt, segregation denotes a more seriously racist viewpoint than assimilation. But, actually, assimilation is racist because it assumes that Blacks need to assimilate to a superior way of life. Contrasting racism with non-racism seems obvious until one absorbs Kendi's ideas. It is insufficient to claim one is not racist. Further exploration and introspection reveal ideas, long accepted among liberals, that are not as benign as one thought. Blaming Black people for increased crime rates is ignoring racist policy. Racist policy denys people of color equal opportunities for obtaining an education, jobs, healthcare, mortgages, to name a few. Blaming Black individuals for increased incarceration is ignoring racist policies related to police behavior, racial profiling, bail, and the cost of obtaining a lawyer. Racist policy is based on racism, eventhough it may look like equity. Every child has access to public schools; however, the contrast between public schools in black and white neighborhoods continues to be spectacular. Even when school systems attempt to integrate schools, black children are viewed differently from their white and Asian peers.
I have observed this phenomenon in my years working in public school systems. I myself have behaved in ways, steeped in cultural and behavioral racism. Well-intentioned, as many liberal are, has not precluded me from acting in biased ways--i.e. that child won't do well, how could he, look at his disadvantages; those parents won't show up to the meeting, don't they care? 
Black history is taught in schools, which is a positive step. However, the deeper aspects of systemic racism continue in our schools, usually not acknowledged. Black boys are punished more severely and more frequently; children of color are usually ignored in class if they are not in trouble; lower level classes contain a higher number of minority students; success in school remains unidimensional--good grades, some athletic prowess, test scores, college. Any other path is considered inferior, especially if the student is not white. Academic intelligence remains the most acceptable form of accomplishment.
Regardless of the fact that I am not virulently racist or a white supremacist, I still have deeply ingrained racist ideas. I assume that black families function the same as my family, have the same values, and the same strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, even more dangerous, is the thinking that my values lead to success, and other values do not. This is cultural racism, one race's culture is superior to another. Countless examples abound--ebonics is slang; rap is trash; urban fashion is based on jail uniforms; black churches are too raucous; and black men are overly sexual. I learned a new concept--being Fresh. This is looking good, stylish, clean, and neat, exemplified by ladies going to church in lovely hats and coats and teenagers treating their sneakers as precious jewels. White people criticize the latter (not the former) but I think wearing immaculate clothing is an expression of power, self-esteem, and pride on the part of African Americans. In the 1970's white individuals castigated the African Americans for sporting afros and dashikis. Now, we have become accustomed to that style, but bristle at the crisp new polo shirts and bright colored basketball sneakers. Go figure?
Blacks themselves can be racist, living by the rules of white culture, overly critical of the younger generations (their children and grandchildren) and, as the author notes, invoking Martin Luther King, for example, Mr. King wouldn't be happy with your poor grades. White parents engage in these "guilt trips" as well, which the author does not acknowledge. The author notes that being anti-white is just as racist as being anti-black. The label "racist" should not be confined to describing Caucasian and Asians. He admits his culpability in his former insistence that whte people are "monsters".

When a Caucasian person commits a wrongdoing, they are "given another chance", forgiven, or punished for what they did. If a Black person is guilty--or if a youngster does poorly in school--white people think something along the lines of: he's black and underprivileged, what do you expect; he doesn't have a father, etc.; why don't they learn how to behave already; these people have too many kids. White individuals are blameworthy for their crimes; the entire black race is culpable for a few people's misdeeds.
I have personal experience with this unfortunate situation, what Ibram Kendi calls behavioral racism. If a group of kids misbehave, the kid of color is likely to receive the worst punishment. I have witnessed such racism countless times. But, no one will change the inherent beliefs that lead to such unfair decisions. Unbelievable as it seems, even if the person of color is adopted and has white parents, the kid will still be punished more severely. Only if and when a highly skilled attorney defends the child of color, may the judgement be mitigated. Again--racism with a capital "R". White and Black parents, both highly sophisticated and intelligent, are powerless to affect change. Teachers, coaches, principals, and school counselors treat children and teenagers of color differently. So do employers. White adults are excused from misbehavior far more often than black or latinx individuals in the world of work.
Antiracist policy assumes that all people are equal, certainly not a novel idea. So why then do we continue to accept that race is a critical factor in the behavior of our citizens? Why does a police officer kill a Black man for passing a fake $20 bill, but probably laugh it off or submit a citation if a white guy tried the same trick? Why does a police officer kill a Black man for running away, after a minor offense, such as parking in a no-parking zone? Mr. Kendi would say that people fear black bodies--as violent, strong, big, and inherently dangerous. This is clearly racist policy. The antiracist police would be to train all officers who use weapons to act based on the circumstances, not the color of the potential perpetrators color.
Ibram Kendi digs into the deep past for the origins of racism, finding the roots in European explorers, anthropologists, royalty, philosophers, social scientists, and religious and lay leaders. The author notes that humans of all races are 98% similar genetically. Theories of biological differences between races, resulting in racist policy, are flawed. Mr. Kendi elaborates that race is a blended construct used for the purposes of power. And power begets money which results in racist policy to maintain the status quo. Later in the book, the author continues to explain the relationship between capitalism/racism/war.
Kendi explains ethnic racism which is aimed at groups within a race. For example, African Americans vs. Blacks from Africa or the Carribean. The latter two groups often denigrate the African Americans. The African Americans ridicule the immigrants from Africa and the Carribean. Jews are guilty of ethnic racism too; historically, German Jews disparaged East European Jews. Ashkenazi (mostly European) Jews besmirched Sephardic (primarily from the middle east) Jews in recent years, though this prejudice is decreasing. Now, Jews from Africa are considered inferior in Israel. And the beat goes on.

The second section of the book is divided into chapters with headings such as Color, Space, Failure, Success, Survival. My attention wandered during this less compelling second half. I sensed that these topics could have been lifted from a course syllabus. The second part of the book would be a great text book, containing clear explanation of concepts and repetition, excellent for a student. Mr. Kendi described a "colorist" as an African American who alters ones physical characteristics--such as straightening hair, changing eye color with contacts, and use of whitening products. These are racist behaviors on the part of blacks. Favoring lighter skinned blacks has been an acceptable viewpoint in the United States for centuries. 

Ibram Kendi explores affirmative action, a controversial subject to say the least. He attests that white people fear losing their advantage. In truth, affirmative action benefits people of all colors and ehnicities; affirmative action programs usually promote universal health care, increased lower and middle income housing, and postive changes for the environment, such as cleaner air and water.

The ending shocked me; two young people are struck by cancer, namely the author and his wife. 

The conclusion is painful--racism is a cancer in our country. The hope is the treatment, in the case of racism--antiracist policies. The final message is to work for candidates and groups who will promote and vote for bills which will become laws to legalize and enforce equality for all in a truly equitable manner.

Two Train Cars

Odd as it seems, my sister, brother, and I embarked on a transcontinental rail trip, with our parents, in August 1968. The train conveyed us from San Francisco to Los Angeles, across the southwest to Louisiana, and further southeast to Tampa, Florida, not a straight path across the country, We visited our dear family friends in Florida. No one traveled by train in those days.The railroads suffered financial setbacks, and passenger routes rapidly diminished in the 1960's. Most Americans traversed the nation by airplane or car.

17 years old on my birthday in June, the assasinations of  Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy occurred in April and June, respectively. These tragedies forced me to face the unrest and conflict occurring in the United States, centered around the Vietnam War and Civil Rights. Unsavory aspects of our country entered my mind, as I faced my senior year in high school. A few years before, I watched a movie about migrant workers, "Harvest of Shame", and digested the bitter truth of extreme poverty in an affluent nation. 

I clearly remember the August morning we boarded the train, wearing nice clothes for travel. I sported a yellow and blue pinstriped summer suit, which I loved. We wore our respectable outfits until Los Angeles. Then we changed into comfortable clothing for the hardcore adventure of traveling across the barren land of the southwestern United States--hot, brown, dry, with isolated cabins and cacti dotting the landscape. Occasionally, if you looked carefully, you might see a lonely farmer or shepherd waving his/her hat in the hot sun. 

Phew. Luckily, we had air conditioning in our car. But, sleeping was nearly impossible for me, in sticky naugahide coach seats that barely moved backwards. The fun aspect of trains is that one can walk through the train which my siblings and I did to asuage boredom. 

Something was very curious in the next coach car, I discovered. There was a strong, musky smell in the hot, stagnant air. I could not avoid noticing that everyone in the train car was black, "negro" as we said. There were large dark women, with huge arms, crowded in seats they shared with their small children. Thinner, weary, wrinkled men, sat together--some ate chicken. The compartment was generally quiet. The people were too drained to talk or laugh. Pitifully, they perspired profusely; the carriage was stifling. There was no air conditioning or ventilation! Horrified and shocked, I knew this was not accidental. How could it be? How did all the white people have tickets for one car and the black individuals for their own car? 

This was 1968 not 1948. Our family--minus my brother who was not yet born--took the same trip in 1958. I was too young to recall much of that trip. However, I do remember separate water fountains, for "white and coloreds". Fondly, I remember popsicles in Tampa and refreshing glasses of iced tea at Lake Ponchetrain (New Orleans). 

Back to 1968, four years post Civil Rights Act--obviously, the segregated cars were accomplished when people bought tickets. In those days, travelers purchased tickets from an agent, at a ticket office. I surmise that the clerk noted the passenger's race and assigned him/her to a railcar. The conductor verified all was in order on the day of travel. 

I asked my parents repeatedly about the situation, but they did not respond with a direct answer. They did not disagree, but they were reluctant to utter the truth of what was in front of their eyes. I had not yet read about the nightmarish freight train cars used by the Nazis to transport Jews and others to their deaths. Did my parents make an association? Or am I overly optimistic in crediting them with connecting the present to the past?

From that day hence, I knew with confidence that a rotten core existed in the center of our country. I learned it was racism. There had already been race riots the summer before, in 1967. After the recent assassinations, there was more violent unrest in cities. And the Chicago riots after the Democratic National Convention were in a few short weeks. 

Never again would I view a scene or situation at its surface level. From that August morning, as the train roared down the tracks in New Mexico and Texas, I began to peer beneath the surface of interactions and scenes. Certainly, I committed many stupid errors. In college, I learned about institutional racism and Jim Crow. My years working in a diverse public school system opened my mind and molded my opinions. I was not consistently fair or compassionate with parents and students. But, I learned unimaginable lessons about disadvantaged minorities, that are the bedrock of my values. I read, watched, and listened. Friendships developed with African Americans.

The years progressed. I dug down deeper, in myself and in our nation's experiences. I usually discovered an awareness that was not so pleasant. Though, there have been times when I have been happily surprised!

Marching with a Mask; Learning a Lesson

  Guilty as charged with the crime of grasping my purse to my body when passing a young black male on the street, especially when alone. White people on the defensive would remark I have good reason to be cautious. Once, I was mugged by a young, dark man while walking alone in an isolated area of San Francisco. Dumb move on my part? Yes. Regardless, one time should not cause a change in a lifetime of behavior. I grasp my bag because of the instituional racism that is branded on my brain. Fear of black people is embedded in our culture and reinforced by media, movies, and television programs. The message has been loud and clear--white women be cautious of young black men! I grew up in the ancient times of the mid 20th century when adults in my environment uttered racist statements unabashedly. But back to black men. It should be noted I have been on both sides. My son is brown, and I witnessed a woman grab her purse close to her body when she walked into an elevator. I stood beside my son, but the woman did not guess we were mother and son. 

Today, I walked briskly down the Rockville Pike, yelling chants, such as "No Justice No Peace". "No Racist Police", etc. with my black, brown, yellow, red, and white brothers and sisters. As I returned to my car, now dragging myself in the humid Maryland summer heat, several young black men passed me--some dressed in "urban" garb-- and nodded. I realized, we are friends, compatriots, fellow warriors in a fight for justice. They probably thought, what a nice white grandma. I thought what a nice young man!

Soft Spots

The soft spots on an infant's head do not remain a long time. So it is with my psyche. I feel a softness so seldomly these days. This morning, I listened to a Zoom production of "Yerushalyim Shel Zahav", and a softness opened up in me. The music, the beautiful voices of the female cantors, and scenes of Israel unlocked a sweet sadness. The pictures of Jerusalem triggered the old, idealistic promise of Israel, gone forever. One of the singers in the Zoom production was a former cantor at Temple Emanuel in San Francisco. She sang at my mother's funeral in July. Immediately, I recalled the perfect moment of her pure voice, singing a psalm, for my mother in the hush of a chapel.
In these awful times, I find myself angry, afraid, and aghast at the daily demise of our Democracy. Simultaneous to the present deterioration of commonly-held values, I am sincerely shocked at the extent to which people defy common sense. There is a pandemic. Nearly 100,000 people have died--parents, siblings, children, colleagues, friends, lovers. But--what--due to  ill-conceived illogical thinking and association with fear of the future, racism, zenophobia, and resentment, Americans have twisted medical advice on its head. Doctors and scientists no longer are experts. Charlatans and snake oil salesmen-like characters are the new experts. P.T. Barnum was correct.
My body is tense; my blood pressure is probably up. My mother would say, "don't let it make you sick". Easier said than done. Our country is a sad joke. I recollect Charlie Chaplin in "The Great Dictator".  I was never a chauvinist about America. However, this situation is beyond anything I could have dreamed, in a nightmare. In a seriously distorted turn, I am applying for German citizenship.
Before I go any further, I must return to softness. Pull my shoulders down, take a deep breath, and remember the unfolding of peonies, the Canada Geese that have taken over the shore of our local pond, the birdsong. Breathe again, read, and then look for the new duck couple at the fountains.

Critical Thinking

Often, we are told to utilize our critical thinking skills. Or commentators and politicians report that schools fail to teach reasoning and problem solving; educational practices do not include the teaching of "thinking skills".
I will not address the educational aspects, since I do not have the facts. However, using our "noggins" can result in challenging circumstances. The probability is high that one's thought processes, about an issue, event, or interaction, will differ from the common viewpoint. Furthermore, strategies for solving problems may contrast with those of the majority. These are common results of reasoning, strategic thinking, and analyzing any given situation or conflict in our daily lives.
Negative reactions from colleagues, friends, and family are common. People demonstrate anxiety at novel viewpoints or solutions. "Thinking outside the box" is viewed as impossible or crazy; listeners initially dismiss new ideas or methods of behavior. We are all guilty of these reactions--some more than others. So the critical thinker confronts the downside of creative strategies or novel reasoning--accusations of being judgemental; ignoring; and outright rejection. A good reason why someone might be reluctant to voice their personal opinions.
Critical thinking leads me to Profiles in Courage, which I finished in my pandemic frenzy of reading. My first caveat is that John F. Kennedy certainly should have shared the Pulitzer Prize with Ted Sorensen who did all, most, or some--depending on the book review-- of the writing of the book.  I decided to read the book because it was mentioned as illustrative of the contrast between senators who rubber stamp their party's opinion vs. those who act with courage.
JFK and Sorensen selected well-known and lesser known United States Senators from 1803--1948 to demonstrate courageous thinkers, willing to risk life, profession, political office, and status, to express their opinions. These men (women did not run for the Senate until 1932) developed their viewpoints of various bills in the Senate independent of the majority position. They processed their thoughts logically, carefully, and independently, based on their knowledge, values, and life experiences, in other words critical thinking. All of these men suffered greatly--some died prematurely. The senators were chastised by vociferous politicians, journalists, and voters. Young Senator John F. Kennedy believed these men to be deserving of recognition as courageous.

Thoughts from Rabbi Elliot Kukla

Rabbi Kukla is a rabbi in the San Francisco Bay area. He suffers from a chronic disease. His recent article in The J rang true to me. (The Jewish Bulletin of the San Francisco Bay Area)
The Coronavirus is not a blessing; there is no silver lining. The virus is a curse, like cancer and other horrific diseases that affect human beings. Anyone who proposes these ideas probably has not suffered, as uncountable humans have over the millenia. Bad, awful diseases, wars, relationships, diseases occur. Having a child with a disability of any sort is not a blessing. It is bad, bad luck. Destruction of any kind--whether it be disease, accident, or human-caused--is not to be valorized. Horrendous events facilitate creation, expression, a sense of purpose--to develop an improved world. One can appreciate the cleaner air and less traffic during the Pandemic of 2020. However, saying that this is the purpose of the virus is to ignore the human suffering. Cleaning the earth is a long-standing goal for all human creatures, not a crusade we follow when we are struck down by an illness.
Viktor Frankel, Holocaust survivor, proposed that our reaction to negative situations presents an opportunity for humans to demonstrate choice, creativity, and compassion. However, I doubt Dr. Frankel rationalized the killing and imprisonment of millions as justified--No. One is genocide; the other is learning in the face of adversity.
To return to Rabbi Kukla, relating the current situation to that of the Jews wandering in the desert after their escape from Egypt---
"In the open space that this pandemic bring to us, we have a chance to pause and begin building a new more just world."
"Like the actual desert, what makes moments of transition so unnerving, and so filled with potential, are the wide, open spaces, the huge arching skiy and expansive sandy plains of the desert."