I hope you've had a pleasant week. It certainly has been a challenging one from the cultural level.
Fair warming my liberal bent may a bit more on display in this post.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks, you are aware that the recent nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court has been accused of sexual assault. I believe the accusers. This is the latest scandal and atrocity that this political climate has brought to light. We are in the middle of a cultural war. This goes beyond the war on women (which is a real thing guys), it goes beyond the right for same sex couples to marry, it goes beyond race, and it goes beyond religious extremism. At its most basic, it is clash between whether we wish to be an inclusive or exclusive culture.
I look around and I see grown men and women acting like kids do in middle school and high school. We have cliques for adults, they are called political parties, religions, and socio-economic status. In the past few years I have witnessed people say and do heinous things to anyone not in their clique. The fact that rape is terrible shouldn't be a controversial conclusion. Ripping children away from their parents and locking them in cages that look like dog kennels also should be easily recognized as evil. Destroying confidence in the press and 'facts' should also not be something to be applauded. Yet these things have been deemed a great success by those that champion the idea of exclusivity.
On the other end of the spectrum we have the idea of inclusiveness. Rather than trying to keep everyone else who isn't exactly like us out, we welcome them in. The idea that there is space at the table for everyone, oddly enough is not a new one. It is shared by many of the world's religions. Now most of us don't fall on the far end of either side of that spectrum. We also can move one direction or the other throughout our lives depending on our experiences and the company we keep. Exclusivity hoards privilege while inclusivity extends it.
Having been excluded quite a bit growing up I tend to fall in the camp that cheers for inclusivity. I was lucky being excluded as a kid from the social circles didn't affect my access to healthcare, housing, or my family. That same attitude which seeks to continue its cultural dominance is the one that contributes to bullying and violence. History shows us the dark harvest this paradigm reaps: slavery, poverty, and genocide.
Why am I telling you this? Well right now it is tough to remain hopeful as we witness our representatives champion cruelty in the name of exclusivity. Inclusiveness seems to be on the losing end of the argument at the moment. However the fire and noise that the exclusive camp is sending out shows that it feels threatened. It fears losing its dominance. In this time, it is probably the weakest it has been in recorded history. It may not feel like it, but if we keep pushing forward inclusiveness could become the norm. Imagine for a moment a world where people are treated fairly, and where our representatives care about everyone's well being. What could be accomplished if we didn't have one hand fighting to keep some people down? Think on it, keep hope alive, and keep speaking your truth.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
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