America in Retrograde

And I’m not referring to a reality TV show or a celestial phenomenon

A continuation of thought from—

A number of Americans are horrified by the recent spate of violent events related to race over the last few years. To me it’s like a watching a bad reality show entitled, “America in Retrograde.” If only the state of our union was just a TV show, I imagine lots of viewers would be scrambling for their remotes.

Anger, frustration, heartbreak, outrage, and sadness are all appropriate emotions brought on by the rancor, violence, and abject hatred we’ve seen masquerading as political discourse and patriotism.

The real question is: what do you as an individual and we as a nation do with those emotions? In essence, there are only two options—

The first is to keep quiet, stay passive, and accept the status quo. Sir Isaac Newton got it right with his First Law of Motion when he said, “a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts upon it . . . ”

The second option is to channel those emotions in making America a more perfect union for everyone.

And how do we do that?

We try to affect change with care and respect right where we are, each of us in our own way. Folks like Charles M. Blow, Donna Brazile, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shonda Rhimes, and George Takei — to name a very few — have national platforms from which they can spread their messages of equality and inclusion.

Each and every one of us has a platform at our immediate disposal that is just as—if not more—vital those of celebrities: our own sphere of influence, those we know and come in contact with on a regular basis. Think about it. People who have made a major paradigm shifts have done so thanks to a direct relationship with someone they know. You have a greater chance of helping some move from a bigoted to a more open-minded worldview when there’s some sort of relationship (professional, affinity group, social activity, et al) or common interest.

The country’s come too far to return things to the way they were. Too many people have given their lives in the fight against racism. And too many more have had their lives taken in that same name.

Be the change you want to see, starting right where you art; but do it with care and respect.

And above all, love one another.