What Kind of America Do You Want?

What does your version of an ideal America look like?

What do you want America to look like? Is it a country where only straight white men (mostly old white men) have power and control over everything? Is it a country where

• only white men hold the nation's wealth
• white men act only to benefit themselves rather than the people at large
  
• minorities are second-class citizens
• women are considered 'less than' men in all respects
• the environment is seen merely as something to be exploited
• the white male version of Christianity is seen as the only 'true' religion
• hypocrisy and misogyny are the norm
• equal rights for gay, lesbian and transgender people don't exist
• only those deemed to follow the Republican party line are allowed to vote 
• anybody who wants an assault-style gun (or a dozen) is allowed to have one
• programs that protect the most vulnerable (Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, mental health programs) are deemed to be 'too expensive' and are slashed 
• doing anything and everything -- bribery, intimidation, legislation -- to hold onto power is allowed, even encouraged
• immigrants who aren't white are demonized
• women are looked upon as unqualified to hold any position of influence regardless of their qualification 
• strong women are demonized as whores who sleep their way to the top
  
• the 'right to life' applies only to the unborn fetus, not to children after they are born
• as 'less than' men, women should accept being paid less for doing the same job as men
• women are judged on their clothing, their hair style and how pretty they are, not on their education, talents and skills
• members of the LGBTQ community are discriminated against with impunity
• abortions are illegal under all circumstances
• voter suppression is seen as acceptable
• those who dislike the results of an election are free to march on the capitol, threatening and attacking legislators and police, even killing some
  

This seems to be the unwritten platform of the current Republican party, where voter suppression and intimidation are commonplace. The great state of Arkansas just passed legislation (that was signed post haste by the governor) that allows physicians to refuse to treat members of the LGBTQ community. Georgia's legislature passed (and the governor quickly signed) legislation severely curtailing voting rights, even making it illegal to distribute food and water to voters waiting in line. 

If this is your idea of a great America, congratulations. If we don't fight back, this is the country we will get.

So yes, this is the Republican (or as some prefer, the Republikkkan) version of an ideal America. White. Male. Straight. Domineering. Hypocritical. Racist. Sexist. Greedy.

What's next? Slavery? Indentured servitude? Women aren't allowed to go to school or work outside the home? Anyone who isn't a white male needs to 'know their place' and shut up?

This is not the America I want to live in. It is not the America where I want my daughter and my unborn grandson to live. This isn't the America for which more than 1 million Americans died in service to this country, defending our constitution. 

Things haven't been perfect during my time on this planet, but at least racism and misogyny are being called out and people -- sometimes -- held to account. Progress has been made, but it has been painfully slow. At the rate things are going, how long will it be before blatant racism, homophobia and misogyny become the norm?

I fear for my country. I fear for those who are impacted directly by this growing trend of us (white men) vs them (everybody else). 

If this is not the kind of country you want, GET INVOLVED! Vote in every election. Contact your elected officials and let them know how you feel. Help others register to vote. The stakes for our country and our way of life are too great to merely stand by and let this happen. Always remember that freedom isn't free.

 

Hate

I don't get it. I simply don't understand.

What do I not understand? Hatred of others who are not like us. Why should I hate -- or worse, attack and kill -- someone whose skin color or religion or ethnicity or sexual orientation or gender isn't like mine? 

A crazed gunman in Atlanta murdered eight people earlier recently, seven of them Asian-Americans. Why did this person have such hatred toward these innocent people? Police are still trying to discover the motive. Acts of hate and violence toward non-whites in America have increased exponentially over the past four years. Why? Discrimination against nonwhites by white Americans isn’t new. It has existed since the founding of this country nearly 250 years ago. But it is getting more pronounced, and more and more non-white people are being targeted. First it was Blacks. Then is was Latinos. Now it's Asians.

I have a friend who is gay. I worked on occasion with a transgender woman. I worked with people of a variety of ethnicities. I worked with a couple of Muslim women. I have Jewish friends; I have a Turkish Muslim friend. I have friends with a variety of religious beliefs, and some with no religious beliefs. I have friends who are Black and Latino. Years ago I was friends with a Japanese-American woman. I didn't care then, and I don't care now, about these superficial differences. The bottom line is, we are all human.  

What makes some people -- white supremacists -- think that having white skin or being Christian somehow makes them superior? Einstein was Jewish, and he was brilliant. Some of my favorite singers -- Barbra Streisand and Carole King (Jewish), Tina Turner and Whitney Houston (Black), Elton John (gay)  -- aren't like me in many respects. But I still admire them and their wonderful talents. I am in awe of the guides who lead my African safari trips. They can spot a gray lizard on a gray rock many yards in the distance. They know their environment far better than I can ever dream of. I once had a conversation with a Samburu man who worked at one of the lodges where my friend and I stayed during our first trip to Kenya. He had no formal education, but what he knew about the plants and animals in the area was amazing. He had learned English by interacting with guests at the lodge. He wasn't fluent in English, but he spoke English far better than I will ever speak Swahili! We had nothing in common, but he volunteered to accompany me on a walk around the compound. Did I care that he is a Black African?

Hating someone, or a group of people, because of their religion or the color of their skin or their native language makes as much sense as hating someone because they have blue eyes or red hair. I watched a video (quiet old, based on the hair and clothing styles) that illustrated just how easily kids can learn how it feels to be treated as 'less than' because of a difference in physical traits. In the video, a blue-eyed elementary school teacher had students who didn't have blue eyes wear a blue collar, so they could be identified at a distance. These students weren't allowed to use the drinking fountain, weren't allowed to play on playground equipment, and weren't allowed to play with the blue-eyed students. She told the class that the students with blue eyes were special, more intelligent, etc. The following day, the brown-eyed students were the favored ones. The favored group actually performed better on tests as well. The students quickly learned that they didn't like being treated differently and they did not enjoy being refused things available to the other group of students.

But why do people hate? Sometimes they are looking for a scapegoat, as happened in Hitler's Germany when European Jews were blamed for Germany's defeat in World War I and for the dismal economic situation in the country. Sometimes people hate someone or a group of people because of some perceived offense. People certainly can learn to hate from their parents or peers. Some people hate out of fear of those who are different due to skin color, language or religion. Sometimes the things people hate in others are the very things they fear in themselves. Those who join hate groups (and there are around 900 in the US) may be looking to fill a void in themselves. So they seek out others with shared beliefs.

In a 2017 article in Psychology Today, psychologist Bernard Golden is quoted as follows: "Acts of hate are attempts to distract oneself from feelings such as helplessness, powerlessness, injustice, inadequacy and shame. Hate is grounded in some sense of perceived threat. It is an attitude that can give rise to hostility and aggression toward individuals or groups. Like much of anger, it is a reaction to and distraction from some form of inner pain. The individual consumed by hate may believe that the only way to regain some sense of power over his or her pain is to preemptively strike out at others. In this context, each moment of hate is a temporary reprieve from inner suffering." 

Asian-Americans did not cause or bring the coronavirus to America. They have suffered from Covid-19 the same as others in this country. Muslim-Americans were similarly the victims of unwarranted attacks after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. And now, thanks to the Republicans in the Georgia state government, anti-voting legislation targeting Black voters in that state, has become law. A lawsuit seeking to overturn the law has already been filed.

America's long tradition of discrimination and killing of those perceived as different began long before this country was founded. And sadly, it seems we haven't made much progress over the centuries. There is no vaccine against hatred. We must teach our children not to hate. And we as adults must also examine why we hate.

We can do better, America. We must do better.

They Went to the Grocery Store

They went to the grocery store. 

And now they are dead.

Imagine going to pick up some groceries or a prescription from the store where you shop on a regular basis. Or perhaps you work in the grocery store. It was an ordinary Monday afternoon. Suddenly the sounds of shoppers talking and pushing shopping carts were interrupted by the sounds of shots from a semi-automatic weapon. People screamed as they ran for safety or searched frantically for a place to hide.

For nine shoppers and the first police officer to arrive on scene, this ordinary scene quickly turned fatal. Last week's mass killing of eight people in Atlanta also happened on an ordinary day, with people going about their business until they were murdered by a gun-toting killer.

These people survived the pandemic. I’m sure they, like the rest of us, were looking forward to returning to some semblance of normalcy in their lives. But this latest mass murder is, sadly, the state of America in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. We are safe nowhere -- not at the movies, not at the grocery store, not at an outdoor concert, not at work, not at school, not at church. There is no place in this country where ordinary citizens are safe from killers armed with semi-automatic weapons whose sole purpose is to kill lots of people.

The weapon of choice in America's mass killings? The AR-15, a weapon designed not to defend onsself, one's home and one's family. No, this weapon is designed to fire up to 45 rounds/minute, making it the perfect weapon for killing lots of people in a short period of time.

The killing of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 brought no changes in gun laws. And nothing has been done following any of the numerous mass killings in this country since then. Members of Congress are more worried about alienating gun owners and the National Rifle Association than in doing the right thing. And despite cries of "The Democrats want to take our guns", nobody has tried to take away guns from legal, law-abiding gun owners. Even the most sensible, rational attempts to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill are met with fierce opposition.

So the question is, What can and will be done to stop Americans' obsession with guns? People do not need semi-automatic weapons to defend themselves or to go hunting. The Second  Amendment should not be more important than Americans’ right to live their lives in peace and safety without having to worry about being gunned down when they go to school, to the mall or grocery shopping.

The shootings in our country are not the result of drug cartels battling for turf. They are not the result of an oppressive government trying to quell protesters seeking democracy. They are the result of unfettered access to firearms. Other countries don’t have this problem. Why can America not figure out a way to stop or at least slow this murder? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that on average 109 Americans lose their lives each and every day to gun violence. This is not acceptable. 

I don’t have an answer to this problem. It will take brighter minds than mine, and a group willingness to effect change, before things will get better. Contact your senators and representatives and demand meaningful change. This should not be an all-or-none issue. If, as has always happened after mass killings, we allow our legislators to do nothing, the slaughter will continue.

 

Taking the First Step Forward

A week ago Friday was an exciting day for me.

I was able to get the first of two vaccinations (the Pfizer one) to help protect me from the coronavirus. It was exciting because I have been eagerly awaiting my chance to get vaccinated, and It was exciting because my group was still waiting to be notified. But late Wednesday afternoon I received a text message and an e-mail telling me that vaccine was available and I should click the link in the message to schedule an appointment. I didn't even take time to go to my computer to sign up. I did everything on my cell phone immediately, not wanting to miss this opportunity to start the vaccination process. 

The location was a large event center in town. I grabbed the first available appointment, for 12:30 on Friday. There was a long line of cars waiting to park, but once I got inside the event center, things moved very quickly. There were lots of staff to direct us where to go. I waited just a few seconds before being directed to a station set up for administering the vaccine. I was told to tell the woman that this was my first vaccine and I wanted it in my left arm. The injection itself was virtually painless. I was handed a card to serve as proof of vaccination, and then directed to climb the stairs to rows of seats (with those to be used marked off) where people were to sit for either 15 or 30 minutes to make sure we had no reaction to the injection. After 15 minutes, I received both a text message and an e-mail telling me I was free to leave. And as I was waiting, I was notified of the date and time for the second vaccination, exactly three weeks in the future.

I know that if I will have a reaction to the vaccine, it will be following the second injection. Not everyone has a reaction, and I have never reacted negatively to any injection, including the two-part shingles vaccine that made some people very ill. So I am hopeful that nothing bad will happen with this vaccine. 

As expected, the anti-vaccination groups are out in force. I have read so many ridiculous comments and opinions -- none of them informed opinions -- about these vaccines. One local woman claimed she got shingles from getting vaccinated against the coronavirus. Others claim that more than 50,000 people have died from complications of the vaccine. Still others believe that Bill Gates is behind a plot to use the vaccination program to inject people with microchips to track their movements. For my part, I will trust the science and the safety and efficacy reviews by both the FDA and by an independent review panel. Yes, these vaccines were produced in record time, but I believe they are safe. Yes, some people have had negative reactions (getting shingles is not one of the side effects), but some people have negative reactions to many things. That doesn't mean the vaccines are dangerous or deadly or have resulted in the deaths of 50,000 people in the United States. Certainly a few people have died after receiving a covid vaccine, but that does not mean the vaccine caused the deaths. Some people die as they sleep. That doesn't mean that sleeping causes death.

I will take my chances with the vaccine and prefer to face the risk of a serious reaction over the risk of contracting Covid-19. While many people do fully recover from the infection, more than 541,000 Americans have already died of the coronavirus, with countless others facing permanent, life-long complications.

I am extremely grateful that I have been able to begin the vaccination process. I am grateful that three pharmaceutical companies in the US have produced safe and effective vaccines so quickly. I am grateful that we now have a president who has acted swiftly and decisively to increase the production and distribution of these vaccines, to encourage Americans to get vaccinated and to continue to wear masks until the pandemic is under control.

So for all those who continue to claim that the pandemic is a hoax or a lie, I hope no one you love becomes a victim of this virus because of your selfish ignorance.

Thanks for Masking

 I know. This is a pretty bad pun. But it’s also true.

As we inch ever closer to getting this pandemic under control, the experts still advise people to wear masks when in public. This applies as well to those who have been fully vaccinated. I have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, with the second coming up in just more than two weeks. 

Unfortunately, many states, mostly led by Republicans, are hell-bent on reopening their states completely, despite the very real risk still posed by this virus. Those of us who actually care about our families, friends and communities continue to mask up when we leave the house. Many people refuse to shop at businesses that do not require a mask, regardless of what the state permits. I know people in Texas, whose governor has decided that it’s time to reopen for business as usual, no mask required, are refusing to shop at any business that allows people inside without a mask. My state, whose governor has taken a very reasonable, cautious and measured approach to the virus, still has a mask and social distancing mandate in place. And that suits me just fine.

And it’s not really a surprise to see that the infection rate, the hospitalization rate and the death rate in my state have dropped significantly. And with each biweekly assessment of the situation in the state and in each county, counties are being allowed to re-open at greater capacity levels. That could change, of course, if the infection rates increase dramatically. But so far, despite grumbling and lawsuits from some Republicans, the state is doing well. 

We have together, and despite the refusal of so many to stay home and to mask up when in public, come a long way over the past year. The end is in sight, as more and more people get vaccinated against this virus that has created so much death and cost so many jobs. But it will take everybody working together to finally get this country back to some semblance of normality. If we let our guard down too soon, we can reverse the progress we have made. 

We as humans and as workers and business owners need to pull together, regardless of what certain misguided politicians may say. It is encouraging to hear from Texas friends that they will continue to mask up when in public, and it is encouraging to hear about many Texas businesses that continue to require that patrons of their shops mask up if they want to enter the store premises. On the other hand, we see stories about huge crowds on Florida and Texas beaches celebrating spring break. And I was saddened to see a recent poll that indicates that 47 percent of those who voted for the previous president do not plan to get vaccinated, versus only 10 percent ofthose who voted for the current president. 

Please, don't be one of those responsible for continuing the pandemic as it ravages our nation. Get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The injection is painless.

Struggling Through the Panemic

This week I learned first hand about a struggling small business (a tailor shop) in my city. I asked the owner, a female Asian immigrant, how business has been during the pandemic. She said it is OK but not great. I figured her business was off when she told me the pair of pants I had taken in for hemming would be ready next Monday. Every previous time she needed a week to finish the job. She said she hasn't seen things this bad in the 23 years she has been in business, and she hopes she can hold on until business picks up. Although the shop is open six days/week, she said that after paying rent and utilities, there is very little left over. 

The next morning I received an e-mail from a young man whom I met a couple of years ago during my visit to Ethiopia. He and a couple of other local young villagers had been hired to assist my group for a few days. He carried my heavy camera and big lens, helped me over rough, uneven terrain, etc. We have stayed in touch with the occasional e-mail. He asked how I, my family and my village are doing during the pandemic. He said the civil war in Ethiopia has stopped, but the war bordered his village. The big problem is lack of food due to tourism being non-existent, and the government isn't supporting its people. He said life is difficult and boring, and many guides have moved out of the country.

This is such a sad commentary about the suffering of people in a country that struggles even in the best of times. He asked that I pray for his country.

 

I provide a scholarship for a female Kenyan student so she can attend high school. She is from an extremely poor family in rural Kenya. When the pandemic hit, students were sent home (my student attends a residential high school).  Remote learning is not possible, as the rural areas lack electricity, and none of the students' families can afford a computer. They were sent home with written materials and homework, but I'm sure their education suffered after schools were closed for several months. My student will be sitting for her college entrance exams later this month.

So although I complain about the difficulties of life in America during the pandemic, I realize that mine are definitely First World problems. There have been shortages of certain foods, but I have not gone hungry (although many Americans have had difficulty affording food). I have electricity, running water and Internet access. There is not a civil war raging near my city. I am not at risk of losing the small business I worked so hard to build. The rollout of vaccines to protect us against this horrible virus is excruciatingly slow, but it is happening. Kenya administered its first 10 vaccinations today.

As sad as it is to hear these stories of struggle by people I know, I am grateful that these people have shared their experiences with me and reminded me how this pandemic has affected so many people around the world. And their stories remind me how fortunate I am.

If You Call Yourself A Christian

If you call yourself a Christian, act like a Christian.

Far too many Americans these days who consider themselves Christians are in reality anything but good Christians. This applies equally to certain individuals and to certain churches. I am not a pastor or a theologian, and I haven't set foot inside a church except as  a tourist for decades. But I do remember a few things from my childhood religious instruction.

One of these teachings said we should treat our neighbors as we wish to be treated. "Love your neighbor as yourself," right? So how about all these good Christians marching against Jews and Muslims in our country? Is that how they want to be treated? They get very upset when they see news footage of radical Muslims in other countries protesting against Americans, kidnapping and killing Americans. But that's different, right? It's OK if those spewing hatred are 'Christians.'

How about the so-called right-to-life advocates who cherish life so much that they have no problem blowing up women's health clinics or assassinating doctors who perform abortions? So much for cherishing life. How many of these people would want someone else making medical decisions about them? How many of those who cry that the federal government is too involved and has too much control over people's lives think it's just fine for the church (their church, of course) to use the government to dictate a woman's reproductive decisions? And how about the insurrectionists who called for the hanging of former Vice President Mike Pence because he didn't act to overturn a legitimate election? Separating children from their families and locking them in cages apparently is OK as long as the kids are Hispanic, right? How many of these 'right to life' terrorists have actually adopted an infant born to a mother-to-be who is unwilling or unable to care for a child? I have.

This same group of hypocrites also has no problem with discriminating against gay/lesbian/transgender people, or against women or those who are not white and Christian. So really, these so-called Christians feel entitled to pick and choose their beliefs and the Bible verses that support those beliefs. And to hell with the actual people who get hurt.

These alleged followers of Christ praise and honor him with their words, but deny him through their actions. And remember that old adage that actions speak louder than words? It's true. 

The biggest group of hypocritical Christians is the evangelicals, a group that overwhelmingly supported (and still does) the former president, despite his history of three marriages, numerous affairs, charges of rape by a couple dozen women, and stealing money from a charity for children suffering from cancer. He's quite the one to be adored, isn't he? And the latest thing that should offend all Christians is the golden statue of the Dear Leader featured at last weekend's conservative political action conference. I seem to recall something in the Bible about not worshiping graven images and avoiding idolatry. Yet here he is in all his golden hypocrisy, bedecked in American flag shorts and flip-flops.

Of course, there are lots of good Christians in the world, people who are compassionate, who do what they can to help and uplift those in need, and who truly try to live a life consistent with the teachings of Christ. 

And one doesn't have to be a Christian to be a good person. Kindness and acceptance know no religious limits. The group that comes to mind as being good followers of Christ despite not being Christian is the Sikhs. These good folks have a history of stepping in to help their neighbors facing adversity from natural disasters, most recently in the aftermath of the winter storm in Texas that left millions without electricity and running water. These Sikhs are far more Christian in their actions than is the pastor of a Houston megachurch who only opened his huge church building to victims of a hurricane after he was publicly shamed into doing so.

Perhaps the idol-worshiping evangelicals should take a refresher course and learn about treating others as we want to be treated, and about sin, greed and the worship of false idols. Perhaps it's time to try harder to actually follow the teachings of the one they profess to follow.