This is not who we are . . .

[flamin lib]

I keep hearing this.

A Muslim ban, this is not who we are . . .

Children in cages, this is not who we are . . .

George Floyd, this is not who we are . . .

Nazis in Charlottesville, this is not who we are . . .

White supremacists storm the Capital, this is not who we are . . .

THIS IS EXACTLY WHO WE ARE.

Who we always have been.

If we, the white, privileged, moderate, mainstream Americans don't realize and embrace this, THAT THIS IS WHO WE ARE, it is who we will always be.

Martin Luther King tried to show us the way. We killed him. John and Bobby tried to show us the way. We killed them. Abraham Lincoln tried to show us the way. We killed him.

WE DID THIS. The white, privileged, moderate, mainstream Americans.

Trump has shown us who we are. If it weren't Trump it would be someone else.

The only question remaining is, now that we've been shown will we see? Will this upheaval that pulled the curtain aside, that held the mirror to our face and exposed us to ourselves will we seize this as an opportunity for redemption or quietly settle back into who we are?

I fear the answer.

[Pobeka]

1. Drives me crazy -- so many folks don't want to face it and be "uncomfortable" with that reality.

Uncomfortable.

Just stop voting for the racists/misogynists/...

Yeah, some people that look different than you will start to gain some ground towards equality in our society. And the result of that would be a stronger social system, economic system, ultimately lower costs for policiing, and ... more peace.

Seems like a no-brainer.

But some folks don't want to feel uncomfortable.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Excellent, eloquent post, my dear flamin lib. Greatest Page Time!

Questioning who we really are is always uncomfortable, but I am ready to look hard into myself as I try to see where I should be.

Thank you!

[Thunderbeast]

3. Most American were raised to be "nice" and conflict averse

The reactionaries take advantage of that at every opportunity.

We need to defend a pluralistic democracy. It means having uncomfortable conversations with folks when they are spreading untruths. We can respectfully disagree on policy and opinion. We must call BULLSHIT when the arguments are deliberate lies parroted from the propaganda right-wing press.

[Hortensis]

4. If that was who we were, how the hell did we ever create our democracy

and advance equality for all? Yes, a minority among us have fought every inch of progress we're ever made, but in the end they always lose and equality wins.

This bigger-than-usual moment is merely the current variation on what we've lived and fought through every year of our republic, including its creation. The rage and anxiety of those dragged along kicking and screaming is louder than usual because of both fearfully huge known and unknown changes and the great advances we've made in this troubled century.

And we continue to advance. That's who we cumulatively are.