There has been much written about the loss of democracy. Many things that have been taken for granted in 249 years of our history are now becoming increasingly less sure. As we celebrated the 4th this year there was a somber tone to the festivities. I threatened to wear the black shirt I wore in silent protest of the death of Row V. Wade. On that Independence day three years ago I felt anything but jovial, not fully recognizing what it meant for women and our rights to our own bodies. But honestly, it was too hot to wear black, even in protest of this cruel and self-serving administration.
I am concerned for the loss of democracy and the quickening decent into authoritarianism. Not being someone who ever really had to spend much time understanding the workings of the government, I’ll admit I don’t fully understand what these two words entail. But what I do know is that as we lose the underpinnings of our governmental system, we are also coming frightfully close to losing our humanity.
I woke up to the devastating news that over 50 people had been killed in Kerr County, Texas by flood waters of the Guadalupe River. That in and of itself is bad enough but the fact that so many of them were girls who were at church camp is all the more tragic. I have sent all of my children away for a week at church camp. The stories that they brought home were of new friends, new experiences, and confidence gained by being away on their own. The stories coming out of Camp Mystic are horrific.
It may very well be that the reason that the no one was evacuated along the Guadalupe River was because the recent cuts to NOAA and NWS have left these agencies without the resources needed to do the job they were once able to do. The details being less important to me at this moment than the tragedy these families are facing. I miss Barack Obama’s gentle heartfelt words of comfort in the face of loss. That just isn’t happening right now.
I read a comment by a frustrated person, I am sure, that in response to the deaths in Texas, said something to the effect of “that this is what they voted for. “ Although, that may be true in the sense that Texas overwhelmingly voted for Trump, but it is not true in the sense that anyone knowingly voted for the death of a child. And in the lives of those affected, it is not important now. Now what they need is compassion, caring and help. To say their pain somehow is not valid due to their political choices is to allow those of us in opposition to sink to our current president’s level of inhumanity.
If we believe that immigrants are people and deserve fair and just treatment, we believe in the humane treatment of all. And that includes Trump voters. This can be challenging; othering people is always the easier choice. We must not let the inhumane treatment of people exhibited by our president and his administration seep into us. Staying strong is holding onto our humanity.
Diana Butler Bass said on the Convocation Unscripted last week that what we are experiencing is “moral injury.”
I felt that when she said. Felt the truth of it in my body. Keeping up with the news is causing us to experience daily moral injury. If you are not feeling our shared morality under attack, either you are very good at compartmentalizing or you are getting your news from an outlet that is deceptively palatable. Or it could be some broad form of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard), is keeping you safe in the bubble of “it is not happening to me.”
Our very humanity is at stake here. Not caring for immigrants today is no different from not caring about Jews in the early stages of Hitler’s Holocaust, or not caring about Japanese Americans locked up in camps during WWII or not caring about blacks for so much of the history of our country from slavery to Jim Crow. All of these atrocities started with seeing the other as “less than,” deserving less because they have less value.
All people are a part of our shared humanity, and we must be moved and grieved when any of us suffers a tragedy. We must respond with compassion and provide whatever support we can. When government no longer works for the people, we must cling more tightly to each other. The current Administration is working to divide us, we must be ever vigilant in our work towards staying connected and each other’s humanity.
As always, such a great message. Thank you