This beautifully worded speech has really interested me on a couple of occasions over the past week. The first time was when I heard segments of the speech on the evening news. I was very struck that the address and the sentiments conveyed were so perfectly worded for the situation. The second time the speech hit my consciousness was after Donald Trump hit news stories saying that he would never apologize for Hiroshima because of Pearl Harbor. So I’ve read the speech in full, courtesy of The New York Times posting the text in full. First, it is noteworthy that Obama didn’t apologize America’s action over Hiroshima during the Second World War. What the speech conveyed was consolation and unity, a call to action for a better future. What happened in Hiroshima was truly horrible and it weighs heavy on our national consciousness. Was it justifiable? Weighed in balance of the losses that had already occurred during the war, maybe. However, this speech wasn’t about justifying ourselves. The message is about valuing human life and taking responsibility for the future, which would be right regardless.
Category: Human rights
In Reflection
I didn’t realize that the United States’ use of the Atomic Bomb during WWII was ever questioned until I was an adult in college. The question put to us: was use of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki a necessary evil? We watched creepy Cold War propaganda, we read sad books about people living near nuclear test sites, and I, in my own mind, tried to justify why a country I loved had taken such extreme measures.
We do that as Americans don’t we? I belong to this country, I must defend everything we have done and find no fault in it. We judge nations as we judge individuals, they are all good or all bad. Isn’t it possible for an entity to have a conscience and failures at the same time? When we try to sooth or collective conscience and ask if we are absolved of this act, the question is unanswerable. We have no idea how other options would have played out in reality. We can not answer for the true motives of the final arbitrators of the decision to use the bomb. We can only judge an outcome and it is dubious.
We have the moral responsibility to spare as much innocent life as is humanly possible in every situation. The results of the A-Bomb by scale were so much greater and more devastating than the results of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I do not say this to minimize Pearl Harbor but simply because we understand that devastation so much more since it was against us, at our home. Alternatively when you reality of the scale of evil that was seen during WWII as death camps were discovered in Europe and the attempted extermination of an entire ethnic group was discovered, maybe such force seemed very practical.
I simply can not judge myself but today, on the 70th memorial of the attack, I take a moment to reflect. A popular park in Seattle will be floating paper lanterns in the lake to commemorate those that were killed and injured in the attack. I stand with them, I will remember and attempt with whatever small power I have to make the world a more just place. Today there are resolutions to so many atrocities that still have not come and those effected by them deserve a chance to look back from a safe distance and commemorate in peace.
What Does Appropriation Mean?
Two topics have taken over my news feed in the last year which puzzle me. The first was controversy over Iggy Azalea’s right to represent herself as a rapper. The second ocurred yesterday when Kylie Jenner came under fire for wearing cornrows in an Instagram pic. Both white women were accused of being racist. Apparently, the accusation against Iggy Azalea was that she took away from the African-American community by capitalizing on a culturally specific music genre while other black (more authentic/ordinal/talented) artists were overlooked due to racial inequality. The accusation against Kylie Jenner is similar, that she authenticated an African-American specific style without a nod to ongoing racial struggles and that her version of the look would be admired while it is frequently scrutinized on black women and men. (The word Authenticate has several meanings. One noted on thefreedictionary.com was to give validity or authority to something… Had to google that.)
My confusion is that personal style and music are expression both of culture and individuality. As it is unacceptable to segregate human beings based on race or subculture, is it acceptable to segregate expression or representations of culture? Should someone with a passion for hair styling also be prepared to promote advocacy if this is not within their scope. Is it inappropriate for white people to participate in hip hop culture? Is it inappropriate for an Iranian teenager to participate in Malibu surf culture if they want to? Or for someone of Asian descent to immerse themselves in European Art? Conversely, should a person of Mexican decent be disallowed to pursue an interest in Hebrew linguistics if it should fascinate them? Each of these interests can transcend ethnicity, beautiful or powerful or fascinating things can be relatable cross culturally. Wouldn’t it be positive if these expressions and identifiers were less limited and more fluid? As they enhance our understanding of one another? Should black artists and fashionistas get more coverage and success? Absolutely! But sharing aspects of culture that we are passionate about and living in a world that accurately depicts culture and dispenses success with equity should not be mutually exclusive. Let’s work together to share and communicate our common passions to better understand each and promote each other, even when we are not part of a greater campaign.
Stand for Racial Equality
After the Charleston shootings, I was glad to hear so many come together in support of the African American community. It seems that this hate crime may cause our country to speak out in one voice and say, “We will not tolerate bigotry anymore”. I continue to hope the Confederate Flag in Charleston will come down as a symbol of our brotherhood in honor of the victims.
Poorly bandaged racial inequality has festered over the last years with the death of several young black men and the ensuing questions, conversations, lack of resolution and then riots leaving an open wound. Ignoring the reality of racial inequality in our social and justice systems will continue to make things worse. Trying to understand different perspectives alone will not help. It is time to declare where we stand. Do we stand for equality or will we allow injustice? I encourage you to state your position by sharing the above image on any of your social media sites. It is a small action but your voice has influence, let it be heard.
Because of Charleston…
A horrific and violent hate crime was committed this week in Charleston, SC. A white young man went in to a historic black church and opened gun fire, killing nine people. He wanted to start a race war. These are the facts, there is no fixing the damage that has been done. All that can be changed is the future, the living can still have hope of healing. The community in Charleston will grieve but this also needs to occur nationally. Grief is part of a healing eradicates hate and moves us forward to a new place.
This is an actionable moment. Through the last year we have seen more and more racial tension. There has been more and more concern, demonstration and riots resulting after the unnecessary loss of black lives. There have been so many opinions but not full recognition of the problem. There has been no real leadership, no clear distinction of the first step to take towards healing, just a lot of listening, confusion and concern. After Ferguson I wondered why our culture hadn’t come further since the Rodney King riots some 20 years ago. Now I wonder why we have not come further from the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. Yet, no civil war or civil rights movement was ever necessary without serious crimes of injustice. In the aftermath of this hate, the shock of this crime can compel us to act.
The perpetrator, a homeland terrorist, wanted to start a race war. He will stand trial and may receive the death penalty. However, ultimately justice lies in our hands. We can eliminate any prejudice in our own hearts and minds. We can insist on viewing each other as equals, no matter what may differentiate us from each other. The ultimate revenge or punishment for someone who wanted to foster racial violence is to make this moment the beginning of the strongest unity we have ever had.
Every black person, every white person, every person of faith, every American is or should be standing in solidarity with the victims of this crime and the entire black community. The lives that were lost should be honored and let this darkest hour become the day we burry bigotry. Then, maybe someday, we will be able to say that because of Charlestown we are stronger.
A Few More Thoughts on Immigration
If I could, I would beg the media & political figures to please stop calling individuals “illegals” or “undocumented”. The term “illegals” paints an individual in a negative light as someone who is alien, against law, a danger, a threat.
Lately, the conversations in the news center around illegal immigration from Mexico in to the US. While any conversation should recognize that the spectrum of immigration is much broader than this, let’s focus on this situation for a moment. Comment if I’m wrong but it seems that many if not a majority of conservatives cite a short list of reasons why illegal immigration from Mexico is a problem. They seem to say that the immigrant population will “use up” US resources (dollars/taxes/healthcare) without contributing back in to the system and introduce more crime. First, why do we have a problem with people wanting to utilize US resources to create a better life. I thought this was what America was supposed to be about, it’s smart. Second, I simply do not believe that the immigrant population is not contributing back to the resource pot. Third, I do not have proof that higher crime rates are a result of illegal immigration.
So many people have immigrated to the US not only to create a more profitable life but also to remove themselves and their families from danger. Do those living legally in the US have the corner on the market on safety and well-being or are these human rights that apply to everyone? Immigrants from Mexico may have left lives behind due to the threat of drug cartels or a myriad of other reasons. They may have broken US immigration law but be more than justified by laws of humanity.
The term “undocumented” almost takes away the individuals entire identity. If a person is “undocumented”, it is as if they do not exist. If they do not exist on paper, who is there to advocate for their human needs and justice? (On a side note, being “undocumented” is a greater threat to the international immigrant than to American resources since their labor, finances & physicality is more easily exploited when there is no agency or protection provided by the state.)
Further, while no harm may be intended, these labels deconstruct an individual’s identity as a human being. They are of a high value as human beings and, if you are Christian, let’s acknowledge that they are of equal value to God as anyone else. They are created by God, loved by God. This conversation is bound to gain coverage for a while longer and there will be a lot of opinions about it. If I could, I would convince everyone to avoid hastily limiting opportunities for safety and success that we should assist… But I can not convince. So I simply ask: before we talk, what does this conversation say?
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