Muslim Ban: Shock Event?

A family member passed this on through a Facebook 'Copy & Share' message from Heather Richardson, professor of History at Boston College. I felt like sharing it with you, because it does ring true for many reason. The main thing to remember is not to be frozen in our shock, anger, fear, or confusion. Now is the time for all of us to come together and find commonality. We must not let the current Trump regime divide us.

Heather Richardson writes; "I don't like to talk about politics on Facebook-- political history is my job, after all, and you are my friends-- but there is an important non-partisan point to make today. What [Steve] Bannon is doing, most dramatically with last night's ban on immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries-- is creating what is known as a "shock event."

Such an event is unexpected and confusing and throws a society into chaos. People scramble to react to the event, usually along some fault line that those responsible for the event can widen by claiming that they alone know how to restore order.

When opponents speak out, the authors of the shock event call them enemies. As society reels and tempers run high, those responsible for the shock event perform a sleight of hand to achieve their real goal, a goal they know to be hugely unpopular, but from which everyone has been distracted as they fight over the initial event. There is no longer concerted opposition to the real goal; opposition divides along the partisan lines established by the shock event.

Last night's Executive Order has all the hallmarks of a shock event. It was not reviewed by any governmental agencies or lawyers before it was released, and counter-terrorism experts insist they did not ask for it. People charged with enforcing it got no instructions about how to do so. Courts immediately have declared parts of it unconstitutional, but border police in some airports are refusing to stop enforcing it. Predictably, chaos has followed and tempers are hot.

My point today is this: unless you are the person setting it up, it is in no one's interest to play the shock event game. It is designed explicitly to divide people who might otherwise come together so they cannot stand against something its authors think they won't like.

I don't know what Bannon is up to-- although I have some guesses-- but because I know Bannon's ideas well, I am positive that there is not a single person whom I consider a friend on either side of the aisle-- and my friends range pretty widely-- who will benefit from whatever it is.

If the shock event strategy works, though, many of you will blame each other, rather than Bannon, for the fallout. And the country will have been tricked into accepting their real goal. But because shock events destabilize a society, they can also be used positively. We do not have to respond along old fault lines. We could just as easily reorganize into a different pattern that threatens the people who sparked the event.

A successful shock event depends on speed and chaos because it requires knee-jerk reactions so that people divide along established lines. This, for example, is how Confederate leaders railroaded the initial southern states out of the Union.

If people realize they are being played, though, they can reach across old lines and reorganize to challenge the leaders who are pulling the strings. This was Lincoln's strategy when he joined together Whigs, Democrats, Free-Soilers, anti-Nebraska voters, and nativists into the new Republican Party to stand against the Slave Power.

Five years before, such a coalition would have been unimaginable. Members of those groups agreed on very little other than that they wanted all Americans to have equal economic opportunity. Once they began to work together to promote a fair economic system, though, they found much common ground. They ended up rededicating the nation to a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Confederate leaders and Lincoln both knew about the political potential of a shock event. As we are in the midst of one, it seems worth noting that Lincoln seemed to have the better idea about how to use it."

Plato Warned Us of Trump

I have been frozen in my thoughts, words, and actions for what seems like eons, but is actually just over a week. The monstrous cabinet of the new President of the United States seemed like the biggest threat to progress, but it was the least of what should have concerned me. I never realized that 'Executive Orders' and 'Memos' could literally bring a thriving Democracy to the teetering edge of collapse in a matter of a week. I was ignorant, lulled by years of shadow actions hidden from view, pretty words for the public, reassurances of business as usual, and relatively kind if largely inept politicians.

I always assumed that the big decisions of Governments, done in 'peacetime', or what we have been told is peacetime while more than half a dozen wars involving Allied Forces rage around the world, are slow moving and involve constitutional lawyers, teams of people that plan implementation of such new legislation, after passing both the house and senate. I guess I didn't understand, I was ignorant, and I fear my own lack of knowledge about the machinations of American Politics. Quite simply, I was wrong.

I heard Trump rant on about his bigotry, his proposed Muslim ban, his cruel and erroneous characterizations of Mexicans and Latinos, his ancient and rigid descriptions of the Black Community and inner-city ghettos and crime, and his mocking of those with less affluence or different physicality. I was always struck by the sheer inanity of his words, hoping against hope that not one voter would embrace his message. Yet, I always knew there were those who did. What I did not count on was how many supporters, enablers, and defenders he had. I assumed that bigotry could not be legislated in a country that embraces it's Constitution, that even a party that has refused to separate church and state would have an ounce of Christian good will and kindness. I have never been so wrong, and that is a shocking awakening to meet at my age, I assure you.

His election was sobering, his inauguration a funeral for progress, but I thought that it would take time for someone as inept and unaccustomed to the working of government to actually get any traction, get his wrecking-crew cabinet approved, and manage to do any serious work. I was right about many of those assumptions, but what I did not imagine is the sheer power of the office of the presidency being used as a bully pulpit to push through an agenda of almost entirely unconstitutional orders. So much has happened so fast, I can hardly remember each order amidst the whiplash of photo-ops and media spin.

And I keep asking, how this has happened? Why now? What has made this entire debacle possible? Then my sister shared an amazing short video clip from BBC Newsnight, and it all suddenly coalesced into this awful cold and empty feeling in my gut. The writing has been on the wall since it was possible to capture political thought, and as someone who did not study political science in my wide yet relatively focused years upon years of post-secondary education, I now want to know it all, to know more, I want to understand.

Please do watch this short clip about what Plato can teach us about Donald Trump. If it doesn't hit you directly in the gut, then perhaps you are one of the few that has the knowledge I so desperately seek. I am not sure if I envy you, or if I am all the more saddened by those voices who tried to speak out, or could have, but were not heard or listened to, now to our mutual peril.


 

A Child Named 'LOVE'

My Child,

I am amazed by you and can't believe how time flies. It hits me even more now that you are 11 going on 12. Happy New Year 2017 little person who loves friends and family and life so fiercely; You will do anything to protect them, understand them, help them, listen to them, stand up for them, and forgive them, and that makes you a true Mensch.

You amaze me with your wit and sense of humor, something you clearly inherited from my side of the family. Your endless curiosity, your abilities, and your willingness to learn make you so special. Never stop being this great kid, but always reach for your independence and your own dreams. You are a true geek with a love for Star Wars, Super Heroes, Lego, XBox, Nintendo, Harry Potter, Pokemon everything, and all the scientific facts you can soak up. The fact that you are reading "The Hobbit" for pleasure at the moment tickles me no end.

You were the 1st place final tournament winning MVP of your ball hockey league last year, that impresses me so much; Your skill and teamwork combine perfectly. You love the Maple Leafs, Team Canada, Toronto Blue Jays, The Marlies, Toronto Raptors, and TFC Soccer, and know more than I ever will about sports. It makes you a force to be reckoned with. But, I really know that to you, it is all about the 'Team Work' not the prize. Maybe sometimes, it's about the Jersey or the glory. You do live out all your passions through your wardrobe, as you should.

This past week reminded me of all these things, and that you have so much potential that it gives me hope for the future. You love to cook, you love to create art and structures, you love science, you love history, you love fantasy; You love to ask a million excellent questions, you love to cuddle and be silly, you love to debate and to learn. You love to play practical jokes, and you love to read. You love trying new things and flavors, you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty. You love animals and science, and you understand inequality and humanity. You care about the planet and you care about how we treat it. You care about your people and you care about the people you have never met too. How special it is to be so aware at such an early stage, how much information you have access to, how many things are just a few keystrokes away.

Not everything you discover will be good, some things are very scary and disturbing, some people do things that we will never understand, some people just do so much evil. Please remember that when you find one of those things you can come to me and talk about anything, I would rather know that you are upset about something or have questions about something. I know how much you love to talk things through, please know that my job is to be here for you for all the things, both the great ones and the not-so-great ones. And if you can't talk to me, if something makes you feel that you need to talk to someone else, I will be proud of you for finding that other person to speak to.Talking through your feelings, your ideas, your questions, your fears, your challenges or problems, is a sign that in a way, I have given you a very valuable tool for life.

You work so hard to make everyone happy, you have deep feelings and complicated emotions, but you always find a way to put others' before your own needs. You give me the certainty that your generation will be the one that finally heals this planet, it's environment, it's borders, it's people, it's animals and plants, it's food, it's medicine, it's technology, it's safety and prosperity; I am filled with renewed hope for humanity because of you.

Your laugh is the best sound I have ever heard. The way your brain works, the speed of connections and response, is mind boggling. Your kindness and friendship are interconnected. You actually listen, and speak after thinking, a skill all too lacking. You balance your serious time with lots of relaxation and amusement, never ever lose that ability.

You are never driven by rewards, and want to have a future where you are have a career you love, even if the result is that you will have a very modest income and limited means. You accept everyone based on who they are, not their religion or race or appearance, not their finances or conditions, their life choices or means of self-expression. You need to know how rare that is. It is a gift to the whole world.

Whether you become a Medical Researcher, a Geneticist, a Writer, a Champion of Human Rights, an Artist, an Engineer, a Lawyer, a Designer, an Analyst, a Marine Biologist, a Comedian, a Chef, a Craftsperson, a Communicator, a Politician, an Organizer, a Teacher, a Social Worker, an Architect, a Game Developer, a Drug Developer, a Parent, a Partner, a Pet Owner, or Blood Donor; Perhaps some marvelous combination of any of these and the many more we will very likely discuss in the future, I know you will find your place. Then there are the other things we have discussed at three in the morning while looking at silly memes and laughing until our sides hurt that I have likely forgotten. What I do know is that you will do everything to the best of your ability and with as much passion as you can, and that is exceptional.

Life is never perfect, as you very much understand and express. People make mistakes - sometimes ones that can hurt themselves the most, people hold grudges, people hurt other people both emotionally and physically, people have mental health challenges to face, people blame themselves for things that are not in any way their fault. Always accept blame if you have made a mistake, but only accept it to learn from it and become an even better person. Taking on blame that belongs to other people who have acted badly or made mistakes will not help you grow into a more actualized person, it will only prevent you from moving on.

I love how strong you are, I love how you move around the world. Your body is perfect, and it always will be. From the way you hold your head up high that makes my heart fill full of pride, to the way your arms can squeeze me in a hug, to your special toes that wiggle with glee; You are exactly who you are supposed to be. Whether you colour your hair green or shave it all off, whether you pierce your ears or cover yourself in ink, I will still see my child in your eyes, that mischievous twinkle will never change. Only you get to decide about your body, and I know you will do your research to make sure you make the best decisions you can at the time. The best gift I could ever think to give you is the autonomy to make your own choices in life.

Crying is normal, it does not make you weak or silly. Crying is the way our body tells us that our heart is hurting. Laughing is essential, when you laugh you release some of those bad emotions and breath in newer better ones. Joy and Celebration is a the way our bodies react when our good feelings surge and our happiness can hardly be contained. Never let anyone make you feel bad for having pride, for jumping for joy, for hootin' and hollerin'. The key here is to allow yourself to cry when your heart tells you to, not your mind. Laughing should be spontaneous and bubble out of your tummy, never force a laugh to pretend you feel the same way as another person. Celebrate your wins in ways that have personal meaning to you, but don't ever gloat or be mean. I know you know all these things baby, but I love that you live these values in such a loving way.

People make poor choices when they are hurting emotionally and physically; Addictions like food, anger, self destruction, illicit drugs, alcohol, attention, and avoidance are all very tempting ways to self-medicate, it's ok to admit you have made mistakes too. There is no such thing as weak, just sick, and as long as you have a mind that is still willing to try, there is always hope for you and everyone in the world. Asking for help is sometimes the hardest thing to do, but it also takes the most bravery. Bravery is not an absence of fear, it is the ability to use the power of your will to stomp down the fear and do what must be done anyways. There is no such thing as perfect, as I always remind you, there is only better. Practice makes better, sometimes but almost never "Perfect".

I hope that when you are older, if I am very lucky, you might think for just a fraction of a second "Thanks" and think of me when you are reminded of some advice I once tried to pass on to you, hoping it might help someday. That is the highest compliment anyone could ever give me, that would be my living legacy. How full my heart will always feel.

So my child, what I am trying to say is that I love you, just the way you are now. I will love you tomorrow, and I will love you until the end of time. There is absolutely nothing you could ever do that will change the way you have filled my heart with love. I promise to always be here for you when you need me. I promise to hold you when you cry, to celebrate every success you find, and to laugh and be silly with you for all the days that I have. I will always honor your right to make choices for yourself and for your future, I will do everything I can to give you the tools to discover your own passions for yourself. I will love the people you love, I will give up anything to protect your from those who would even think of hurting you. I didn't teach you to how to love, you were born with that miracle, but I can definitely say that you taught me what love really means; How a heart can feel like it is growing in size each day we spend together, how just the thought of you makes my heart feel full and warm all at once, how I anticipate the things you will say, and discover, and dream, and do in the world as if they are the very air I breathe. Yes my child, you are Love.