In part 1 of this blog I left you with the question: how do things change in a
nation being led and governed by the ignorant? Here’s my attempt at an answer.
First, we need to be bold and courageous in naming the problem. Today, and
perhaps for the first time in a long time, America’s two political parties are
neither moral equivalents, nor educational equivalents! And we simply cannot be
afraid to raise the facts that support such claims. For only when we name
ignorance as the problem, can we attempt to find a solution and pursue a better
future for our nation.
Ignorance involves the willful neglect of, or the refusal to acquire, knowledge. And
it is found everywhere today: in every political party; in every church, mosque,
and synagogue; in every boardroom and classroom. The lives of the ignorant are
marked by disinterest in and indifference towards truth, and there is little
attention to growth, maturation, and personal or societal advancement. Such
people are trapped in a world that is oppressively small, narrow, and
homogenous; and as a result, they willingly, openly, and proudly embrace their
ignorance as a badge of honor . . . an idol! And if they are going to proudly claim
this, we need to be willing to boldly name it. Ignorance has become an idol: an
altar upon which MAGA is willing to die!
Our second challenge, after calling out the ignorance, is to wait. We can and
should resist. We can and should organize, and mobilize. We can and should stand up, speak up, and push back in whatever ways possible. But we need to do so knowing that change isn’t
going to come overnight. And so we wait; trusting that as we do, good will begin
to win again!
And this is our third challenge: pursuing good! While we wait we need to do
whatever we can to care for those who are going to inevitably suffer at the hands
of ignorance. Like Jesus, our call is to stand with those on the margins, trusting
the Easter message that good can and will win. And in time, perhaps we can win
over the ⅓ of the American populace who do not vote! Our challenge is to be
everything that MAGA is not: empathic, kind, and caring; steeped in the values of
the world’s great faith traditions, with a high commitment to character and integrity; and committed to valuing science, education, and facts. Above all, doing good must also include our doubling down on things like diversity, equity, and inclusion. Because while MAGA divides, we on the left need to bring people together. And while MAGA excludes, we need to become even more radically inclusive.
In the novel, “James” by Percival Everett, the lead character, Jim, when speaking
to Huck Finn about peoples’ tendency to embrace absurd religious beliefs, says
“they take the lies they want and throw away the truths that scare them!” He is
attempting to highlight how people often prioritize comfort and familiarity, by
clinging to concepts and ideas that they know cannot be true, because failing to
do so would involve challenging long held beliefs and create too much personal
discomfort. This is precisely where our nation is today. And far too many people
in MAGA world believe that what they think, is more important than what is true.
Vaccines DO work. Human caused climate change IS real. Sexuality is NOT binary. Racism and sexism, misogyny and homophobia remain harmful vices in
ALL of American society.
MAGA extremists cling to all kinds of ‘alternate’ facts – everything from “they’re
all rapists and murders” to “they’re eating cats and dogs” – simply because they
are afraid of the changes that are taking place around the world. They are afraid
of the truths that they do not know, and that they do not understand: truths that
offend them, disturb them, and disempower them. Facts frighten them because they don’t know
how to process all that is going on around them, nor how to deal with the loss
that comes with change. In the end, they have come to a place where they
condemn the education they need, and make an idol of the ignorance that is
leading them astray!
Therefore, like most cults, the MAGA cult needs to be left to its own demise. In
time, their inward focus will turn them against one another, and their selfish
narcissism will force them to see the self-harm that will inevitably come their way.
And until that time, we must continue to expose their ignorance, stand with those
who are hurting, and to make the pursuit of the collective good to become the goal of American politics.
Bob's Blog 