Casablanca and Defending Democracy

 

Casablanca and Defending Democracy

My This Day in History newsletter provides me with dates that were significant for one reason or another. Yesterday’s featured the debut of the film Casablanca on November 26, 1942. It is a love story but, more importantly, it takes place while World War II was raging around the world. Even though it is an 80-year-old movie, it is my most favorite movie of all time not just because of the romance between Rick and Ilsa but because of the bravery shown by people living in an occupied country.

Casablanca is in Morocco and was occupied by the Nazis. There was a Vichy French presence in the country, but they usually gave in to Nazi rules. Rick ran an international club frequented by Nazis, Vichy, citizens of Casablanca and refugees desperate to escape the country to places of freedom. Rick’s former lover Ilsa and her husband Laszlo are two of those seeking to flee. Rick’s conflict was whether to help them escape. If you have seen this impressive movie, you know the outcome.

Living under a Nazi regime is terrifying and life threatening and, yet there was a time during the movie when people stood up for freedom. This is one of the most moving scenes I have ever seen:

The clear message is yes, we reject Nazism’s oppression and horrors.

I think about how things are and the threat to our own democracy.

Even before tRumpism and January 6, 2021, there have been forces moving on the ultra-conservative right-wing politicians and voters to reject democracy. They prefer fascism, offering discrimination and oppression of people of color, different religions, different gender identities, and, more generally, the middle and lower classes.

We could have lost our democracy on January 6, when tRumper violent militias stormed the Capitol. They dragged along with them tRump supporters that originally meant to just protest but got caught up in the destruction and violence at the Capitol. Thankfully, Capitol police helped legislators, staff, and reporters escape the insurrectionists.

That did not stop the insidious movement of those who would overturn democracy. They populated local governments and school boards with their followers. These people managed to have laws passed restricting the right to vote, our ultimate expression of freedom and choice. TFG appointed his loyal followers to the judiciary, and we began to see fundamental rights overturned and in danger of being overturned.

Despite that, we can save our democracy. Our recent midterm reminds me of that heroic scene from Casablanca. We did not have a huge win, but we prevented the tRumper election deniers from a big win that would allow them control of both legislative houses. It cannot end with the midterm victories though. I am sure the tRumpers and GQP are busily working. n their Plan B, so we have to keep fighting.

Our young people, those of Gen Z, significantly helped us save democracy. All of us must join with Gen Z to continue to protect our freedom.

 

I Despise Systemic Racism and Bigotry

 

One issue that has bothered me since I was a teenager is racial injustice/white supremacy. I have written that I did not learn about racism and bigotry in my classrooms. What I learned came from independent reading. The more I read, the more disturbed I become about it. The catch word seems to be “woke.” I do not use the word for myself because it started in the Black community, a way of recognizing and looking out for acts of racism.

I am becoming increasingly aware of the injustices that surround me. I am increasingly aware of my own white privilege and the ability to go about my business without bigoted laws restricting me. It first hit me when I read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I noticed news stories highlighting the differences in treatment of people of color. This year I read Across That Bridge by the late Rep. John Lewis, The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris, The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.

I read articles that focus on injustices not only against Black people but also any people of color: Native Americans, immigrants from the southern countries and from the Middle East. I saw the differences in the way we treated immigrants from South America and Afghanistan compared with refugees from Ukraine. The immigrants from South America or Afghanistan are not treated as well as the whites from Ukraine. Disgusting.

What set me off today was an article from NBC about a boarding school called Red Cloud. They are trying to right the wrongs the did to the Native American community. One of the actions they are taking is looking for the graves of Native American children buried there. These boarding schools were meant to kill Native American culture and indoctrinate them to join white society. That fact got my internal fires going. It brought back memories of my mother’s experience at a school that forbade the students the use of their own natural language and tried to force them to fit into the hearing world. What an awful thing to do to children.

Not too long ago, I saved an article from Daily Skimm about systemic racism. The article covered our history, detailing how we treated Black people until the civil rights movement. But despite all the gains, there is still racism built into our foundation. The article explained how things are now, and we still do not have equality across the board.

There was also an Arca Max opinion piece by Leonard Pitts called The Caucasity of Nope. I was chilled by these words:

“The word is a new coinage, a portmanteau of “Caucasian” and “audacity” denoting a brand of white arrogance and entitlement that has become tiresomely familiar in recent years. It often plays out in episodes — sometimes fatal — wherein some white person takes it upon themselves to police people of color who are just trying to live their lives.

“Nope,” it says, “you may not jog down that street without identifying yourself to me.”

“Nope, you may not barbecue in that park without justifying yourself to me.”

“Nope, you may not swim in that pool without explaining yourself to me.”

If last week’s headlines are any indication, there is now a new nope. It says, “You may not vote early in certain precincts without confronting me. And I will be armed.”” It brought back memories of Trayvon Martin killed just for walking through a gated white community and white people calling the police on Black people just going about their business. They were not doing anything wrong; the whites who called in complaints just did not like having people of color there.

This systemic racism is not only against Black people, immigrants of color, and Native Americans. In the dark souls of people who claim to be Christian is a hatred for the LGBTQ community. They are often the victims of vile invective, rejection, and now mass shootings. Just recently a shooter entered Club Q in Colorado Springs, a place in which the LGBTQ community could feel comfortable and accepted and began shooting people. Fortunately, a couple of brave patrons got the gun away from the shooter and beat him up, restraining him until the police arrived.

Following that came articles about how much the LGBTQ community has suffered over the years. I knew that “Christians” condemned the community. I thought it was stupid and hateful, but it did not register with me until a friend at my church confided that she was gay. She could not come out in the open because she would not be able to serve as a deacon anymore. That got me and I learned there was a group of church members who were afraid to come out.

It made me mad. My faith is wrapped in the New Testament. Jesus’ great commandment was to love God above all and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. There was no command to love only our white race. There was no “love all your neighbors except if they’re Black, brown, Native American, have a different faith, or of the LGBTQ community.” Fortunately, the leaders of my faith voted accepting members of the LGBTQ community.

Unfortunately, that did not extend to other evangelical, right wing conservative churches. My National Memo newsletter featured an article with the headline “Trump Lawyer Ellis: Club Q Victims Deserve ‘Eternal Damnation’”. How awful and disgusting is that? Her point was she did not know if any of the dead had found Jesus and if they did not, they were burning in Hell. Remember that good old saying: if you cannot say anything nice, do not say anything at all.

These people classify the LGBTQ folks as evil predatory groomers of young people. They think God and Jesus condone extramarital affairs and sexual predators if they are straight.

My feeling is that the LGBTQ community is more Christian than the christian nationalists. I give them a small c because I do not believe they follow Jesus’ teachings. Jesus supported the poorer, outcast people.

When he threw over the tables at the Temple, he was protesting against the upper classes who took advantage of the poorer people and defiled the Temple with their money-making stalls. The merchants and Pharisees Jesus disapproved of is very comparable to the GQP as it is now and to the billionaires who do not pay their fair share of taxes. Why should we lower classes pay more in taxes than billionaires?

I still hope we can change. The recent election gave the Democrats a thin win, but it was still a win. That is in part due to Gen Z, and that is where my hope is. Gen Z is made up of young people now 18-25 or so. Gen Z is much more diverse than my Boomer generation was. Like Boomers, they are not willing to take the status quo put into place by Newt Gingrich and Republicans thereafter. Whereas Boomers took to the streets to protest, Gen Z is much savvier and more than tech capable. They have conducted peaceful rallies, but I think much of their action is done through their phones and their votes.

Gen Z is proactive in signing their younger peers up to vote in the future. In 2024, Gen Z teens who are now juniors and seniors will be able to vote too.

Because Gen Z is so diverse, I am also hoping that they can break down the systemic racism. It must start with the kids, preschoolers. The teachers need to be free to explore diverse cultures and different abilities so that the little ones become accepting of each other. As they get older, they should learn the painful but true history of this country. How else can there be change in the system without understanding its roots?

One more book keeps my flame of hope going: Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall & Douglas Abrams. I wish christian nationalists and young people would read the books I did. Reading them could open eyes, as they did for me.

 

A Way Out Of No Way

 

I saw A Way Out Of No Way when I was making a pickup at the library recently, and I really wanted to know more about Senator Warnock. I’ve been phone banking to support him and knew his positions on issues but here was a book written by himself and I wanted to gain more insight into the man. I was impressed. I loved his use of a quote by the late Rep. John Lewis which explains the title of his book:

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Do not become bitter or hostile. Be hopeful. Be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. We will find a way to make a way out of no way.”

After reading the book, my mind is blown even further by the fact that we’re even engaged in a run-off election between a highly educated, inspirational man who cares and works hard to Georgians and a brain damaged man who makes idiotic statements and whose only claim to fame is that he was once a football star. His supporters are mostly white people, which shows to go ya that Racism is alive and well in Georgia. These white voters are willing to vote for a black man because they know Walker is in lock step with their orange god, TFG.

Enough of that. Back to the book. Here are some of the things I learned about Rev. Warnock: his parents were hard working people that were underpaid to the point that they needed to rely on government assistance. The family lived in a housing project. Still, faith was strong in that family and Warnock began preaching at a very young age.

As a teenager, he became enamored of Rev. Martin Luther King. He realized that King’s mission was not only to spread God’s word but to act on it by bringing about social justice in a peaceful manner.  Warnock listened to Rev. King’s recorded messages and began teaching himself to sound and preach more like King.

Warnock was able to get enough financial aid and scholarships to be able to attend first Morehouse College, which is where King and so many other activists began their education post high school. He went on to earn his Masters and Doctorate. He’s been the preacher at several churches involved in social activism and, lately, at Ebeneezer Baptist Church. That’s where Martin Luther King Jr. and his father were ministers.

What a prestigious pedicree and what awesome work he’s already completed both at the churches and as a Senator from Georgia. He won that seat in 2020 and that was a run-off election too. After two years of his hard, steady work I guess some Georgians were afraid of where he was heading and decided to support the decidedly weaker candidate.

I have to admit there were places that the book dragged. There was a lot of name dropping and a lot of pats on the back. Those pats were well deserved and I just skipped over the parts with names I totally didn’t recognize.

I am glad I read the book and even gladder that I will be volunteering time to help Rev. Warnock get re-elected to the Senate.