by Ross Bishop
There are calls seeking to reconcile the political split in the country. The goal is to use problem solving to ameliorate the conflict. Negotiation is almost always a good idea, with one enormous exception. To negotiate, the real issues must be on the table. And to this point in the discussion, they are not. There is a lot of noise about personal liberty and “the loss of freedom,” but what is really going on is that part of white America perceives that it is losing its traditional position of power and as a result, some folks are scared. And because of that, they have fallen back into racism and bigotry.
Consider the recent occupation of the U.S. Capital – cries for freedom and liberty and banners that read “Don’t Tread On Me.” Totally unsubstantiated claims that the recent Presidential election was rigged as a way to deny their loss of power and their rejection by the voters. Vestiges of the defeated South – the Confederate battle flag – the symbol of white supremacy – fear that whites were being demoted. Making a show by carrying rifles (not pistols) along with helmets and body armor, expressing the anxiety of vulnerability and the need to defend.
You can’t negotiate or problem solve with racism or bigotry. You must help the bigot to heal the wound that drives his racial hatred before any real problem solving can take place. Talking will help because there is a good deal of pain and fear trapped inside these men and they desperately need someone to relate to, some safe way to get out from under the burden they carry. Otherwise their woundedness will continue to be projected outward as racial bias and hate.
Underneath the projected hate is fear. Fear of the loss of power and status. Their reaction helps fuel a sort of Möbius strip of grievance, illustrating the twisted logic of the insurrection. Consider the words of one protest leader:
“We came to power because we were the overlooked, hated silent majority. But, when we came to power, our opposition hated us and treated us unfairly. The result of that treatment is the loss of our power and proof that the system is rigged against us. Once again, we’re the overlooked, silent majority.”
There is no easy way out. To break the cycle, one side would have to feel as if it’s definitively won or lost. But the ultimate effect of the culture war doomloop is that it distorts reality. Each side believes it’s winning andlosing, all at once.
Although they do seek to attract followers, this is not a political movement in the classic sense. One does not see voter drives or legislative petition initiatives as with the women’s movement, environmental protests or Black Lives Matter movements. Although originating in the political right, this is a fear driven protest not unlike the anti-Viet Nam war protests from the left during the 1960’s and 70’s.
The Republican Party, in its systematic efforts to suppress voting and its refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of elections it loses, is similarly seeking to maintain its political power on the basis of disenfranchisement. The attack on the Capital and the resulting refusal by Republicans to condemn those events or those responsible is evidence of a disturbing willingness to pursue political goals through violence.
copyright©Blue Lotus Press 2020
