The Maelstrom of Violence

[Bob Butler 54]

Boston is the nearest major city to where I am. A while ago they had dueling demonstrations. One side was demonstrating for their code word ‘free speech’ The other was demonstrating against, and overwhelmed the first big time.

There is no one with authority to say I couldn’t join the latter. There are some with limited ideas on who should do what, but what does that matter? Partisan opinions are varied, and often disregarded.

Back in the sixties laws were passed which opened restaurants, ended mandates on bathrooms and bubbles, and otherwise ended non violent but regular demonstrations of white supremacy. Then, there was much to be done and celebration that it was done. The lines of some are arbitrary and personally drawn. No matter how much they might be felt, and sometimes one my choose to acknowledge that feeling, they are just feelings. I choose to value certain other principles higher. Among them are a dislike of identity politics, prejudice, stereotypes and hatred. I will spend a bit of time speaking against these things. I will oppose them regardless of who is practicing them.

I do draw a line between blue boomers and red. I lean towards the first. The America of our youth was flawed. Racial equality and gender equality were among the issues that divided the country. Both linger. I’m not going to apologize for thinking so.

Legislation was passed. There was no generally open rebellion against it after it passed. Reassurance and hotels become open to all. Two sets of bathrooms and bubblers became past. It was never purely about violence, but also about the myriad ways white supremacy was rubbed in people’s face. Nixon shaped the Southern Strategy. If the Democrats wanted the black vote, the Republican should be quietly aggressive the other way. I believe that if racism went undercover, fell silent for a time, it did not go away. What was felt generations ago when the nation was openly flawed is resurfacing again, weaker, and often covering their weakness with doublespeak. Freedom of speech, for example, is often used as an excuse to harass and demean.

And that is often the defining line between the blue and the red. Oh, hardly the only issue to be dealt with. There are violent young running on testosterone among both sides. Still, identity politics was always part of it. Those who lump the blue and red together are missing most of the tension. The blue ended a bunch of flaws. The red suffered a lot of culture shock, suddenly seeing much of their supremacy taken away. Ever since that time they have been posturing at each other. Some want their supremacy back. Others will quite firmly say no. The net effect is a lot of high emotion stubbornness being displayed by both factions. It is easy to see how the younger generations get sick of it. It is also easy to see why the younger generations are getting nowhere. While they nurse their grudges at their elders they are refusing to acknowledge just how much energy has to go into changing a culture. Until Trump, the old divides had been driven underground to some degree, but it emphatically had not gone away. The younger generations have rejected the intensity it takes;

Meanwhile, no regeneracy. No true crisis. Nothing really going anywhere. The deplorable spend not nearly enough energy to truly get anywhere while we wait for another unrelated issue to bubble up.

Or that’s my lesson learned. Each generation will shape their lessons learned differently, hopefully not in identity politics, stereotypes and hate.

Distortion and hatred? That’s not the best lesson learned. Me, I would prefer to understand and respect. Lately, the understanding comes much easier.