I was writing to Barack Obama this morning – partially in reaction to a 9/11 tribute email that I received that put patriotism in the light, or should I say, shadow, of this notion that immediately after 9/11 we became ONE. One faith, one gender, one class, one color, one language… I realized how uncomfortable I am with that expression of what happened and with becoming ‘one’ being the litmus test for patriotism. I wrote to Obama to ask that he try to avoid telling us what the ‘American People’ want without first identifying the ‘American People’ for the diverse group that we are. differing colors, differing faiths/beliefs, different genders, differing abilities, differing ‘givens/history/inheritances’. I asked him to state clearly that Peace isn’t a circumstance. Peace is a decision I find it interesting that the political party that claims it wants to return responsibility to the people and out of the hands of the government at the same time gives ‘God’ responsibility for their thoughts and actions – The party that is attacked for being ‘God’-less is the one advocating for the poor, advocating for the land, advocating for equality, in other words, accepting personal responsibility for our responsiveness to one another… I love that S. Colbert said that it would be nice if self identified Christians who also vote Republican would just accept that they know that Jesus asked them to care for the poor, for the land, for EACH OTHER but that they JUST DON’T WANT TO.
Our response to the attack of 9/11/01 didn’t make us ‘one’…. we connected, in our diversity, to care for one another – much like the family fued that gets put aside when Grandpa passes – after the funeral, someone picks up where they left off and the other person, insanity restored, takes the challenge and the family is back where it left off, only thing is – they lived peace. they lived love. and the RESPONSIBILITY of that scared the living heck out of ’em (but secretly delighted them). When do we let our delight in being responsible out of the closet? when do we recognize that there are words that are borne of fear – words like ‘sacrifice’.
Got a minute?
