The Bunny in the Bramble Patch
For Blog March 2017, I share some thoughts about truth and division.
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For Blog March 2017, I share some thoughts about truth and division.
Read MoreWe don't need to agree with each other to be unified. We do need to listen to each other, and to treat each other with respect.
Read MoreI became aware of gender discrimination when I was a child in kindergarten in the 1960s. It happened because of a fabulous toy that suspended wooden airplanes on a metal track. Every day during playtime a group of boys grabbed the airplane toy before I could get to it.
On this one particular day when I checked the toy shelf I found the airplane toy still there. The boys were playing with a new toy that involved cars. Finally, the airplanes were mine!
I sat down with the toy, but before I got to play with it my teacher came running over.
“Chrissie, dear, that toy is for the boys. I am sure there are some boys who want to play with it. Let’s put that back and find you a good toy for girls.”
I was hurt and angry, but I did as I was instructed. It didn’t make sense to me that there could be such privilege for one gender, and such injustice for the other.
That night my mother confirmed it. Women were not treated fairly, and had been fighting for their rights for years. Mom agreed that girls could play with airplanes, and even fly real airplanes. She also reminded me that my teacher was very old and might not understand that beliefs about what girls could do were changing.
When I was a teenager in the 1970s I subscribed to Ms. Magazine, wore tee shirts with feminist slogans and joined marches and protests. In the early 1980s I worked for the National Women’s Political Caucus campaigning for the ill-fated Equal Rights Amendment.
There was a song we used to sing which discussed the economic inequality of the genders. It was called Fifty-Nine Cents, a reference to the fact that, at the time, women made fifty-nine cents for every dollar earned by a man in the United States.
I bring up that equal rights anthem because of a remark made by President Obama in his State of the Union address this week.
“You know, today, women make up about half our workforce, but they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns," Obama said. "That is wrong, and in 2014, it's an embarrassment. Women deserve equal pay for equal work."
That really struck me. It has been over thirty years that I, as an adult women, have been engaged in the fight for gender equality, along with so many other fine people. In that time we have won exactly eighteen cents. Eighteen cents in thirty years. That’s not even a penny a year.
I wonder what I would say to my twenty-year-old self if I could travel back in time. “All those doors you are knocking on, all those letters you are writing, all that fundraising you are doing…” I might say. “All that you are doing, along with all the hundreds of thousands of other women, will earn you eighteen cents over the course of thirty years.”
How might my twenty-year-old self react to that? Would I say “Well, at least it’s a step in the right direction?” Or would I hang up my marching shoes and recognize my work as a basic waste of time?
Eighteen cents in a step in the right direction. Change takes time, especially when the power structure doesn’t want to change.
Our gender-based society of yesteryear defined masculinity as being able to take care of a woman. I suppose if a woman is making enough money she doesn’t need a man to take care of her financially. That could be threatening to men, I suppose.
Some of the fault lies with the women, too, who feel that having a man take care of a woman financially makes her feel “like a lady.”
Every family has to figure out what works for them financially and logistically. Sometimes one parent elects to stay at home with the kids while the other brings home the money. The days in which the man was always the breadwinner and the woman was always the caregiver are long gone.
To deny a woman, especially a mother, access to equal pay for equal work creates hardship not just for women, but for their families.
When I was very young, my family consisted of just my mother and me. Mom worked a job to support us. One day she discovered that a male peer whose time with the company was shorter than Mom’s and whose tasks were exactly the same was paid substantial more than she was.
When Mom confronted her boss, this was the answer she received. “We have to pay him more because he has a family.”
That was almost forty-five years ago. I remember it as if it were yesterday. In the eyes of the boss, our family was not a family because it didn’t contain a man.
We’ll come a long way since then, but obviously not far enough.
These days, I notice many strong men and women who believe in the radical concept of equal pay for equal work choose not to identify themselves as “feminist.” When I ask them why, they don’t really have an answer. The concept of being a feminist feels uncomfortable to them.
I think they have let other people define feminism for them in false ways. “Feminists hate men.” “Feminists don’t love their children.” “Feminists are complainers.”
Rush Limbaugh once said “Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women access to the mainstream of society.” I don’t think I need to deconstruct everything that is wrong with that sentence.
The sad part is, that kind of smear campaign against a simple request for inclusion actually worked.
Here’s another quote about feminism that makes more sense to me, from suffragist and journalist Rebecca West. “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.”
When I was young I believe that to be a funny quote. It was tongue-in-cheek. Of course the basic notion that women are people can’t be radical and scary, can it?
Apparently, I was wrong. The concept of treating women like people is terrifying.
The sad part to me is this. If I do the math based on history, I am not likely to see equal pay for equal work as a national policy in my lifetime.
Sigh.
Carry on, daughters.
Marianne Williamson is a recognizable voice and face in the modern New Thought spiritual community. She writes best-selling books and is part of Oprah’s cadre of spiritual masters. I imagine Marianne Williamson’s teachings would be rolled into the future religion of “Oprahism” as prognosticated by the writers of the cartoon series “Futurama.”
Marianne Williamson has officially announced her candidacy for election to the U.S. House of Representatives from California’s Congressional District 33. Her campaign slogan is “Create Anew.”
We are used to religious figures running for political office; but not this kind of religion. From Williamson’s candidacy announcement on her webpage, we read this.
“While many seekers have turned away from politics, viewing spiritual and political pursuits as mutually exclusive, I agree with Mahatma Gandhi that “Anyone who thinks religion doesn’t have anything to do with politics doesn’t understand religion.” I don’t believe we can afford to be “selectively conscious,” applying more enlightened principles to only some aspects of human endeavor.”
Some people believe that the unprecedented current political divisions in our country are related to the entrance of right-wing born-again Christianity to the political forum. Arch-conservative Barry Goldwater warned us about this possibility in 1994 with these prophetic words.
“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.”
Christian extremists worked together over decades to garner support and take control of the Republican Party. While many of their assertions are laughable (a raped woman can’t get pregnant, for instance) some of these religious politicians make their dangerously erroneous statements as duly elected members of Congress.
While the political left in our country has always had the backing of many socially conscious Christians, the United Church of Christ doesn’t have mega-churches or a prosperity doctrine. It would be impossible for a UCC or New Thought preacher to raise the kind of funds and fervor that the right-wing extremists do.
But what about a candidate like Marianne Williamson? She is using her spiritual message in her campaign, just as the Christian extremists do. She is well-funded, well-known, well-loved and well-connected. She might even appeal to the socially-conscious lefty Christians. If Unity Church and the Universalist Unitarians vote as a block she’s got a good chance at victory.
I am not naïve enough to think that one spiritually conscious person in the House of Representatives could make a lot of difference. But what if she is the first of a wave? What if the “spiritually conscious” could do what the Christian extremists have done? What would happen then?
I could see a number of possibilities, some of them as laughable as the right-wing-nuts forbidding schools to teach actual science. While I might personally believe that tarot cards could help create a balanced budget I can’t condone their actual use as part of our nation’s decision-making process.
I having a feeling, though, that the New Thought and New Age politicians might be a little more even-handed than the Christian extremists. I think the New Thought folks might even try to govern with love rather than with fear.
One question is, can the spiritual community mobilize voters the way the born-again Christians can? It will be interesting to see what happens. Will churches who need to constantly fundraise to keep their doors open be willing to encourage their congregation to hold fundraisers for Marianne?
If Marianne Williamson is successful, and if she is the first of a wave, it will be interesting to see if there is less hypocrisy and more honesty in one brand of spiritual politics than another.
Typically, those who rule with religion rule with cruelty. Will Williamson and those like her be any different? I hope we get a chance to find out.
Photo: Marianne Williamson Miami Book Fair International, 1993
Creative Commons License, MDCarchives
Everyone of a certain age seems to have an opinion about what’s wrong with the world today, or what’s wrong with our country today (as opposed to the good old days of the past).
Here’s my submission. The problems we face today are caused in part by our lack of accountability. We seem to want to make other people responsible for our actions and our lack of due diligence.
Here’s an interesting recent example of our total lack of accountability.
On October 14th in some Walmart stores in Louisiana a computer glitch caused spending limits on EBT (“food stamp”) cards to stop working. Shoppers were able to use their cards to purchase food with no spending limits.
Walmart officials made the decision to allow store patrons to use their cards, and to charge as much as they wanted.
When the stores announced the glitch was fixed and spending limits were restored shoppers abandoned their overflowing carts and left the store.
I am glad we live in a country that makes food available to underprivileged families. I am appalled that in a situation like this greed would be the motivating factor for both the shoppers and the corporation. Why did no one feel accountable for the money they were spending, or allowing to be spent?
What would happen if we all made an effort to be accountable for ourselves, our actions and our responsibilities?
Most importantly, what would it take to restore a sense of personal accountability into our national culture, and how could that change things?
It would be nice to believe that the brightest and best of us are those we elect to represent us in government. It would be wonderful if our nation’s leaders were true exemplars; those who would inspire our emulation as well as our confidence.
The fact is, the only things our nation’s leaders have been inspiring lately are laughter and anger.
There is an ancient spiritual tenet that states “as above, so below.” This means that whatever is happening on one level is happening on other levels.
I am finding this particularly true right now as I speak with with an larger-than-usual number of people who are having difficult times getting along and working with their co-workers.
Many people seem to be feeling stuck in their own beliefs about right and wrong. They are unwilling to compromise. Some feel that the ability to compromise is a moral weakness.
Even worse, they forget the big picture. They forget that they are paid to do a job and need to find a way to do it even if they are angry at their coworkers, even if they don’t like their coworkers and even if they don’t agree with their coworkers.
Does that sound like anyone we know?
Sometimes the lessons we learn from our exemplars are not lessons of how to be, they are examples of how not to be.
On an energetic or spiritual level we may have some power here. Energy can work from the bottom to the top as easily as it works from top to bottom.
If we all try really hard to get along, make compromises and get our jobs done the energy of compromise and responsibility might trickle right on up to the top. As above, so below – or vice versa.
I'll be turning 50 very soon. I've been practicing owning that age for a few months so it won't be so traumatic when it actually happens.
As I contemplate a half-century on this very strange planet, I think about the cultural snapshot of now, what that looks like, and how I feel about it.
Here's where I stand.
I love Gangnam Style. Recently a CNN Blogger declared Gangnam Style over and dead. I think he's wrong. Gangnam Style makes the whole world dance together. Who cares if the dance is silly?
Honey Boo Boo who? I don't watch broadcast TV, so I only see snippets of stupidity. But, apparently, there is plenty of stupidity to go around. I still like Glee, which I watch on Hulu. I'm also watching The Voice, but was bored with blind auditions - 16 team members per coach seem just too much. And, as usual, the Brits do TV better than we do; Dr. Who was terrific this season.
My favorite adult cartoons are getting grosser and grosser. Vomit and dismemberment just aren't funny. Politics and religion are. Don't forget why I first loved you, Seth MacFarlane!
The new SNL cast is pretty good. I am expecting great things from Vanessa Bayer, and then I am expecting her to be over-used and worn-out, just as Kristen Wiig was.
Right now, the Western world is mourning the tragic deaths of two young girls. Jessica Ridgeway was the victim of kidnap and murder in Colorado, while Amanda Todd took her own life in Canada, a victim of bullying. I guess really sad things have always happened to kids and there have always been monsters in the world; the internet just makes sure we all know about them.
The presidential race is too close to call, with each side terrified that awful things will happen if the other candidate is elected. What a weird national mindset that is. We are ideologically divided. The Tea Party and Occupy extremists seem to have lost their credibility, but that hasn't brought us closer to center, or to each other, as a nation yet. One thing we all agree on - the government has lost its way. We are only divided on what we need to do to fix it.
It has been a long time since there was a national mandate in a presidential election. According to my research, it would have been 1984, when Ronald Reagan was re-elected by a landslide. At the time, I was not a Reagan supporter. In retrospect, I think he and Nancy did a good job in certain respects. The funny thing is that his policies (that many of us considered too right-wing then) now wouldn't be enough to win him the support of the current Republican party, so far to the right has the GOP moved.
I never thought I would say this, but we could sure use a guy like Reagan right now. Doesn't that make me sound old?
But how long can a nation stand so evenly divided, so angry, and so afraid?
The only answer I can think of? Oppan Gangnam Style! When in doubt, dance.
I guess things haven't changed so much over the past quarter century. Then I was seeing as many Grateful Dead shows as I could, always hoping to hear my favorite songs, including this one (Throwin' Stones), whose lyrics described the situation then just as it feels now.
"So the kids they dance
And shake their bones,
And the politicians throwin' stones,
Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down."
Recently a tarot friend posted a meme on Facebook. It was a lovely picture of people riding bicycles in the sunset. The quotation on it was a simple question that went something like this. "How has society changed since you were a child?"
Many of us answered the question. A few answered the question very directly, without value judgments, mentioning technological developments like the personal computer and the cell phone.
I was shocked by the number of people who turned the question into an invitation to make a value judgment. Many gave answers that basically said, emphatically, that they believe society has changed for the worse. They cited things like more violence, less trust and less respect. No one quoted any actual statistics; it was all just their perception.
I was shocked by this for a number of reasons. First, the original poster is one of the most positive people I know. I also know a number of the people who answered, and had never thought of them as being "negative" people. The fact that they would so easily take such a quantitative question and leap into a qualitative negative assessment disturbed me.
Equally disturbing was the fact that people were so quick to decide that our society is "worse" now than it was in their childhoods. They couldn't actually give real statistics or specifics to back up their particular claims, even when I gently asked them questions like "How are our morals worse now?" and "In what way is there less respect now?" The answers across the board basically said "It just is," as if I must be blind not to have noticed these things myself.
Are there things about our present society that disturb me? Of course there are. Overall, do I think things are somehow worse now than they were when I was a child, say, forty-odd years ago? No, I don't; not at all.
Here's why. When I was a kid, sexism, racism and homophobia were much more prevalent than they are today. DDT threatened the very existence of the birds and the butterflies. Ricky beat Lucy every night on television and people thought it was funny. When I was in my twenties it was the height of the Cold War. Most of my compatriots and I feared our lives would be cut short any minute by nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
In my lifetime I have seen the fall of the Berlin Wall, Nelson Mandala transform from prisoner to president, and much greater sensitivity to diversity. Do we have problems in our current society that scare me? Of course we do. Do I miss my youth? Who doesn't? But I have to wonder why so many people seem to believe that we are moving in the wrong direction.
It seems to me this is nothing new. I remember people in the late 1960's and early 1970's shaking their heads and wanting to go back to the 1950's. I remember Deadheads in the 1980's wishing it were the 1960's instead. I shake my head at the medieval festivals that make the Dark Ages look like fun.
My mother used to say that distance improves our perception of things. We forget the bad and remember the good. In some ways, that's a good thing because it helps us heal. In other ways, it may be less helpful.
Our tendency to whitewash our history may cause us to long for the past, and value the past more than we value the present and the future.
Now, politicians are promising to "return the greatness of America" and call for us to "go back to the things that made our country great." I would like to vote for someone who wants to go forward to greatness, rather than backward.
I wonder, too, if the majority of us long for the past, how can we, as a society, create a positive future? And why are we so unwilling to look at the cold hard facts about our past and our present? Was there really less violence in the past, or was it just not reported? Is it possible that the internet and the 24-hour news cycle give us a more negative perception of our present when compared to a time when the national news was reported only once a day for half an hour?
Yes, times are tough. But what would happen if we were grateful for the wonderful things in our lives, both past and present? What if we looked to the future with hope, rather than with fear? What if we worked to change the problems in our society with an eye on the future, rather than on the past?
It may be time for us to override our tendency to forget the difficulties of the past. Instead, it might do us well to remember them and learn from them as we move forward to a better future.