It’s All In The Name

It is late. The road is dark and I turn on the car radio looking for something to keep me awake and focused. Thirty seconds later I am sorry.

I am listening to one of the descendents of the village rouser, that man who rallied the town folk to gather up their torches and storm Dr. Frankenstein’s castle, kill the monster and end all their troubles. The one who later became a terrified man whose crop was failing and who called his neighbors to help him find the witch responsible and burn her! The one who put sheets over his head and stormed the homes of those who did not fit in some way in order to assuage the pain of all those whose ills needed someone to blame.

I recognize him by his call words. “Red Chinese, Commie Americans,” name calling, the time honored tradition of those calling the beleaguered illiterate, semi-literate and desperate to come and find a solution to their problems by assaulting and torturing the innocent. The men and women who draw their power from inciting sheer numbers of poorly informed people to rise up and bedevil those who are different.

Hard times call for hard solutions and when people can’t figure out what those solutions are they can reach their lowest common denominator, fear crimes. Crimes that make no sense at all, but strike out at anyone who does not fit that great American mythical symbol of perfection , the traditional Caucasian couple with two point five children, working two, often gender specific and definitely decent jobs, belonging to the appropriate organizations and no others, united under a particular Christian God with justice for all, except anyone who doesn’t fill one of the above holes.

Of course these poor blind soldiers have no concept that any one of these holes may be modified to include them too someday. That is not part of the call to battle. It is keeping emotions high, and thinking at an all time low, that is crucial to this kind of power and there are people who excel at it. There are also people who feel most complete when they are participating in it.

Both terrify me.

I and most of the people I love and value deeply do not fill all of these slots. If you do, then be sure to listen carefully so you know when the name calling slowly morphs into the one that includes you, because eventually it will. It always does.