“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” ~ Maya Angelou.
One of the earliest jokes I can remember as a kid was the old ‘What is black and white and re(a)d all over?’ Of course it works better spoken than written, but the answer was a newspaper. Newspapers were ubiquitous in my home growing up, and well into my adulthood. In England, before the family left for Jamaica, old editions were kept and reused for all manner of functions, including to be used as fire-starters, since our house was warmed in winter by a roaring coal fire in the fireplace. My father had the task of turning newspaper into kindling. I have a memory of him kneeling down in front of the empty fireplace, folding each large page diagonally, then over and over into a narrow strip, then after folding in half, twisted each half over and over crisscross style, making a solid, twisty square, a kind of origami. We used to use the same technique to fold strips of crepe paper into Christmas decorations.
But those newspapers were carefully read before being put to use. In England my parents read the Manchester Guardian, a serious, left-leaning daily, and I still find the Guardian app a solid source of objective news. Once we migrated to Jamaica, the Daily Gleaner was initially, our only choice for printed news. The Sunday Gleaner was a particular treat, since it included several pages of cartoons (in color), including the always inebriated Andy Capp, and the man of mystery Dick Tracy (he had a phone that had communication capability!).
When I migrated to Miami as an adult, the Miami Herald was delivered daily to my door. One of my treats, after working the night shift, would be to come home to a cup of coffee and the Miami Herald. Divided into sections, it was easy to share the newspaper, swapping one piece for another with my husband. Sundays again were special, there was the ‘Tropic’ magazine, which was where I met Dave Barry. I had a private dream of having a short story published in the magazine, but since I never submitted one, that never happened! Doonesbury, by Gary Trudeau, was one of the treats in the entertaining Comic section, a satirical look at politics and life in these United States. Many years later I would buy one of Trudeau’s paperback books, featuring our current president, and find that Trudeau had anticipated his presidential aspirations as far back as 1987.
On Wednesday morning, the day after the citizens of the United States made their feelings very clear about the current state of their country, I felt a deep desire to hold a newspaper in my hands, to be able to slowly pore over the pages, absorbing the results, relishing the victories. It has been years since I have subscribed to the Miami Herald, and I wouldn’t know where to go and buy a copy if I tried. Gone are the days of the early morning ‘thud’ of a paper hitting the lawn, or the sellers at intersections, earning expense money and spreading the word. Somehow scrolling through social media reports or watching the talking heads on cable news is not the same.
It has taken me a while to believe the length and breadth of the results, especially considering the extents to which the current administration and Republican led state houses have gone to suppress the vote. Redistricting, even after some primary elections had already started in some states, was designed to make it harder for Democrats to win state seats. Interference by the federal government in state voter rolls; attempts to get the Post Office to audit ballots to prevent voters from receiving mail-in paperwork; threats of the presence of ‘monitors’, or even the National Guard, or ICE, at polling stations, all of these acts were designed to intimidate voter turnout, especially for people of non-white persuasion.
And yet, despite all of this, the voters turned out, in droves, in person, early. Around the world, observers were overjoyed to see We The People engage and exercise our right to vote. At home we have seen so many touching stories. Shrines to some of the people killed by ICE agents were covered in ‘I voted’ stickers. The numbers are mind-blowing, especially in ruby-red states like Texas. And so we must thank (especially) all of those people who have most felt the wrath of the current administration: people of Latin descent; people of color; women of color; students; Muslims; LGBQT people; all of the people this administration has shown over and over again that they believe are not ‘American’ enough for the White Nationalists ideal. (I am omitting the name ‘Christian’ from the title, since that is like calling a mother of ten a ‘virgin’).
The inspiring stories and the long list of ‘firsts’ is so heartwarming. The policies and actions of this administration to destroy ‘DEI’ seems to have had a completely opposite effect: those elected to office now more fairly reflect the diverse makeup of this country, with Native Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans, Asian Americans (who am I forgetting?) women, men, LGBTQ and even Trans candidates winning their elections. Those of us who have struggled to see the good in our neighbors are heartened to see the rejection of corruption, of divisive politics, and of the cruel policies of this administration.
But the work is not over, in fact, it has scarcely begun. Those elected to office must now (or once sworn in) ensure that written guardrails be put in place to guide and regulate the behavior of those elected to office. Fair and equitable policies must be enacted to ensure that no eligible voter, or group of voters, can be disenfranchised in the future. The cruel and murderous acts perpetrated by masked, unidentified thugs on our streets must be stopped. And legislation must be drafted to create a pathway to legal documentation for those who have lived in this country for decades, contributing to our communities, paying taxes, and obeying the laws. It was forty years ago today that Reagan signed into law the Amnesty Act, allowing roughly 2.7 million people to obtain legal residency.
I have to admit that the full impact of the elections has not completely sunk in. Perhaps I am missing the newspaper in my hands, those exciting headlines, the full details, the back stories. Perhaps I am waiting to see actions which will substantiate our votes of confidence. Perhaps it is knowing that there still exists the veto power, and the immunity granted by the Supreme Court to the owner of the Sharpie. And perhaps, if the Mississippi vote goes the way it is currently trending, we will be able to shout, as Nina Simone did: ‘Mississippi G*dd*m!’ but this time in admiration, not in exasperation.
On this Friday morning, as we dare to hope that the US has pulled back from the brink of a despicable way of being on this planet, I am thankful to all of those who dared to believe in themselves, who dared to stand up to bullies and tyrants, who dared to care more about the future than their safety, and stood up for the rights of all. –
Have a wonderful weekend, Family!
One Love!
Namaste.
