Round Is a Beautiful Shape

I Have No Answers

All are welcome here is a political statement.

So is Some are welcome here.

Why?

Should they be?

Who gets to decide?

Is the second a statement that

highlights

emphasizes

corrects

or excludes?

Is it a statement about the some

or the not-some, the rest, the others?

Who gets to decide?

The speaker or the listener?

Is what matters intent or impact?

Eighty years ago an establishment could post a sign saying

"Coloreds not welcome"

and the intent was clear: exclusion.

Would a sign saying "Coloreds welcome" mean the same:

all who are not colored are excluded?

Or would it mean the colored are included along with the rest?

I grew up with the song

"Jesus Loves the Little Children."

All the children of the world the lyrics went

Red, brown, yellow, Black and white

It spelled it out, that "all."

It listed the skin tones

to emphasize their inclusion.

If I sing a partial lyric--

"Jesus loves Black children"--

does that merely highlight a part of the song,

emphasize or make note of a part of the whole?

Or does it make a new song and cancel the rest?

If I say the song mentions Jesus loves Black children

does that imply he hates red, brown, yellow, and white?

Assumed exclusion; implied negation.

If I say "I love dogs" does that mean I hate cats?

If Mozart is my favorite is Beethoven then slandered?

When I savor a steak do I debase all salad?

Who gets to decide

whether I have and

what my words mean?

Is my intent behind them all that matters?

Or do others determine the impact regardless of what I meant?

Some say wearing a mask to prevent the spread of Covid-19

makes a political statement about those who don't or can't or won't.

Does it?

Some say saying "Black Lives Matter"

makes a political statement about lives that aren't Black.

Does it?

Do you get to decide the meaning behind my intent?

Do I get to decide for you?

Are these things personal? Individual choices and freedoms?

Or are they political, attempting to influence who we are together?

Who gets to decide if I'm being personal or political?

Some, all, or me?

If I am your host

and you feel unwelcome by my Black Lives Matter pin

am I at fault?

Am I failing as a host?

Do I need to "correct" my behavior to change the way you feel?

If I have a library or school or public space

that is intended as welcome to all

and I display a Black Lives Matter sign

meant to particularly indicate inclusion

and you feel it means something different,

that others are less welcome than Black in comparison,

have I done something wrong?

Who owns your perception?

Is my intent or my impact decisive?

(Because in similar but reverse situations,

when you intend something harmless

that I perceive as racially harmful,

I would say the impact outweighs the intent.)

(If I attempt to restrain you and you die

have I committed murder?)

I'm sure there are professionals who study this kind of thing,

philosophers and ethicists and the like,

who have formal systems for determining answers

to my many questions,

who know how to weigh

one benefit against another,

one harm against another,

one intent against another,

one freedom and right against other freedoms and rights,

when they compete against each other,

when one would cancel the other,

and reach decisive conclusions.

They are not me.

I'm stuck in my questions,

unsure how to proceed.

Chances are,

they are not you.

How do we negotiate this,

me and you?

I'm not sure who gets to decide.

Are you?

That exercise in amateur ethics was inspired by a few things that have been floating around in my head lately. One was a message to a group I'm involved in from the coordinator of diversity, equity, and inclusion of a local school district.

I need some thoughts around this issue. Background: we train teachers to get to know their students and create a classroom environment that makes the students feel connected. BLM is a current narrative that many Black and White students can relate to, however we have an obligation as educators not to endorse anything that is considered political in nature. My response to that was a. Define political, b. Everything is political! We have to update our policies so that teachers aren't caught in this confused space with a very slippery slope of trying to connect with students while not supporting a "political agenda." I need your perspective.

We all deal with issues like this in our personal and professional lives, but we had almost no answers for him other than supportive empathy. There have been similar discussions in the library I work for. If we officially support BLM, some community members we represent will feel we have lost neutrality and have become an entity hostile to their values. I want to argue that they are endorsing unacceptably racist values and the problem is not our support but their beliefs, but I understand the counterargument. We do work for them.

The message above included a link to this article as an example:

A Texas Teacher Who Posted Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ Posters in her Virtual Classroom Was Placed on Leave After Parents Complained

School officials said parents complained about the posters. Taylor Lifka was allowed to return Tuesday, but she said she is not prepared to come back until the school commits to more inclusive policies.

An author I follow on Facebook is a high school teacher. He has something similar in his classroom, a variety of flags hanging on the wall meant to make students who identify with them feel welcome. When he arrived back at his room after being gone for summer, the BLM flag was missing. Someone with a key had removed it without contacting him.

More amateur ethics . . . 

Morality--principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior--can change over time, in different situations, and among different peoples and cultures. What's right in one time or place can be wrong in another, and vice versa. Shooting and killing, for instance. Often frowned upon, but sometimes deemed acceptable. Sometimes it depends on the "them" being shot.

My sense from watching current events and what's being reported in the news is that a significant segment of our population has recently changed their morality concerning who is acceptable to shoot when. Both the who and the when seem to be growing significantly.

Kyle Rittenhouse, for example, seems to have chosen people deemed acceptable to shoot by this new morality.

With a Hand from Trump, the Right Makes Rittenhouse a Cause Célèbre

Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with homicide after shooting three protesters last week, two of them fatally.

But on Tuesday, Trump supporters had their own way to describe the 17-year-old from Illinois.

They called him a patriot. They called him a hero. They thanked him for defending the city. . . . 

Many people on the right see a different dominant narrative from Kenosha: A teen who was wrongly charged with homicide and should be lionized. Online crowdfunding petitions have sprouted, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of Rittenhouse. And he's gotten a hand from the president himself, who refused this week to denounce the teen’s actions.

Another example:

A Republican Member Of Congress Threatened To Kill Armed Demonstrators In A Facebook Post

Rep. Clay Higgins has spoken at events organized by militia groups. When a rumor spread of a Black militia group protesting police brutality, he said their armed presence would be considered a threat and he'd "drop any 10 of you where you stand."

Fellow citizens with different opinions willing to take a stand for their values are now seen as hostile enemies and fair game for violent attacks.

Interesting times . . . 

Speaking of interesting times, a few found images I like.

As for where we are with the pandemic, McSweeney's has created something that captures an aspect of the current moment as well as anything else I've seen. I'm going to risk sharing it all, I love it so much, and hope that sits okay with them.

Frog and Toad

Tentatively Go Outside

After Months In Self-Quarantine

by Jennie Egerdie

 

Monday Morning

Toad woke up.

In his bed was last night’s dinner plate.

And last night’s water glass.

And last week’s pile of laundry.

“Drat!” Toad said. “This room is a mess.”

Frog opened the door.

“Wow,” said Frog, “so this is where all our dishes went.”

“I will clean up later,” said Toad. “It is time to start work.”

Toad changed into his work pajamas.

He reached under a pillow for his laptop and opened up his email.

“I have so much work to do,” sighed Toad.

He set his Zoom background to a picture of his room when it was tidy.

“There,” said Toad. “Now I am professional.”

- - -

Exercise

Toad and Frog went for a long walk.

They walked across a large meadow.

They walked in the woods.

They walked along the river.

They stopped to take a break.

“I am already tired!” exclaimed Frog.

“My muscles have atrophied from being inside,” grumbled Toad.

Frog looked at his reflection in the water.

“I am out of shape,” said Frog. “I feel ugly.”

“You are not ugly,” said Toad. “You are beautiful.”

“I feel round,” sighed Frog.

Toad stared at Frog.

It was his most intense stare.

“Round is a beautiful shape,” said Toad.

Frog smiled.

- - -

The Restaurant

Toad and Frog stood outside a French bistro.

Inside, a sparrow, two dragonflies, and a field mouse were having dinner together.

They looked like they were having a good time.

“Time to go in,” said Frog.

Toad and Frog did not move.

“Here we go,” said Toad. “Dinner time.”

Toad and Frog still did not move.

“Toad,” said Frog, “I do not feel it is safe yet.”

“I was about to say the same thing,” said Toad.

They were being cautious.

It was a good warm feeling.

- - -

Mail

Toad was sitting on the front porch.

Frog came outside and said, “What are you doing, Toad?”

“I’m waiting,” said Toad, “for my stimulus relief check.”

“We already got our stimulus checks,” said Frog.

“I know,” said Toad. “But it was not enough. I am hoping for another one.”

“What would you do with it?” said Frog.

“I would pay off credit card debt and get an eye exam,” said Toad. “How about you, Frog?”

“I would spend some on groceries, and save the rest for the upcoming month’s rent,” said Frog.

“Oh,” said Toad, “that makes very good sense.”

Frog sat on the front porch with Toad.

“I hope Congress passes the relief bill,” said Toad.

“Yes,” laughed Frog, “that would be a RELIEF!”

Toad did not laugh.

They sat there, waiting together.

- - -

The Beach

Toad and Frog went down to the beach.

“There are a lot of people here,” said Frog.

“Yes,” said Toad. “Too many.”

Toad pulled out his tape measure.

He counted out the exact distance between their towels and their closest neighbor, a turtle.

“Sixty-three inches apart is too close by CDC guidelines,” said Toad.

“Frog, please tell that turtle to move away.”

Frog walked over to the turtle, taking care to keep his space.

“Turtle,” said Frog, “you will have to move over a few inches.”

“Why should I?” asked the turtle.

“Because there is a pandemic,” said Frog.

“The pandemic is fake,” said the turtle. “Wearing a mask makes you sick. This is all a hoax caused by 5G and planned by hospital executives—”

Frog backed away quickly.

“Let’s just go home,” said Frog.

“I am right behind you,” agreed Toad.

- - -

The Calendar

Frog looked at Toad’s calendar. The April page was on top.

“Toad,” said Frog, “do you think it is still April?”

“No,” said Toad, “I know it is August. But my brain feels stuck in April.”

“Mine too,” said Frog.

Frog ripped off the April page.

“Toad,” said Frog, “I do not understand time anymore.”

“Time means nothing now,” said Toad. “It is just the thing that happens between snacks.”

- - -

7 O’Clock

Frog stood out on the front porch.

“Toad!” said Frog. “Toad! It’s almost time!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” said Toad.

Toad ran out to the porch. The clock chimed 7 o’clock.

Frog and Toad clapped their hands together.

They clapped and clapped until their palms were sore.

“Are we the only ones still doing this?” said Toad.

“I don’t know,” said Frog.

“Can they hear us?” said Toad.

“I hope so,” said Frog.

Toad reached over and squeezed Frog’s hand.

“I hope so too,” said Toad.

Our virtual school year starts next week, so that adventure awaits . . .