I am NOT Trayvon Martin

In the wake of the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida, many people have been searching for ways to express their anger, outrage, confusion and sadness.  Just in case you are totally out of touch with all forms of communication (in which case you are probably not reading this), Trayvon was a 17-year-old African-American young man who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a (supposed) member of a neighborhood watch group in a gated community in Florida.  Zimmerman, who is white, called police to report a "suspicious" black man walking through the neighborhood.  He then went on (against the police dispatcher's instruction) to confront Trayvon, who was carrying only a bag of candy and a can of tea, and ultimately shot him to death.  Zimmerman claims the shooting was in self-defense, and no arrest was made.

My point in this post is not to argue the case.  The Justice Department is now involved, and will, I hope, get to the bottom of what happened that night.  Nor do I want to debate the pros and cons of the "stand your ground" law, although I think that discussion is absolutely necessary.  Before this incident took place I was unaware of this concept, much less that a similar law exists in my state of Indiana.

No, my concern is the reaction to this case.  People are understandably shocked and outraged that in 2012, a young man has been killed for what appear to be racially-motivated reasons.  He was black.  He was young.  He was male.  He was wearing a "hoodie."  Therefore, in George Zimmerman's mind, he was up to no good.

Protests are springing up all over the country (and even outside the country) to decry the handling of this case by the local police.  In an attempt to show solidarity with Trayvon's family and with the cause of justice, people of every race, every age and both genders are donning hoodies and declaring:  "I am Trayvon Martin."

Well, let me state unequivocally that I am NOT Trayvon Martin.

For one thing, I'm too old.  If you saw me limping down the sidewalk in your neighborhood (probably needing to use a walker), you would feel not threatened, but sympathetic.  You might rightly conclude that I am a pudgy middle-aged person trying to lose some weight before she finally commits to having knee-replacement surgery.

Secondly, I'm a woman.  Correctly or not, that means that I'm not seen as a threat to a man.  In this case being female would be an advantage.  If George Zimmerman confronted me, even if I were wearing a hoodie, it would probably be to ask if I needed help finding an address.

But the most important reason that I am not Trayvon Martin is that I AM NOT BLACK.

Because I am white, I can go into a store and not have the employees assume that I am there to shoplift.  Because I am white, I do not have to worry about being pulled over for driving through a white neighborhood.  I do not hear car doors lock as I pass by, nor do I see elderly white women grasping their purses more tightly when they see me.

Being white in America is an advantage.  I did not ask for it.  I do not want it (or rather, I want everyone to have it).  In fact, it makes me angry.  But there it is - I cannot deny the reality of it.

Back in 2007, Michelle Obama was asked if she was more concerned about her husband's safety now that he was running for President.  Without hesitation, she replied, "As a black man, Barack could be shot walking to the gas station."

This kind of talk makes many white people uncomfortable.  We want to believe that racism is part of the past.  We want to blame people like Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson for bringing up race and stirring up unnecessary conflict.  We want to believe that now that we have passed the historical milestone of electing a black man as President, we have entered a "post-racial" era in which everyone is judged, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, "by the content of their character."  But that is a naive and ultimately dangerous conclusion.

Ask any black person.  They will tell you that the day after Barack Obama was elected President, they were still being followed around by that store clerk.

Being black in America is a disadvantage.  And being young, male and black can be a deadly combination.

This is not about whether anyone is consciously racist.  It is about the racial attitudes that permeate our society and that influence, on a subconscious level, the judgments we make about others - especially about those who do not look like us.

The fact that these attitudes are subconscious and subtle does not mean they cannot be changed.  But you can't change what you do not acknowledge.  So I encourage my white brothers and sisters to think about the advantages you enjoy because of your skin color. (Most of them boil down to being given the benefit of the doubt; or in legal terms, to being presumed innocent.)  And do not be thwarted in this effort by feelings of guilt.  You did not ask for this advantage - it was given to you.  The only way to change this dynamic is to bring these attitudes up to the conscious level and confront them. 

I am NOT Trayvon Martin.  And the sooner that I and other white people realize that fact, the closer we will be to resolving the problem of race in America.

Lent - Season of Repentance

Now that we've begun the first full week of Lent, I thought I should write something appropriate.  But I couldn't top the article by Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin:

10 Things to Remember for Lent

I considered writing about my own Lenten journey, but in the end I couldn't square it with the advice of Jesus in Matthew 6 (the Gospel for Ash Wednesday):

Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
...do not let your left hand know what your right is doing...
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.

Instead, I plan to write a little about each of the three pillars of Lent:  prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

In the meantime, I will leave you with some inspirational chant for the season:

Attende, Domine is a traditional Lenten chant dating from the 10th century.  The Latin words and English translation are listed below.

R. Attende Domine, et miserere, quia peccavimus tibi.	R. Hearken, O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against Thee.
Ad te Rex summe, omnium redemptor, oculos nostros sublevamus flentes: exaudi, Christe, supplicantum preces. R.	Crying, we raise our eyes to Thee, Sovereign King, Redeemer of all. Listen, Christ, to the pleas of the supplicant sinners. R.
Dextera Patris, lapis angularis, via salutis, ianua caelestis, ablue nostri maculas delicti. R.	Thou art at the Right Hand of God the Father, the Keystone, the Way of salvation and Gate of Heaven, cleanse the stains of our sins. R.
Rogamus, Deus, tuam maiestatem: auribus sacris gemitus exaudi: crimina nostra placidus indulge. R.	O God, we beseech Thy majesty to hear our groans; to forgive our sins. R.
Tibi fatemur crimina admissa: contrito corde pandimus occulta: tua Redemptor, pietas ignoscat. R.	We confess to Thee our consented sins; we declare our hidden sins with contrite heart; in Thy mercy, O Redeemer, forgive them. R.
Innocens captus, nec repugnans ductus, testibus falsis pro impiis damnatus: quos redemisti, tu conserva, Christe. R.	Thou wert captured, being innocent; brought about without resistance, condemned by impious men with false witnesses. O Christ keep safe those whom Thou hast redeemed. R.

My Fuzzy Valentine (with apologies to Rodgers and Hart)

My fuzzy Valentine
Sweet canine Valentine

You make me smile with my heart...

Your looks are laughable
Unphotographable
Yet you're my favorite work of art!










Is your figure less than sleek?
Is your "fetch" a little weak?
When you do tricks to get a treat,
Are you smart?

But don't change a hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay, little dog of mine, stay!
Each day is Valentine's Day.

Award Show Etiquette

We are well into the awards season, and with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards scheduled for tonight, it's past time for me to post my annual rules of etiquette for award nominees and recipients.

 (OK, that was admittedly a lame excuse to post a picture of George Clooney.)

 

It could be argued that I'm late with this advice, since the Golden Globe Awards have already taken place.  But if you saw some of the acceptance speeches at that event, you would have to acknowledge that a review of the rules is urgently needed.  So let's get right to it.

1. When they announce the nominees in your category, be sure you are smiling and applauding enthusiastically while they are reading the other nominees' names.  You know the camera is going to cut to you at some point, and you don't want to be caught rolling your eyes or grimacing (as in: "You've got to be kidding - how did HE get nominated?").
2. When they get to your name, STOP APPLAUDING.  Every year, I'm amazed at the number of highly successful people who don't realize that applauding for yourself is tacky.  Didn't you people have mothers or fathers or kindergarten teachers to instruct you in basic manners?
3. You get extra points if you look down in a humble, "aw shucks" way when your name is read.
4. IF you are fortunate enough to be announced as the winner in your category, do not pump your fist, yell "YES!" or otherwise appear to be gloating.
5. On the other hand, do not be SO humble that you appear to be in total shock at the news that you have won.  Some winners take this to the point where it becomes ludicrous.  After all, if there are five nominees in your category, you have at least a 20 percent chance of winning.  So be prepared for that eventuality, no matter how remote it may seem.
6. Here's a rule for presenters:  Do not use the time when the winner is approaching the stage to opine that another nominee really should have won (yes, I'm looking at YOU, Kanye!).
7. And here's one for presenters AND awardees:  There is absolutely no need to mention male genitalia (or female genitalia, for that matter) - see Seth Rogan and George Clooney at the Golden Globes.
8. And just a suggestion for the event organizers:  You might want to limit the amount of alcohol consumed by presenters and nominees; see numbers 6 and 7 above.

Now for some rules about acceptance speeches:

1. First and foremost:  HAVE ONE.  Every year, I am exceedingly annoyed by at least one awardee who stumbles up to the microphone like a flustered amnesiac and babbles about having "nothing prepared."  Did you wander into this event off the street?  Were you not invited and informed that you were being nominated for an award?  I can forgive directors and cinematographers for being a little inarticulate, but actors and writers?  This is your profession, people!  Write a speech that fits into the alloted time, and then rehearse it until you can deliver it with style and grace.
 
2. Your speech should have NO off-color jokes, and you should NOT have to be "bleeped" on the 7-second delay.  See George Clooney and Meryl Streep at the GGs for examples of "don'ts."
3. Do not tell your children to "go to bed."  This is so old and tired, and definitely not cute anymore; yet every year someone says it again.  Haven't any of you watched the last 10 years of award shows?  If you want to sneak in your children's names, just say something like this:  "I would be remiss if I didn't mention my darling children, Saffron and Tarragon, even though they had absolutely nothing to do with my winning this award."  At least it's honest.
4. Don't try to mention everyone you've ever known.  I always prefer the speakers who apologetically say that there are "too many people to mention" (because there are).  One exception to this rule:  if you're going to mention the other nominees in your category, make sure you don't forget anyone.  That is, if you want to avoid having to pull a dagger out of your back at the after-party.
5. Stay within the timeframe.  I presume they tell you how much time you will have, so don't waste it with, "Oh, my, I can't believe it", etc.  And don't threaten to "tear this place apart" ala Robert Downey, Jr. if the orchestra tries to play you off.  It's not their fault that you didn't rehearse.
6. Pay attention to which way you should exit after your speech.  Again, I am amazed that after 10 or 15 awardees have been herded stage left, the presenters still have to form a human chain to prevent the next awardee from exiting the wrong way.  Haven't you people heard of stage directions?

Fashion

Not being a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination, I have only one word of advice.  Model your planned outfit (including hairstyle and jewelry) in front of several trusted - and honest - friends (NO employees or members of your entourage).  If any of them say, "Really?" or "Seriously?" - go back to the drawing board.

Now if everyone follows the above rules, we will all have a more pleasant (if slightly less exciting) viewing experience.  Enjoy the SAG awards tonight - I will attempt to tweet some real-time reactions which I hope will be amusing.

And just a final, personal note:  George, when you're unattached again (and you will be), give me a call.

 
 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Prophet

Much has been said this week, as it always is at this time of year, about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He is praised by everyone on his holiday, especially by political leaders who speak of him (and rightly so) as a national hero.  And the recent unveiling of his magnificent monument in Washington D.C. may remind Catholics of the statues we display of our saints.  After all, saints are not "perfect" people - in some cases, far from it.  They are meant to be revered and imitated as examples of "heroic virtue."

But those of us who lived through the turbulent '60's will recall that King was anything but universally beloved during his lifetime.  Many whites called him an agitator and a divisive figure.  Even some white religious leaders who considered themselves "liberal" (or in today's terms, "progressive") felt he was pushing too hard for civil rights, and should be more patient with the pace of social change (see King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail - his brilliant and heartfelt response to his white brethren).  On the other hand, more militant black activists criticized him for being too accommodating to the white power structure.

I prefer to think of Dr. King as a prophet, in the tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).  To prophesy in the scriptural sense does not mean to foretell the future, at least not directly.  The prophet's job is to "speak truth to power," usually meaning to the king or another authority figure who represents the people.  Usually this truth is not welcome, so the prophet risks his safety and sometimes his life in order to respond to God's call.

Jeremiah was a prophet in Judea during the sixth century B.C.E.  He warned the people that their idolatry and disobedience of God would lead to their destruction and exile, which it eventually did in 587.  But could Jeremiah see into the future?  Perhaps only in the sense that we can predict the consequences of a certain course of action; for example, when we say, "If you don't quit that smoking, it's going to ruin your health!"  The English word jeremiad refers to a complaint or diatribe.

Dr. King must have understood Jeremiah's description of the burden of being a prophet:

Whenever I speak, I must cry out; violence and outrage is my message.
The word of the Lord has brought me dirision and reproach all the day.
I say to myself, I will not mention him; I will speak his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.  (Jer 20:8-9)

There must have been times when Rev. King wished he could just go back to being a preacher with a small congregation.  But like Jeremiah, he had been called and he had to speak for justice.  He had a gift for using biblical language which was understood by Southerners, both black and white.  This language spoke to the hopes and dreams of black people and the consciences of white people.  He received many threats over the years, and always the shadow of death was not far away.  In one speech he talked about what he would like people to say about him after his death.  Referring to the fact that he was a drum major in his college band, he said,

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968.  He was there to support striking sanitation workers.  The night before his death he gave a speech in which he used rich scriptural language to compare himself to the first great prophet, Moses:

Well, I don't know what will happen now.  We've got some difficult days ahead.   But it doesn't matter with me now.  Because I've been to the mountaintop.  And I don't mind.  Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.  Longevity has its place.  But I'm not concerned about that now.  I just want to do God's will.  And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain.  And I've looked over.  And I've seen the promised land.  I may not get there with you.  But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.  And I'm happy, tonight.  I'm not worried about anything.  I'm not fearing any man.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!

After his death, many interpreted this speech as a "premonition."  But I don't think Dr. King had any supernatural knowledge that he would die the next day.  I believe he simply understood that death is a risk for every prophet, and knowing that, he still answered the call.

In the beginning...

I've thought about blogging for some time, whenever I have thoughts to express that are too involved for a tweet or a Facebook post.  A blog allows me to elaborate on ideas, and also frees my FB friends and Twitter followers from being subjected to them!  

The title comes from the fact that "God" is "dog" spelled backward (or vice versa).  I'll compare the two in a later post, but for now it's enough to say that these are my two main interests:  my study of Theology and my dog Marshmallow.  I've learned a lot from both, and sometimes the two subjects intersect.

The "everything else" refers to my other interests - cooking, politics, American culture, current events, and just the everyday frustrations and joys of life.  I'm a middle-aged, single woman, so I'll probably be reflecting on the ups and downs of that, too.  You'll find quite a variety in this blog, and I hope you enjoy it!