Jonathots Daily Blog
(3129)
It doesn’t have to be my “ism” to create a schism.
A schism is a split–usually between people.
G-Pop was rolling into his motel when a young man crossed his path. There was an immediate tension. Three years ago it may have been different, but the chasm among people has grown as the anger, malice and dissension have mounted in our country.
For you see, what the young man saw in G-Pop was a fat, 60-year-old white man with Nordic features. He, being a young fellow of color, felt disdain for such a creature, assuming that a Caucasian elderly gentleman must certainly carry the opinions promoted in the marketplace, which look down on him.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Yet likewise, to some degree a woman in this country must assume that the men she meets are guilty of chauvinism because of the reinstitution of male superiority.
Also, somebody wearing an American flag on his or her lapel is no longer viewed as a patriotic person, but rather, a potential radical who might be a proponent of “America, love it or leave it.”
Unbridled prejudice has made us suspicious of one another.
It is the casualty of the 2016 election. The campaign was more than a “rocky transition” in our political system. We legitimized the “isms”–chauvinism, racism, ageism, sexism and nationalism, placing the American populace back into armed camps.
Before the campaign, we had the appearance of inching our way to the table of negotiation. Now we are back to rejecting one another.
So in that brief moment when G-Pop came across the young man, he realized it was important to tear down those walls and try to restore some sense of reconciliation.
It requires a combination of “greet” and “meet,” establishing a friendly invitation and following it up with a piece of self-deprecation.
“Hello, my friend,” initiated G-Pop.
The young man gave a quick nod.
“You would think at my age that I should have figured out how to do things, but would you believe I still stumble around, making tons of mistakes?”
This second statement caused the young fellow to pause and turn. So G-Pop offered a third.
“Aren’t you blessed that you’ve still got time to learn stuff and be smarter than me?”
He smiled and replied, “Oh, you’re plenty smart, I’m sure.”
G-Pop concluded, “Some days it’s just hard for me to prove it. Have a great day, my friend.”
The young man laughed.
There had been a greeting, followed by a meeting of the souls. Months and months of aggravated verbal assaults, televised through the media, had been addressed but not conquered.
The work of those who believe in faith, hope and charity has increased but not changed. In a world of tribulation, it is up to us to be of good cheer.
We have increased the schism in this country by allowing errant ideas to be given breath, and therefore a life of their own.
Getting offended or proclaiming it unfair will not change the situation. We will need to bridge the schism by exposing the nasty “isms.”
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