Optimism Through Uncertainty

Regardless of political affiliation, it's hard to disagree that the divisiveness on display in American politics over the past several months has been demoralizing.  Neighbors, friends, family members and others have been pitted against each other based on their presidential preference.  Good people have been labeled racists, fascists, and much worse.  Political rants and discourse have turned into ultimatums: “Agree with me, or never speak to me again.”

I’m not going to spin this as some sort of political issue.  Instead, I just ask that we examine the underlying emotion that has divided our nation so dramatically.  Before you go off and say, “There’s no compromising with racist, misogynistic homophobes” or “Liberalism gave us the failed product of the last eight years,” I ask that we drop the name-calling and oversimplifications.  That’s what got us here in the first place.

Instead, recognize that the presentation on display in Washington isn’t indicative of the democratic and compromising ideals held by the stark majority of Americans.  I still hold that a group of randomly selected citizens could enact better policy than the legislators who spend their lives in the muddy waters of American politics.  When we compromise and listen to one another, big problems start to become much smaller.  Objectivity tends to emerge as the guiding light on common-sense reform.

The global media and major political parties make it seem as if we live in a country with two sub-species of human.  If we close our eyes and our ears, we may just believe it too.

So let’s bask in the words of the ever-wise F. Scott Fitzgerald, who noted, “At eighteen our convictions are hills from which we look; at forty-five they are caves in which we hide.”

Keep climbing my friends.

Radical Centrism

I love being a moderate/centrist in America. Simply stated, it makes the day-by-day sensationalism of American news come across as comical. To anyone who is not a radical on either side of the spectrum, news lately seems to act in the way of a pendulum. On one day, an event occurs that energizes the radical right in a manner that allows the group to proclaim that their end-all-be-all prophecy is true. The next day, something happens that gives supposed total justification to the liberal left in writing the narrative they set forth as the ultimate truth.

With that analogy put into writing, I can now state that quite frankly, no, I don’t find this back-and-forth, radicalized view of domestic/international happenings to be productive. It disgusts me that both sides are blinded by events deemed counter to their agendas, while they waste no opportunity to dramatize the simplest events in order to selfishly support their own hypotheses.

Why can’t we, for once, look at a shooting in an impartial manner? Why does the color of one’s skin seem to matter more than the event itself? Speaking of radical ideas, why is it that the futuristic, altruistic concept of one race/religion seeming to make more and more sense to me? We speak of America being the bedrock of freedom and diversity, and yet modern American society seems to be anything but open to diversity of thought, culture, and action.

Wake up.

If you find yourself getting excited about an act of violence occurring because it supports your prophecy for the world, then you need to re-evaluate your quest in life (stated nicely). Violence is bad. Hate is evil. Compassion is a necessity. And truth has no bias.

What do I know?

I’m confused.

I’m confused by the events that led to the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9^th, 2014.  To be honest, I think the majority of Americans share these sentiments….and yet, if you’ve picked up the newspaper lately, you’ve probably seen one of two headlines:

White Police Officer Shoots, Kills, Unarmed Black Teen

Cop Kills “Thug” in Self-Defense

My deduction based on what I’ve seen/read/heard related to the events is that neither headline is fully representative of what occurred.  But even still, this deduction is based on speculation.  The American Media, in a sick way, loves this story because it allows for endless speculation.  And the saddest part is that neither polarized viewpoint is willing to compromise in terms of the end conclusion.  The “facts” are out there in the public sphere, and yet no bystander to these events can say with utmost certainty/logic that they know what happened.

Which leads me to wonder, if people can’t state with absolutely certainty that they know what happened and who was at fault, then why are passions flaring as high as they are?  It is disgusting that this event has turned into a racial battle between blacks and whites (in a general sense).  When logic prevails, we all win, but when speculation and emotion take rise, we all lose, simple as that

With that said, I don’t think there is any doubting that a black child born today, on average, faces more obstacles than a white child in charting a successful, prosperous, life.  And I say this more from a high-level perspective, as blacks in this day in age are more (but not always) likely to attend poorer schools, grow up in non-traditional family structures (i.e. living with a single parent or no parent at all), and live in more dangerous neighborhoods. 

The metaphor I prefer when considering the racial tribulations in America over the past 200+ years, is that of a marathon.  A marathon in which the starting line for black runners is 2 miles before the starting line for white runners.  Consider these facts:

·      The 13^th Amendment, which made slavery illegal, was adopted in 1865 (149 years ago).  This is less than five generations ago, meaning most modern middle-aged African Americans have Great-Great Grandparents who lived during an era of slavery.

·      Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court case which made the segregation of public schools unconstitutional, occurred in 1954 (60 years ago), meaning nearly all parents of modern middle-aged African Americans grew up in an era of segregated schools.

·      The Civil Rights Act of 1991, passed a mere 23 years ago, made racial discrimination in the workplace illegal (whether it be related to hiring/firing, or just general harassment during the performance of one’s work duties). 

It would be optimistically unrealistic to assume that equality was immediately reached with the passing of each of these laws.  While laws become effective on a single day, social change and progress take time.  Think about it...if slavery was legal until 1865, how many slaves at the inception of the 13^th amendment were likely able to read and/or write?  If blacks weren’t provided with equal educational opportunities until 1954, what proportion of this populace was likely on par academically with their white counterpart at that time?  If efforts to allow for equality in voting and opportunities for employment have only passed Congress in the past half-century, how many blacks likely have representative government and jobs on par with their qualifications (rather than their skin color)?

I don’t have the answers to these questions, but they’re important to ask.  For as many generations as I’m aware of, my family has been literate.  We have been afforded the highest level of public education.  We never had to worry about being able to vote or the prospect of facing racial discrimination in the workplace.

So while the Ferguson ordeal paints the picture of a divided, polarized, America, I ask that we consider where we’ve come from and how much further we have to go.  The Media will sensationalize and dramatize this story until their face turns blue…but we know better, because while we still have a ways to go, we’ve come a long way just in the past 2, 3, 4 generations.  And as much as I’d love to be able to press a button that would immediately equalize all races in terms of median household incomes, test scores, and quality job opportunities, it’s simply not possible. 

The Full Spectrum

I used to think that information was like art.  That two people staring at the same painting could come away with two vastly different conclusions.  However, I’ve come to realize that information is much more than a single painting.  It’s an entire gallery.  We, as people, choose which paintings we wish to view, and as such, we may not make it through the entire gallery.  We may stay mesmerized on the first painting that attracts us.

This analogy paints the picture of the current state of information acquisition in the United States, and in many other countries as well.  It’s laborious to walk for hours through the gallery and to offer each piece of art the same amount of respect and attention as the prior…but it’s absolutely necessary.  Considering the extent to which information is already limited via a small network of major news organizations, it is pivotal that all citizens digest as much information as they can from each.  One of the major threats to change in this world is the human desire to listen to those whom we agree with.  F. Scott Fitzgerald once eloquently stated, “At eighteen our convictions are hills from which we look; at forty-five they are caves in which we hide.”  The only true wisdom in this world is realizing that we know nothing.  Those who purport that their age and life experiences have led them to a level of world understanding that allows them to state opinion as fact are dangerous.  Because for every man that states his/her opinion as fact, there lies another man on the other side of the fence who states the corollary as fact.  There is no truth.  There is only wisdom in admitting to knowing nothing.

Sunny San Diego

Thanks to all my family and friends who have been incredibly supportive of my move to the uncharted West Coast.  It's been a surreal two months in San Diego- both in terms of what I've seen and what I've experienced.  Given the beauty of this area it's almost impossible to understand how people decide to live anywhere else; I just assume they haven't been out here to experience the West Coast lifestyle yet.

Nonetheless, no locale, no matter how beautiful, can replace the comfort of having one's family nearby.  For that, I'm incredibly grateful to be able to afford the opportunity to take the quick 6-hour flight home to CT whenever I need to recharge.  The world (and this nation) is smaller than we think, and it'll be a welcome change to see my family twice in a matter of 3 months very soon!

Here's a quick snapshot from my backyard looking out on the bay, with the downtown skyline being just right of the picture.  Enjoy, and have a great week!

The Embodiment of Me

Dad and Mom,

I don’t know if it’s possible to explain through words how much you mean to me.  Every moment I spend considering how lucky and fortunate I am, I think about the struggles you endured, the efforts you put forth, and the love you bestowed upon me.  I can’t help but consider myself the luckiest boy in the world.

I’m crying as I write this, and for good reason, as what you have provided me is nothing short of remarkable.  There is not a single day that goes by that you don’t worry about my well-being before your own.

Looking back to my early years, attending Holland Hill Elementary as a young and ecstatic boy, it’s impossible connect the dots to how I made it to where I am today; impossible, that is, if it weren’t for you.  You are my inspiration, my aspiration.

I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been starting up a life with so much uncertainty after finishing high school- but your love for one another sustained you, showcasing the true meaning of companionship.  And of course you persevered, and recognized that every moment you spent worrying about that which you were unsure, was a moment you were prevented from living, and thus one you could never earn back.

As I said earlier, it is not possible to express through words all that you have done for me, and all that you have directly allowed me to experience.  I attended one of the preeminent school districts in the country, the most ambitious-minded university in the world, and have a career that is the envy of any human on this planet.  But there is no “I’ without you, although not in a literal sense, because of your steadfastness and inspirational perseverance. 

As our lives ironically make geographical diversions as our love for one another grows, I can’t help but anticipate, and get excited about, all that we have yet to experience…together.  We will only grow closer and stronger as the Great Plains of the US attempt to separate us.  And yet, as I move to a place I have never known, I can’t help but feel your souls inside of me, perfecting the embodiment of the fact that your efforts and accomplishments have become realized through my dreams, and now realities.  YOU are the ones who provided me this opportunity in an absolute, and direct, sense.  And for that, I am indebted beyond the aggregate riches of this entire world.

Only one set of siblings can truly say they have the best possible parents imaginable, and I am flattered to state that you are worth more to me than the world itself.  Thank you for giving me the hope and inspiration to turn opportunity into reality. 

Love As One Would Never Know,

Jim