At the start of the week, I finished reading There, There by Tommy Orange who wrote about the plight of urban Native Americans. It was one of the most hopeless books I read, showing what alcohol, drugs, guns, and displacement have done to First Americans. Orange’s book was recognized as one of the New York Times’ 10 best books of the Year in 2019.

On November 11th, I took my fiancé of 28 years, to a string quartet concert honoring veterans. They played a newly commissioned piece by Kenji Bunch followed by a 1970 selection called Black Angels —Thirteen images from the dark land by George Crumb. Both works were discordant, with voices, instruments, bongs, and tuned water glasses used to replicate planes dive-bombing, explosions, insects swarming, and confusion. When my head nodded in the warm room a bang brought me back to the reality of war. The author considers the piece to be an allegory of God vs the Devil. The piece ends as did the book, with the Devil winning. 

Between the two events was grumbling from family, neighbors, and the news, hitting my senses from every angle: Democrats and Republicans are divided 50-50 in North Carolina, yet gerrymandering sets the stage for Republicans to win elections by 70 percent over the next ten years. Not fair!  I want freedom not get vaccinated or wear a mask in public even if my presence makes other people sick. Not fair! Carrying a gun in public is a right even though 115, 551 are shot with 34,566 die of their wounds each year.  Not Fair!  The right for everyone to earn a family wage. Not fair!

Critical Race Theory, something few can explain, shouldn’t be taught in school. (It acknowledges how institutionalized racism perpetuates an unequal caste system.) Not fair!  Taxes are too high and should be lowered for everyone. (In 2018 after Trump’s tax cuts, billionaires paid an average of 23% in taxes, while middle-income people pay 24.2%. The top 1 percent also gained through 30 Tax shelters.) Not fair! We’re becoming a socialist country! Not fair.  We’re becoming a Fascist country. Not fair!  We’re becoming a dictatorship instead of a democracy. Not fair! The right to choose? Not fair! Life for the fetus no matter the circumstance. Not fair! Not fair! Not Fair!

I cover my ears to the whir of leaf blowers through dinner hour.  I cover my eyes to the man who gave me the finger when he drove past because I was driving too slow, only ten miles above the speed limit.

What is fair? Is it fair to keep supporting those who are ill from drug addiction and alcohol abuse not wanting to get better? Is it fair to let buildings get defaced, cars stripped, and people pee in public? Is it fair to deny the poor a free community college education when statistics show that those without a degree are the most despondent and likely to commit suicide? That those who can’t find employment despair. Not Fair! Americans without bachelor’s degrees have watched themselves become ever less valued in our economy.

I love the word cacophony. It rolls around my mouth and brings images of noise and discord.  What I observe of our current society is a cacophony of noise and images reminding me of an orchestra tuning up. Each musician is out for him or herself.

The wonderful thing about orchestra tuning is that the players will come together under the direction of inspired conductor and make harmonious sounds to uplift the soul. The act coming together is what must be accomplished by our nation as well. 

Endings like Tommy Orange and George Crum suggest are not inevitable. All is not hopeless. But, we do need to elect leaders who think of society, and are impervious to bribes from lobbyists. We need citizens willing to compromise and harmonize their beliefs in a manner that is respectful of differences. And—we need everyone’s participation. No one who lives in this country has the right to be a bystander. Those without shelter as well as billionaires can improve the environment. Leaving trash around street tents or needles on the ground is not acceptable, nor is polluting rivers with agricultural or industrial runoff. 

We live on earth—not in space, not on Mars. I can’t escape, nor probably can you? But I can stop complaining and despairing that life in America will never change. Yes, when economic and social instability in people’s lives or in the community rises, so does despair. When material and social circumstances fall below expectations, so does suicide.  But, this is not the great depression. We can help communities become more stable and ensure that individuals are fairly employed. It’s not rocket science but it is compassion the opposite of self-absorption. Let’s talk hope, be active, and make good lives happen. No more complaints. The future rests on each of our shoulders. 

References:

Brady Statistics.  retrieved from https://www.bradyunited.org/key-statistics

Critical Race Theory. About Critical Race Theory – retrieved from https://www.endasianhate.org/critical-race-theory

Gawanade, A. 2020. Why Americans are Dying From Despair. The New Yorker. retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/23/why-americans-are-dying-from-despair

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