What Fans Our Worst Nature?

This evening I went to the movie "Trumbo" with a friend. The picture relates the experience of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who is credited with Oscar-winning films such as "Roman Holiday," "Spartacus," The Brave One," and "Exodus." 

The only problem is that, because of the political affiliations of Trumbo and other Hollywood screenwriters at the time of Senator Joe McCarthy's "commie witch hunt" in the 1950s, Trumbo only received credit for his work long after it received the awards and, in the case of "Roman Holiday," not at all. Instead, he went to prison as did another of his Hollywood writer colleagues for association guaranteed in our U.S. Constitution. In newsreels from the time, angry and violent mobs berated this film genius, and he and his home were even attacked. As part of the "Hollywood 10," as the writers were known, they and others were blacklisted and unable to work, sometimes for 10-15 years. What an ugly chapter in our history.  

The other problem, though, is that this episode wasn't the only period in our history when the activity or beliefs of U.S. citizens have been the object of demagoguery.  Only a few days earlier I'd been speaking to someone about a friend of mine from Oregon, who was Japanese-American.  During World War II, her family was robbed of the land they had farmed in the U.S. for four generations.  Instead, this family of multi-generations of U.S. citizens were sent to a concentration camp.

American ugliness toward those who are different is not a 20th or 21st Century phenomena. When my Irish ancestors and many like them came to the U.S. in the early 19th Century they were jeered and were the object of degrading political cartoons and slurs.  They were referred to as "white negroes" at a time when slavery still existed in this country and they were often depicted in the cartoons with apelike features. None of this is pretty in a country that is credited with bringing democracy to a large scale, national power.

I fear that we are on the verge of yet another such ugly chapter as demagogues threaten to throw Muslims from our country or confiscate or damage the property of many who have been in this country for generations and/or are loyal U.S. citizens. Because they choose to exercise their right to choose their faith, a right guaranteed in our Constitution, they are threatened. This even after the yet again, hard-won guarantee of rights in the Civil Rights Act. Have we learned nothing from the earlier chapters?   
                                                        

I quoted columnist Tom Ehrich from his column "On the Journey" in my unpublished book Choice Point.  "As Hannah Arent wrote in her disturbing study of Nazi German, that evil empire could only proceed if evil became banal, or common.  For something obviously wrong to proceed, multiple consciences must stop working. Entire communities must grow numb and choose not to see any connection between abusive behavior and oneself..."*

I believe in a God of love, who wants us to love and respect one another.  There were probably bad people in any of these movements but to collectively hate whole groups is an insult to God.  My heart was very heavy as I left the theatre.  It continues to be heavy.  I am troubled with Arent's words that "...multiple consciences must stop working." My conscience has not stopped working.  And, to the point with which I now wrestle, what can I do? I am unapologetic about responding to anyone who makes unjustified remarks in my presence.  

Yet I struggle with how to counter the demagoguery. I think that God will not allow us to have the conscience, the desire, and the will to do the right thing without giving us the opportunity to actually do something. My prayers and meditations have not delivered any billboards telling me what to do, so for now, I will hold the intention and consciousness to continue to give, receive, and foster love.  I have to believe that will be enough.


*Ehrich, Tom, “On the Journey: Society’s sin is a lack of conscience, not religion,” The Herald-Sun, Durham, NC, Saturday, January 3, 1998, p. C1.