Thursday, April 24, 2014
The id Post: Winterless Spring
The id Post: Winterless Spring: by Irene Daniel There are no winters here Our Angels don't like snow Extended fall, into early spring That is what we ...
Winterless Spring
by Irene Daniel
There are no winters here
Our Angels don't like snow
Extended fall, into early spring
That is what we know
Branches once barren
Now sprout green leaves
But right next to it,
And out of place it seems
Is last years leaf,
Clinging, brown and dry
A portrait in survival
It almost seems to sigh
Yet it still dances in the wind
No longer the young beauty
It clings and dances unaware that
It has outlived its duty
Without a bitter coldness
That plunders living things
The cycles turn less sharply
Summers to falls to springs
Without a firm dividing line
The seasons meld together
I know only three seasons now
But I like warmer weather
And when the winter comes again
And snow is piled high
I'll drink iced tea in the City of Angels
Safe and warm and dry
Irene Daniel Copyright 2014 All rights reserved.
There are no winters here
Our Angels don't like snow
Extended fall, into early spring
That is what we know
Branches once barren
Now sprout green leaves
But right next to it,
And out of place it seems
Is last years leaf,
Clinging, brown and dry
A portrait in survival
It almost seems to sigh
Yet it still dances in the wind
No longer the young beauty
It clings and dances unaware that
It has outlived its duty
Without a bitter coldness
That plunders living things
The cycles turn less sharply
Summers to falls to springs
Without a firm dividing line
The seasons meld together
I know only three seasons now
But I like warmer weather
And when the winter comes again
And snow is piled high
I'll drink iced tea in the City of Angels
Safe and warm and dry
Irene Daniel Copyright 2014 All rights reserved.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
The id Post: Compassionate Conservative? We're Not Falling For ...
The id Post: Compassionate Conservative? We're Not Falling For ...: by Irene Daniel I saw Jeb Bush on TV the other day, talking about Mexicans crossing the Mexican-American border without the proper immigra...
Compassionate Conservative? We're Not Falling For That Again, Are We?
by Irene Daniel
I saw Jeb Bush on TV the other day, talking about Mexicans crossing the Mexican-American border without the proper immigration documentation, and describing their crossing as an "act of love." OK. Kudos, Jeb.
But talk is cheap and we've heard this kind of thing before haven't we? This compassionate conservative thing? That didn't work out so well, did it? With Dick Chaney calling the shots? We've seen this movie before, and found it wanting. Compassionate conservative? An oxymoron if ever there was one.
Have we forgotten that 3-ring circus of the GOP 2012 Presidential Debates? It became a contest of who could be the meanest and most insensitive of the bunch. Have we forgotten the US soldier who was booed because he was gay? How about the 'let them die' suggestions for those with no health insurance? And who could forget that rousing applause for Rick Perry as he boasted of the execution rate in Texas? This was only about 18 months ago.
And how about those conservative policies that insist upon subsidizing wealth, while poor children go without food or a decent education? Have we forgotten that not one single Republican candidate for the presidency in 2012 would take a budget deal wherein the ratio of tax cuts to tax increases was 10:1? How compassionate is that? And there is no evidence that 2016 will be any different. With Ted Cruz and Rand Paul? Who don't even believe in Civil Rights? Jeb Bush would have to abandon all compassion if he is to compete in this crowd. And then, he wouldn't be electable to a younger, browner, more female voter in the general election.
So,what would Bush do about immigration? Or poverty? When discussing financial and budget issues, conservatives continue to misuse the example of teaching a man to fish vs. just giving him the fish. Apparently, they are unfamiliar with the kind of hunger that makes learning a new skill difficult until your hunger is satisfied, at least somewhat. Liberals understand that, before you can command anyone's attention, you must tend to their immediate needs to the extent possible. Otherwise, you cannot earn the trust that breathes credibility into your words. You see, you have to actually care about real people in the real world. That's what real compassion is.
Perhaps they are well-intentioned; however there seems to be some kind of blockage to a meaningful understanding of people who are not like them: wealthy, white, religious. I saw the juxtaposition of good intentions vs. conservative logic play out consistently when I was a member of Rotary. It's as though there is no need to explore another way of seeing the world, because they know all they need to know. I'll never forget hearing with my own ears the casualness at which they can dismiss the lives of "the other." There seems to be no understanding of the consequences of the actions -- and inactions -- of congress, that are visited upon those who can least afford it, the most vulnerable among us.
After the election of President Obama, I remember hearing 2 of my fellow Rotarians, both financial advisors, dismissing him out of hand, and predicting that no one in the financial markets would work with him and that he would be a failure. This was said quite casually over cocktails one evening. It seemed as if there was no other way that the world should be, except the way they see it. I'm sure that the consequences of sequester and other conservative choices, have made no difference in their rich and happy lives. And now they can be right about the debacle that conservatives have created by refusing to govern and decide as adults regarding the state of our union. Compassionate? That's more like arrogance, isn't it?
And perhaps it is this arrogance, which the low-information voter trumpets as bravado, that is the barrier which walls conservatives off from reason. Who can deny that it is this unknowing bravado that appeals especially to the uneducated white conservative voter? That's what they liked about Ronald Reagan. It is exactly this same bravado, accompanied by lots of liberal-bashing and, of course, love of a blonde and blue-eyed faux Jesus, that permits the haves to continue to elect people of their choosing. People who owe them favors and will pass laws that will allow the haves to continue to exploit those very have-not voters. You know the type -- they watch Fox news all day.
There is a reason that poor people, most educated people (especially women), most nonwhite people and most women, especially single women, vote for Democrats over Republicans. Liberal-bashing is no substitute for protecting the rights of "the other." And we who have been otherized every day on our way to success can see through all those lame arguments on social issues. We know when we are on the menu. We were not invited to the party. We who have been on the outside looking in, have become very adept at connecting the dots; the dots that conservatives don't seem to know are even there.
There is a difference between compassion and charity; between charity and social justice. Conservatives love to give to charity as long as they can put their name on something: a school, a hospital. But true compassion is to be one with the sufferer, not separate therefrom. Charity feeds the ego without dirtying the hands. Compassion dirties the hands, and cleans the soul.
In the past decade, we have all witnessed the rise in racist rhetoric and hate speech. Where are the "compassionate conservatives" when it comes to denouncing such words and conduct? It appears that they are either encouraging the vitriol, or sitting in a cowardly silence. I have never heard Jeb Bush, whose wife is Latina, denounce any of the obvious racial insinuations and slurs about President Obama that have continued for several years now. Never. Not once. Compassion is more than a sound-bite in the 21st century.
And how about their love for Ayn Rand? The Christian conservatives who are fans of Rand seem incapable of seeing the hypocrisy in choosing Ayn Rand over Jesus. They are not compatible, not matter how much you try to rearrange Jesus. And it is this obvious incompatible dichotomy that conservatives refuse to see. They don't want to be challenged with facts or logic at all. I saw Dick Cavet talking about trying to book Ayn Rand on his show back in the 1970s. She had a list of 15 conditions for her appearance, the last of which was: There will be no disagreeing with Ms. Rand. That pretty much sums up the manner in which conservatives seem to think that they own information.
I find this juxtaposition to be a marvelous curiosity, more than anything. However, I am not fooled by it for one minute. And neither should you be.
Jessie Jackson was right about one thing way back when: Stay out ' the Bushes!
I saw Jeb Bush on TV the other day, talking about Mexicans crossing the Mexican-American border without the proper immigration documentation, and describing their crossing as an "act of love." OK. Kudos, Jeb.
But talk is cheap and we've heard this kind of thing before haven't we? This compassionate conservative thing? That didn't work out so well, did it? With Dick Chaney calling the shots? We've seen this movie before, and found it wanting. Compassionate conservative? An oxymoron if ever there was one.
Have we forgotten that 3-ring circus of the GOP 2012 Presidential Debates? It became a contest of who could be the meanest and most insensitive of the bunch. Have we forgotten the US soldier who was booed because he was gay? How about the 'let them die' suggestions for those with no health insurance? And who could forget that rousing applause for Rick Perry as he boasted of the execution rate in Texas? This was only about 18 months ago.
And how about those conservative policies that insist upon subsidizing wealth, while poor children go without food or a decent education? Have we forgotten that not one single Republican candidate for the presidency in 2012 would take a budget deal wherein the ratio of tax cuts to tax increases was 10:1? How compassionate is that? And there is no evidence that 2016 will be any different. With Ted Cruz and Rand Paul? Who don't even believe in Civil Rights? Jeb Bush would have to abandon all compassion if he is to compete in this crowd. And then, he wouldn't be electable to a younger, browner, more female voter in the general election.
So,what would Bush do about immigration? Or poverty? When discussing financial and budget issues, conservatives continue to misuse the example of teaching a man to fish vs. just giving him the fish. Apparently, they are unfamiliar with the kind of hunger that makes learning a new skill difficult until your hunger is satisfied, at least somewhat. Liberals understand that, before you can command anyone's attention, you must tend to their immediate needs to the extent possible. Otherwise, you cannot earn the trust that breathes credibility into your words. You see, you have to actually care about real people in the real world. That's what real compassion is.
Perhaps they are well-intentioned; however there seems to be some kind of blockage to a meaningful understanding of people who are not like them: wealthy, white, religious. I saw the juxtaposition of good intentions vs. conservative logic play out consistently when I was a member of Rotary. It's as though there is no need to explore another way of seeing the world, because they know all they need to know. I'll never forget hearing with my own ears the casualness at which they can dismiss the lives of "the other." There seems to be no understanding of the consequences of the actions -- and inactions -- of congress, that are visited upon those who can least afford it, the most vulnerable among us.
After the election of President Obama, I remember hearing 2 of my fellow Rotarians, both financial advisors, dismissing him out of hand, and predicting that no one in the financial markets would work with him and that he would be a failure. This was said quite casually over cocktails one evening. It seemed as if there was no other way that the world should be, except the way they see it. I'm sure that the consequences of sequester and other conservative choices, have made no difference in their rich and happy lives. And now they can be right about the debacle that conservatives have created by refusing to govern and decide as adults regarding the state of our union. Compassionate? That's more like arrogance, isn't it?
And perhaps it is this arrogance, which the low-information voter trumpets as bravado, that is the barrier which walls conservatives off from reason. Who can deny that it is this unknowing bravado that appeals especially to the uneducated white conservative voter? That's what they liked about Ronald Reagan. It is exactly this same bravado, accompanied by lots of liberal-bashing and, of course, love of a blonde and blue-eyed faux Jesus, that permits the haves to continue to elect people of their choosing. People who owe them favors and will pass laws that will allow the haves to continue to exploit those very have-not voters. You know the type -- they watch Fox news all day.
There is a reason that poor people, most educated people (especially women), most nonwhite people and most women, especially single women, vote for Democrats over Republicans. Liberal-bashing is no substitute for protecting the rights of "the other." And we who have been otherized every day on our way to success can see through all those lame arguments on social issues. We know when we are on the menu. We were not invited to the party. We who have been on the outside looking in, have become very adept at connecting the dots; the dots that conservatives don't seem to know are even there.
There is a difference between compassion and charity; between charity and social justice. Conservatives love to give to charity as long as they can put their name on something: a school, a hospital. But true compassion is to be one with the sufferer, not separate therefrom. Charity feeds the ego without dirtying the hands. Compassion dirties the hands, and cleans the soul.
In the past decade, we have all witnessed the rise in racist rhetoric and hate speech. Where are the "compassionate conservatives" when it comes to denouncing such words and conduct? It appears that they are either encouraging the vitriol, or sitting in a cowardly silence. I have never heard Jeb Bush, whose wife is Latina, denounce any of the obvious racial insinuations and slurs about President Obama that have continued for several years now. Never. Not once. Compassion is more than a sound-bite in the 21st century.
And how about their love for Ayn Rand? The Christian conservatives who are fans of Rand seem incapable of seeing the hypocrisy in choosing Ayn Rand over Jesus. They are not compatible, not matter how much you try to rearrange Jesus. And it is this obvious incompatible dichotomy that conservatives refuse to see. They don't want to be challenged with facts or logic at all. I saw Dick Cavet talking about trying to book Ayn Rand on his show back in the 1970s. She had a list of 15 conditions for her appearance, the last of which was: There will be no disagreeing with Ms. Rand. That pretty much sums up the manner in which conservatives seem to think that they own information.
I find this juxtaposition to be a marvelous curiosity, more than anything. However, I am not fooled by it for one minute. And neither should you be.
Jessie Jackson was right about one thing way back when: Stay out ' the Bushes!
Thursday, April 10, 2014
The id Post: It's Strange Having the LA County Coroner in My Ne...
The id Post: It's Strange Having the LA County Coroner in My Ne...: by Irene Daniel I live in pretty nice neighborhood. Most of the neighbors know each other, at least in passing, or at least of each other....
It's Strange Having the LA County Coroner in My Neighborhood
by Irene Daniel
I live in pretty nice neighborhood. Most of the neighbors know each other, at least in passing, or at least of each other. We know pretty much what people and dogs go with what houses. Most of us have outside lights on either all night or on a motion sensor; and a lot of us have dogs that bark when there are strangers about. I feel safe here. Burglars casing the neighborhood most likely move on to more vulnerable targets.
But the other night there was some commotion on my street. Apparently there was an accidental death at a neighbor's house; requiring the investigative services of the LA Fire Department, 2 black-and-white LAPD prowlers, 2 other unmarked LAPD vehicles, the LA County Coroner and a DWP service vehicle. I don't know the details, and don't need to know, but it was a lot of commotion for a usually quiet street.
It's creepy going to bed with a car that has 'coroner' written on it parked about 10 yards away from your front door. I've never had that happen before now. Now, mind you, I grew up about 3 blocks away from a maximum security state prison and about a mile away from a federal prison, as well as the city jail and the county lock-up nearby, my hometown being the county seat. Plus, I used to work at the LA County DA's Office, so, seeing a lot of law enforcement vehicles is no big deal.
But coroner's vehicles don't belong on my street. As far as I know, this is a homicide-free zone here in my little corner of Eagle Rock, CA. Law enforcement vehicles belong in law enforcement venues, not on my street. And it suddenly occurred to me that there are many neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and all over the country, where children are growing up seeing vehicles like these in their neighborhoods all too often. I never knew what that felt like until the other night. What kind of message does that send to children? To regularly experience the presence of, and possibly harassment by, law enforcement? Can it ever be no big deal to see the coroner in your neighborhood?
I don't know the answers to those questions. Until I had a coroner parked practically outside my door, I never even knew that I had these questions. All I know is that it just felt creepy to me. Unsettling. Unsafe. Is this what inner-city kids in poor neighborhoods feel? Does it harden them? Make them shed their precious innocence before it is age-appropriate?
Again, I don't know. To me, the presence of law enforcement in my neighborhood was not personally threatening. But all those official vehicles a few yards away as I am getting ready for bed is a signal that something is amiss here. Something isn't right. Something happened that wasn't supposed to happen. Somebody died close to my home. And it rocked my world a little. It has affected my ability to fall asleep peacefully for a few nights. I didn't call these emotions to myself. I just let them happen and observed them, and now I'm trying to make sense of them by writing about them.
And now I share with my readers my confusion and a sense of being up-ended somehow. My experiences have produced a sense of respect and safety in the presence of law enforcement, for the most part, at least in my personal life. And I am not afraid of law enforcement, just not used to seeing such a presence in my neighborhood. And it raised questions for me that, while I may have contemplated them before now, I had never really experienced such a heavy presence on the street where I live, and work, and love, and laugh.
And it left me with some feelings unfamiliar to me, and it is that unfamiliarity that calls to my curiosity. What are these feelings? Why am I left so unsettled? Does this scene in the street affect others in other communities? If so, how? How does this affect one's world view? What effect does this scene have on one's ability to trust? Trust neighbors? Trust law enforcement?
Like I said, I don't have answers. Only questions. Questions about life that I had not contemplated before having a coroner's vehicle parked outside my door.
Have you had a similar experience that opens up a new way of seeing, or at least questioning your world view? If so, please share with me. I need help navigating these sensations.
We all need each other to share and to help figure life out. Especially when we are confused, unsettled or taken aback by something that rocks us out of our comfort zones.
What can you teach me about life's unsettling moments? I'm all ears.
I live in pretty nice neighborhood. Most of the neighbors know each other, at least in passing, or at least of each other. We know pretty much what people and dogs go with what houses. Most of us have outside lights on either all night or on a motion sensor; and a lot of us have dogs that bark when there are strangers about. I feel safe here. Burglars casing the neighborhood most likely move on to more vulnerable targets.
But the other night there was some commotion on my street. Apparently there was an accidental death at a neighbor's house; requiring the investigative services of the LA Fire Department, 2 black-and-white LAPD prowlers, 2 other unmarked LAPD vehicles, the LA County Coroner and a DWP service vehicle. I don't know the details, and don't need to know, but it was a lot of commotion for a usually quiet street.
It's creepy going to bed with a car that has 'coroner' written on it parked about 10 yards away from your front door. I've never had that happen before now. Now, mind you, I grew up about 3 blocks away from a maximum security state prison and about a mile away from a federal prison, as well as the city jail and the county lock-up nearby, my hometown being the county seat. Plus, I used to work at the LA County DA's Office, so, seeing a lot of law enforcement vehicles is no big deal.
But coroner's vehicles don't belong on my street. As far as I know, this is a homicide-free zone here in my little corner of Eagle Rock, CA. Law enforcement vehicles belong in law enforcement venues, not on my street. And it suddenly occurred to me that there are many neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and all over the country, where children are growing up seeing vehicles like these in their neighborhoods all too often. I never knew what that felt like until the other night. What kind of message does that send to children? To regularly experience the presence of, and possibly harassment by, law enforcement? Can it ever be no big deal to see the coroner in your neighborhood?
I don't know the answers to those questions. Until I had a coroner parked practically outside my door, I never even knew that I had these questions. All I know is that it just felt creepy to me. Unsettling. Unsafe. Is this what inner-city kids in poor neighborhoods feel? Does it harden them? Make them shed their precious innocence before it is age-appropriate?
Again, I don't know. To me, the presence of law enforcement in my neighborhood was not personally threatening. But all those official vehicles a few yards away as I am getting ready for bed is a signal that something is amiss here. Something isn't right. Something happened that wasn't supposed to happen. Somebody died close to my home. And it rocked my world a little. It has affected my ability to fall asleep peacefully for a few nights. I didn't call these emotions to myself. I just let them happen and observed them, and now I'm trying to make sense of them by writing about them.
And now I share with my readers my confusion and a sense of being up-ended somehow. My experiences have produced a sense of respect and safety in the presence of law enforcement, for the most part, at least in my personal life. And I am not afraid of law enforcement, just not used to seeing such a presence in my neighborhood. And it raised questions for me that, while I may have contemplated them before now, I had never really experienced such a heavy presence on the street where I live, and work, and love, and laugh.
And it left me with some feelings unfamiliar to me, and it is that unfamiliarity that calls to my curiosity. What are these feelings? Why am I left so unsettled? Does this scene in the street affect others in other communities? If so, how? How does this affect one's world view? What effect does this scene have on one's ability to trust? Trust neighbors? Trust law enforcement?
Like I said, I don't have answers. Only questions. Questions about life that I had not contemplated before having a coroner's vehicle parked outside my door.
Have you had a similar experience that opens up a new way of seeing, or at least questioning your world view? If so, please share with me. I need help navigating these sensations.
We all need each other to share and to help figure life out. Especially when we are confused, unsettled or taken aback by something that rocks us out of our comfort zones.
What can you teach me about life's unsettling moments? I'm all ears.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
The id Post: 7 Years a Rotarian: What I Learned About American ...
The id Post: 7 Years a Rotarian: What I Learned About American ...: by Irene Daniel I used to be a Rotarian. Sometimes I miss it. I miss the weekly gathering of some of the most active members of the commun...
7 Years a Rotarian: What I Learned About American White Culture in the 21st Century
by Irene Daniel
I used to be a Rotarian. Sometimes I miss it. I miss the weekly gathering of some of the most active members of the community. I miss learning something new every week from our speakers. I miss many of the individual members, and even some of those who got on my last nerve. I also miss feeling that I was a part of something larger, and something inherently good.
Rotary International is a service organization that is over 100 years old. You can find the familiar emblem along with the welcome signs in just about every town and city across America, as well as in most corners of the world. It is the only service organization of its kind with a seat at the United Nations, and boasts of millions of members world-wide; doing great things in communities large and small. It also maintains many youth programs and awards, among them -- my personal favorite -- RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award), a week-end leadership training camp for high school juniors, and the Rotary International Ambassador Scholarship Program, a post-graduate opportunity for college graduates. Rotarians also encourage and support community engagement in numerous and varied ways. RI has also been instrumental in eradicating polio world-wide, a job not quite yet done, but close. It is an opportunity for service, as well as to socialize with local leaders.
Another, and unfortunate, characteristic of Rotary, coming to be in a time of legalized sexism, racism and all manner of exploitation of the powerless, is that it is still predominantly white, male and conservative; or as some would say, "pale, male and stale." In noticing this more than obvious fact upon my arrival on the scene, being the egomaniac with an inferiority complex that I am, I thought to myself, here is someplace where I can make a difference. Maybe I can recruit others like me -- non-pale, non-male and, hopefully, non-stale. I took this fellowship seriously and participated whole-heartedly, serving on various committees and engaging with local youth. I was eventually nominated and elected to serve on the Board of Directors, a very humbling honor that I accepted, and for which I am still very grateful to this very day.
I used what influence I had to encourage adoption of new policies, or at least new attitudes, towards recruitment and retention of more black and brown and female faces. I had no illusions about turning a bastion of conservatism into a liberal stronghold. However, I had expected that a certain decorum would be honored, in light of it being the 21st century and all, and that community leaders of intelligence and compassion would know better than to permit off-color jokes and liberal-bashing (in southern California, no less) to run rampant. I was wrong. In fact, these incidents of lynching jokes, sexist innuendos and Tea Party vitriol, became greater in number and more vulgar in manner as time went on; and especially after the election of President Barack Obama.
I came to wonder why I was spending my resources at what were increasingly becoming mini-Republican conventions. It's funny, before joining Rotary, I was a lot more middle-of-the-road politically. I registered independent for awhile, and especially didn't want to feel beholden to my party just because I had always voted a particular way. After becoming a small business owner, I saw my tax liability sky-rocket, and had a different appreciation for tax issues. Although, I never really minded paying taxes, having benefitted so much from The Great Society, I was not resentful. But I did notice that it was a lot of flippin' money. And I can understand how some, not believing that "those programs" benefit them in any way, could be resentful. Of course, "those programs" really benefit us all in ways great and small, seen and unseen.
Spending the better part of a decade as a Rotarian, a few of them as a Director no less, brought me right back in touch with why I am so proud to be a bleeding-heart liberal Democrat. It's not that these Rotarians are bad people, or that they don't try to understand, albeit awkwardly manifested much of the time. The people I met in Rotary were, and are still, some of the most generous and most interesting people I have ever met, even some of those whose lack of 21st century social skills are sorely lacking. And while I feel no resentment or ill will toward any of my former fellow Rotarians. what I am left with now, more than anything else, is a very deep and unsatisfied curiosity about conservative thinking and logic. Why must they insist on persisting in old ways that are literally hurting them, their families, their businesses and their organizations?
I am reminded of Ghandi's sentiments about Christ and Christians. I like your Christ, he said, but not your Christians. I like Rotary, but Rotarians seem woefully unaware of how much they violate their very own 4-way test of truth, fairness to all, building better relationships, and activities that benefit ALL concerned, when they insist upon their old ways. Those of us who are not white, not male and not conservative are left to witness the byproducts of the ignorance that leads to bias. For example, when union-bashing or liberal-bashing are openly discussed, the leaders of this conservative coalition that prides itself on truth and fairness, seems unable to appreciate that this fodder is not my truth. It is not fair to me, or to my union copper-miner father, to treat unions like the scourge of the earth. They cannot see that by continuing to ostracize people like me by demeaning our values, they are not building good-will and better relationships; nor will the outcome of their 20th century bias be beneficial to all concerned. And what is missed in all of this is the fact that many of us non-whites come from working-class and union homes. Unlike most wealthy conservatives, we did not inherit anything but work ethic and respect for others. And so, we continue to feel unwelcome and/or misunderstood in places where conservatism abounds. We don't want to join an expensive fellowship just to be the butt of all their unfunny conservative jokes. And the Rotarian leadership continues to deny that it has a serious problem in attracting the non-pale, non-male, and non-stale. They simply do not know what they do not know. But even more troubling, they think they know everything they need to know, in their, at least subliminal, white male supremacy way of thinking.
My reasons for wanting to recruit more people like me to Rotary were not just to satisfy a self-interested ego, nor just to have some comaraderie. I saw what Rotary is only after several years of bashing my head against the wall. What I was seeing prior to that was my vision of what Rotary could be, and maybe still can be: a vibrant and alive organization full of people of all persuasions who are on fire to work together to make the world a better place, free of hunger, disease and illiteracy. What it is today is a largely older, whiter, more male and more conservative group, which prides itself on its charitable activities. And it is loosing members because it is unable to replace its staple demographic, i.e., the old, white, conservative male; with the new and coming demographics, i.e., Latinos, women and millennials. Thus, organizations like Rotary, and the Republican party, need people like me, more than people like me need Rotary or the Republican party.
And its not just the numbers, it's the attitudes that are changing too. Rotarians pride themselves on their charity -- and they are, indeed, very generous. Liberals pride themselves in making progress in social justice; because the more social justice you create, the less charity you need. The less charity needed, the less there are opportunities to give to those less fortunate because there are not as many of them; and hence, the loss of opportunity for the great white crusader to come in atop his white horse and save the day for the whole village. What conservatives can't seem to understand is that it is conservative policies of austerity for the poor and tax breaks for the wealthy, that create a continuation of unfairness and exploitation of the have-nots. The changing demographic knows this. What Rotarians, and their white conservative base everywhere, seem unable to understand is that many of us don't necessarily want what they have. Sure, we want educations and jobs; but many of us who did not inherit wealth, are not interested in joining clubs to be able to exclude others, or set ourselves apart from "the other." We are the other; those are our people who are still too often left behind. Most of us have no intention of forgetting where we came from, and how our experiences shaped our world view; a perspective that deserves just as much respect as a conservative one.
Latinos and women are not interested in going backwards. We want to move forward to create greater equality and opportunities for all, so that we won't need charity any longer. And millennials see through everybody's BS and they are simply not having the illogical exclusion of the country club mentality. The new demographic is not looking for ways to look down upon the little people. Nor is it necessary for them to hang out with older, whiter and more conservative people in order to access leadership and power. There was a time when all the power was concentrated in one specific type of individual in the land of the free: the white, propertied male. Those days are gone. Forever.
Besides the concept of charity and social justice juxtaposed, many Rotary clubs suffer from the same affliction that seems to be savaging the GOP of late, i.e., the inability to recruit and retain young people, women and non-whites. When all leadership roles, as well as all organizations like Rotary, were exclusively controlled by white men, women and non-whites could not access power without white men somewhere along the line. We needed to ask them for jobs, admission to schools, access to capital. and the like. Accordingly, in order to get their attention, we had to go where they were and perform at whatever level was prescribed by the white male leaders. We had to jump through their hoops and live up to their idea of "standards." Not only is this no longer true, but "standards" are not just defined by this one class of persons any longer.
I had intended to be a bridge-builder as a Director in my Rotary club. And then one day I realized that, in spite of all the wailing about losing 10% of their membership every year, and in spite of how much they talked about wanting to attract a crowd that was less of the pale, male and stale variety, most of these members -- at least the old white men -- really didn't want anything to change at all. And even since leaving the club, in discussing this matter with friends who are still Rotarians, their attitude seems lacking in urgency. One friend confided that they were just going to wait until all the old conservatives died off before making an effort to change their tone. Well, that's one strategy.
However, that just might be too late. The three largest growing demographics in the US today are women, Latinos and millennials. People in these groups are able to find ways of being of service, as well as accessing power and leadership, without the need to pay steep Rotary dues, and/or to hang out with people who do not understand and appreciate them. You see, by the time most of us, especially those over forty, have achieved any kind of success, we have been in many situations where a few white conservative men held the keys to our future. We've been in a lot of big rooms full of white people with money giving us scholarships or whatever. We don't hate them, but they pretty much underestimated us and often even insulted us most of the time, albeit unintentionally; so we are not anxious to hang out with people like that if we don't have to. Again, we don't hate white people or conservatives, but we have grown ever so weary of the inability of conservatives to treat us with some kind of dignity and respect. Why would anyone expect us to continue to show up at a place where we regularly get a pie in the face?
Why is it so hard for the white conservatives to see us as equals? Why must they insult us and our ancestry? Conservatives tend to see American culture as a white culture. I do not. I see it as many, many things, good and bad things; things that make us a better people, and bring us closer to that "more perfect union," that Abe envisioned.
There is no white standard to meet in order to be American. Or Rotarian. Or worthy of respect. There is only equality, and this is a concept yet un-embraced by conservatives. Unless and until white conservatives can surrender their need to be king of the mountain, both Republicans and Rotarians will continue to lose momentum and membership. It's not my fantasy. It's just math.
It is a shame that Rotary may just be letting the chance of century slip through its fingers.
I used to be a Rotarian. Sometimes I miss it. I miss the weekly gathering of some of the most active members of the community. I miss learning something new every week from our speakers. I miss many of the individual members, and even some of those who got on my last nerve. I also miss feeling that I was a part of something larger, and something inherently good.
Rotary International is a service organization that is over 100 years old. You can find the familiar emblem along with the welcome signs in just about every town and city across America, as well as in most corners of the world. It is the only service organization of its kind with a seat at the United Nations, and boasts of millions of members world-wide; doing great things in communities large and small. It also maintains many youth programs and awards, among them -- my personal favorite -- RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award), a week-end leadership training camp for high school juniors, and the Rotary International Ambassador Scholarship Program, a post-graduate opportunity for college graduates. Rotarians also encourage and support community engagement in numerous and varied ways. RI has also been instrumental in eradicating polio world-wide, a job not quite yet done, but close. It is an opportunity for service, as well as to socialize with local leaders.
Another, and unfortunate, characteristic of Rotary, coming to be in a time of legalized sexism, racism and all manner of exploitation of the powerless, is that it is still predominantly white, male and conservative; or as some would say, "pale, male and stale." In noticing this more than obvious fact upon my arrival on the scene, being the egomaniac with an inferiority complex that I am, I thought to myself, here is someplace where I can make a difference. Maybe I can recruit others like me -- non-pale, non-male and, hopefully, non-stale. I took this fellowship seriously and participated whole-heartedly, serving on various committees and engaging with local youth. I was eventually nominated and elected to serve on the Board of Directors, a very humbling honor that I accepted, and for which I am still very grateful to this very day.
I used what influence I had to encourage adoption of new policies, or at least new attitudes, towards recruitment and retention of more black and brown and female faces. I had no illusions about turning a bastion of conservatism into a liberal stronghold. However, I had expected that a certain decorum would be honored, in light of it being the 21st century and all, and that community leaders of intelligence and compassion would know better than to permit off-color jokes and liberal-bashing (in southern California, no less) to run rampant. I was wrong. In fact, these incidents of lynching jokes, sexist innuendos and Tea Party vitriol, became greater in number and more vulgar in manner as time went on; and especially after the election of President Barack Obama.
I came to wonder why I was spending my resources at what were increasingly becoming mini-Republican conventions. It's funny, before joining Rotary, I was a lot more middle-of-the-road politically. I registered independent for awhile, and especially didn't want to feel beholden to my party just because I had always voted a particular way. After becoming a small business owner, I saw my tax liability sky-rocket, and had a different appreciation for tax issues. Although, I never really minded paying taxes, having benefitted so much from The Great Society, I was not resentful. But I did notice that it was a lot of flippin' money. And I can understand how some, not believing that "those programs" benefit them in any way, could be resentful. Of course, "those programs" really benefit us all in ways great and small, seen and unseen.
Spending the better part of a decade as a Rotarian, a few of them as a Director no less, brought me right back in touch with why I am so proud to be a bleeding-heart liberal Democrat. It's not that these Rotarians are bad people, or that they don't try to understand, albeit awkwardly manifested much of the time. The people I met in Rotary were, and are still, some of the most generous and most interesting people I have ever met, even some of those whose lack of 21st century social skills are sorely lacking. And while I feel no resentment or ill will toward any of my former fellow Rotarians. what I am left with now, more than anything else, is a very deep and unsatisfied curiosity about conservative thinking and logic. Why must they insist on persisting in old ways that are literally hurting them, their families, their businesses and their organizations?
I am reminded of Ghandi's sentiments about Christ and Christians. I like your Christ, he said, but not your Christians. I like Rotary, but Rotarians seem woefully unaware of how much they violate their very own 4-way test of truth, fairness to all, building better relationships, and activities that benefit ALL concerned, when they insist upon their old ways. Those of us who are not white, not male and not conservative are left to witness the byproducts of the ignorance that leads to bias. For example, when union-bashing or liberal-bashing are openly discussed, the leaders of this conservative coalition that prides itself on truth and fairness, seems unable to appreciate that this fodder is not my truth. It is not fair to me, or to my union copper-miner father, to treat unions like the scourge of the earth. They cannot see that by continuing to ostracize people like me by demeaning our values, they are not building good-will and better relationships; nor will the outcome of their 20th century bias be beneficial to all concerned. And what is missed in all of this is the fact that many of us non-whites come from working-class and union homes. Unlike most wealthy conservatives, we did not inherit anything but work ethic and respect for others. And so, we continue to feel unwelcome and/or misunderstood in places where conservatism abounds. We don't want to join an expensive fellowship just to be the butt of all their unfunny conservative jokes. And the Rotarian leadership continues to deny that it has a serious problem in attracting the non-pale, non-male, and non-stale. They simply do not know what they do not know. But even more troubling, they think they know everything they need to know, in their, at least subliminal, white male supremacy way of thinking.
My reasons for wanting to recruit more people like me to Rotary were not just to satisfy a self-interested ego, nor just to have some comaraderie. I saw what Rotary is only after several years of bashing my head against the wall. What I was seeing prior to that was my vision of what Rotary could be, and maybe still can be: a vibrant and alive organization full of people of all persuasions who are on fire to work together to make the world a better place, free of hunger, disease and illiteracy. What it is today is a largely older, whiter, more male and more conservative group, which prides itself on its charitable activities. And it is loosing members because it is unable to replace its staple demographic, i.e., the old, white, conservative male; with the new and coming demographics, i.e., Latinos, women and millennials. Thus, organizations like Rotary, and the Republican party, need people like me, more than people like me need Rotary or the Republican party.
And its not just the numbers, it's the attitudes that are changing too. Rotarians pride themselves on their charity -- and they are, indeed, very generous. Liberals pride themselves in making progress in social justice; because the more social justice you create, the less charity you need. The less charity needed, the less there are opportunities to give to those less fortunate because there are not as many of them; and hence, the loss of opportunity for the great white crusader to come in atop his white horse and save the day for the whole village. What conservatives can't seem to understand is that it is conservative policies of austerity for the poor and tax breaks for the wealthy, that create a continuation of unfairness and exploitation of the have-nots. The changing demographic knows this. What Rotarians, and their white conservative base everywhere, seem unable to understand is that many of us don't necessarily want what they have. Sure, we want educations and jobs; but many of us who did not inherit wealth, are not interested in joining clubs to be able to exclude others, or set ourselves apart from "the other." We are the other; those are our people who are still too often left behind. Most of us have no intention of forgetting where we came from, and how our experiences shaped our world view; a perspective that deserves just as much respect as a conservative one.
Latinos and women are not interested in going backwards. We want to move forward to create greater equality and opportunities for all, so that we won't need charity any longer. And millennials see through everybody's BS and they are simply not having the illogical exclusion of the country club mentality. The new demographic is not looking for ways to look down upon the little people. Nor is it necessary for them to hang out with older, whiter and more conservative people in order to access leadership and power. There was a time when all the power was concentrated in one specific type of individual in the land of the free: the white, propertied male. Those days are gone. Forever.
Besides the concept of charity and social justice juxtaposed, many Rotary clubs suffer from the same affliction that seems to be savaging the GOP of late, i.e., the inability to recruit and retain young people, women and non-whites. When all leadership roles, as well as all organizations like Rotary, were exclusively controlled by white men, women and non-whites could not access power without white men somewhere along the line. We needed to ask them for jobs, admission to schools, access to capital. and the like. Accordingly, in order to get their attention, we had to go where they were and perform at whatever level was prescribed by the white male leaders. We had to jump through their hoops and live up to their idea of "standards." Not only is this no longer true, but "standards" are not just defined by this one class of persons any longer.
I had intended to be a bridge-builder as a Director in my Rotary club. And then one day I realized that, in spite of all the wailing about losing 10% of their membership every year, and in spite of how much they talked about wanting to attract a crowd that was less of the pale, male and stale variety, most of these members -- at least the old white men -- really didn't want anything to change at all. And even since leaving the club, in discussing this matter with friends who are still Rotarians, their attitude seems lacking in urgency. One friend confided that they were just going to wait until all the old conservatives died off before making an effort to change their tone. Well, that's one strategy.
However, that just might be too late. The three largest growing demographics in the US today are women, Latinos and millennials. People in these groups are able to find ways of being of service, as well as accessing power and leadership, without the need to pay steep Rotary dues, and/or to hang out with people who do not understand and appreciate them. You see, by the time most of us, especially those over forty, have achieved any kind of success, we have been in many situations where a few white conservative men held the keys to our future. We've been in a lot of big rooms full of white people with money giving us scholarships or whatever. We don't hate them, but they pretty much underestimated us and often even insulted us most of the time, albeit unintentionally; so we are not anxious to hang out with people like that if we don't have to. Again, we don't hate white people or conservatives, but we have grown ever so weary of the inability of conservatives to treat us with some kind of dignity and respect. Why would anyone expect us to continue to show up at a place where we regularly get a pie in the face?
Why is it so hard for the white conservatives to see us as equals? Why must they insult us and our ancestry? Conservatives tend to see American culture as a white culture. I do not. I see it as many, many things, good and bad things; things that make us a better people, and bring us closer to that "more perfect union," that Abe envisioned.
There is no white standard to meet in order to be American. Or Rotarian. Or worthy of respect. There is only equality, and this is a concept yet un-embraced by conservatives. Unless and until white conservatives can surrender their need to be king of the mountain, both Republicans and Rotarians will continue to lose momentum and membership. It's not my fantasy. It's just math.
It is a shame that Rotary may just be letting the chance of century slip through its fingers.
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