Of Quotes and Context

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." – Martin Luther King Jr.

                The above is perhaps Dr. King’s most well-known quote, summing up the pursuit of equality in an unequal nation. The sentiment it communicates is something I firmly believe in. It is, in a nutshell, the sort of end that Acceptance Theory seeks: judgment only on who one is(character, behavior, treatment of and respect for others) rather than what one is(their background, their circumstances, heritage).
                It goes without saying that I believe in the power of communication. Communication allows individuals and groups to make clear their needs, preferences, desires, dislikes, hopes, fears, and dreams. It allows people to piece these things together and find common ground with one another.  While most people think first and foremost of words when they think of communication, the truth is that it comes in many forms. Most actions, expressions, and displays convey some message, sentiment, belief, or behavior; words streamline this process. They make it more precise. If one is looking to reach understanding, they must communicate, and if that communication is to be successful, specific expressions, verbal and nonverbal, must be exchanged.
                I believe that Dr. King was trying to communicate a message to all people about the importance of equality and the reality of injustice. In his time inequality, hatred, and discrimination were far more apparent than they are today. Unfortunately, in modern times, some people feel this message is irrelevant. Some feel that equality has been achieved. Others interpret it differently; they believe that inequality remains, but who is treated fairly(or better than) and who is not has changed. In the minds of this latter group, King’s message has taken on a whole new meaning.

                 As I have said, words make communication easier, but taking words in isolation, particularly words that are taken to represent the whole of as person or a group of people, is detrimental to truth and understanding.  We as people must do better to truly understand and represent others. It is not enough to label someone because of one blessing or damning line. We must move beyond that. We need to look to the situations in which such words are spoken, and we must also consider the actions of those who are speaking, and how they correlate to what has been said. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. didn't just speak of the world he believed in, he dedicated his life to it, treating others with kindness and compassion regardless of their background, and seeing even those arrayed against him as brothers and sisters.
              Put simply, the 'what' and the words are not enough. The 'why' and the actions matter too.  Anything less serves only to warp the narrative, to intentionally or otherwise disregard the full experiences and ideals of a given individual.

A Thought on War

In passing, I overheard a conversation regarding the economy in its present state, and a distaste for it. The primary stipulation essentially amounted to the idea that the U.S. missed out on financial opportunities by failing to turn Desert Storm into a ‘real war’.

I imagine it’s an idea that makes sense from an economic perspective. The circumstance of continued warfare generates jobs in a number of fields. It spurs the development of new technology, which can then be sold, to say nothing of tinkering with the applications to develop related technologies. It grants control and access to raw materials.

It’s easy to think of war as a convenient and profitable endeavor when one is far removed from the front lines. When one does not think about what(and more importantly, who) is involved in waging a war.

I’d argue that the mindset that views wars as a viable means of profit is the same on a grander scale, as that the average person employs to casually disregard his neighbor. There is the same magnification of what one deems important, and the mitigation of less pleasant or useful ramifications. The massive potential for profit weighs more than concerns for the safety of those involved. Just as people see others around them as whatever they find useful/despicable. To be avoided or sought out, harassed or praised, and such things too often have nothing to do with the character of the target.

In a case like this, money is valued more than the lives of enemies. One may make the point that defeating enemies is less about financial gains and more about self defense- but what of when the wars never cease? And what if there are better ways to stymie the conflict, to prevent the need for violence, offensively and defensively?

The best war is the sort that never occurs at all, but in the event that one must occur, then one of brevity with minimum casualties should make the most sense. The day that we let profit stand in front of peace is the day where we announce that life isn’t as precious as currency, especially some lives in particular, and from there, that differences are reason enough to kill and die for.

War is, in essence, the endgame. What happens when the pendulum of acceptance swings the other way, past tolerance, past intolerance, into refusal, denial, extermination. We don’t have to go there. We don’t need to go there. But we do.

Connection

            White noise. The distractions generated by endless information, clouded by strong emotions or beliefs, both ours, and that of the other.

            At a glance it seems impossible to reconcile(for how can one reconcile the barrage of charged, incongruous information?). A lot of people are comfortable with that. It’s easy to say “that person/group is ‘crazy/backwards/evil/wrong’ and they are the ones who need to change”. As I’ve stated before, change is hard. There likely will always be some level of noise swirling around the world, generated by misunderstandings and perpetuated by paranoia, overreaction. In this era of strife, tension, and terrorism, curiosity becomes replaced by fear, and the unknown is no longer an opportunity to connect or discover, but rather a threat to be avoided, or destroyed.
            It’s important to examine these things. Honestly, as living, growing, evolving beings, we should always reassess the things that make us who we are. The things that make ‘people’. This examination holds true for both the self and the other, for we may come to realize things in ourselves should be rethought, refined. Likewise, we may discover admirable qualities in others, or things about these others inconsistent with what we have previously associated with them.
            This examination is a first and crucial step. Connection is dependent upon growth, and growth is dependent on understanding(conscious or unconscious). However, even when complete understanding (or agreement) cannot be reached, it is important to recognize the effort for such.

            Part of the reason that people are quick to accept thoughts and beliefs of questionable truth is the desire to connect. For the sake of belonging, it can be easy to acknowledge something that does not quite sit right with the soul, or to take in something without studying or questioning it. This allows one to avoid conflicts in the short term with those they desire to bond with. It’s matters of mitigation and magnification all over again.
            To facilitate healthy connections with others, we must find ways to deconstruct misunderstandings without deconstructing the people who harbor them. It does no good to castigate- a hardened heart will not change. Growth is a difficult enough process on its own, even without harsh words. Encouragement and support are key. We need to recognize others’ efforts to connect with us, even if there remains some level of disagreement, even if their understanding is incomplete, incorrect. Remember, they are people, as are we, and we too may be incomplete, incorrect, in our understanding.
            We can still come together with others who do not think exactly as we do- this goes for both the different, and the misinformed. What matters most is that we keep trying, in earnest, and encourage others to do the same. Sometimes, when people reach out, even in earnest, they mess up. Sometimes they falter. Sometimes they don’t even realize that the things they believe are inaccurate, or untrue. We need to guide them. To open the minds of others, we, with open minds, need to reach out to them.

            And when we do, those who truly wish to connect will come around.    

White Noise

            I've spoken on identity- who we are, a result of all the individual little qualities that come together in combinations, configurations. Put simply, the traits that are parts of our wholes. In a sense, we are our pieces. What about when you place two identities beside one another? What about the combination of two sets of traits, ideas, beliefs, two end results based on the configuration, the presence or absence of certain characteristics? What about three, or four?

            Our world is a vast and varied place because of its parts. Everyone is a piece that contributes something to the world, changes it at the very least in some minute way. Hundreds, thousands, billions of individuals, individual parts, moving, shaping, making up our world, and themselves in the process. It's a lot. Everything that we are, that we have come to be as the sum of our parts, creates an impact that resonates with those around us, and even those distant, directly or indirectly. It's not always obvious what influences what, or why a certain response arises, but it's all connected.

            Because of the sheer scope of it all, the layers of intricacies, it is easy to lose focus. It's easy to feel alone, isolated. One may feel that their actions have no merit, that they do not affect the world or those closest to them. Conversely, one may look at the world and see such powerful effects with no clue as to the cause- for instance, violence, hurt, oppression. In the effort to understand, to cope, sometimes the foremost answer(if any appears) may suffice.

            It's not so simple.

            Sure, on the matter of identity(and as a result, motivation, belief) one may point to an individual facet as proof, justification. There is likely some truth. However, that is, again, one facet, the machinery and the interlocking parts still mysterious to a casual glance. There is a phenomena of a belief of complete understanding, and yet one's knowledge may prove far more shallow than they realize. The hasty association of vaguely similar things to form an opinion, with no regard to understanding the individual components and their separate meanings, along with what they truly present in context together, and then again in greater context. It is the difference between hearing and listening, the difference between seeing and observing.

            Some truth of the other might pass through our senses, but we do not understand it. This is problematic when it leads to volatile reactions. A misinterpreted action, practice, expression, emotion, may lead to an overreaction- and if that is misinterpreted, another reaction may come that proves inappropriate to the situation; a chain reaction from bad to worse, and everyone loses. We don't have to live in such a world.

            We must recognize what we see and hear, and we must ensure that our understanding is as thorough as possible. This involves interacting with the other(respectfully) to find that understanding. Furthermore, we must recognize what we see, what we feel within ourselves. We must break that down and find the root causes- a real understanding of the self and one's motivations, in order to break through the white noise that encircles our limited knowledge and blocks us from our connection with others. Doing that may reveal that we are not as isolated as we thought, not severed from those with whom we found ourselves diametrically opposed.

Identity

            People assume identity is race, or sex, or gender, or sexual orientation, or religion. Typically, they only think about whichever one is most important to them, or most readily visible. Oftentimes this is limited to a race or sex identity. The truth is, however, that every person is a combination of all of these factors at any given time, and therefore they always play a role in who we are and what’s at stake, even if it is not immediately obvious.

            Identity is important only because it defines us- the details that make us who we are, the marriage of self-esteem and self-expression. Identity allows us to decide who we are and what we enjoy, and it allows us to discuss such things with others who may enjoy different things, and the combination of these tidbits makes for an expansive and enriching experience.

            Identity is harmed when people ascribe untrue or inaccurate qualities to a particular identity, or magnify or mitigate factors involved with it. This typically includes an inheritance of the quality in question on the part of the entire group . When such misassociation occurs, it may create a negative, inconvenient, or otherwise harmful perception of the person/people involved.

            Additionally, given the multifaceted nature of identity, it is entirely possible for the focus on some identities to obscure or deny attention to other identities(for better or worse). In the realm of social justice, this creates problems because there are specific circumstances and issues that exist only for a combination of identities; circumstances or issues that do not exist, or are not nearly as problematic for either identity on its own. As a result, solutions and attention put forth toward one identity may overlook or marginalize those in need of more specialized assistance.

            Because people may only perceive one facet of identity when observing or interacting with others, it is easy to forget this reality of a multifaceted identity(which truly is every identity) enduring  trials associated with each facet. Furthermore, the images associated with certain identities can be so prevalent as to completely encompass(and erase) other identities, both within the same individual, or within other individuals. In effect, they simply don’t matter in light of the main identity.

            Therefore, identity is also harmed when only some identities are respected while others are ignored, mitigated. This gives the (false) impression that some identities are more important than others, and because of that importance, that those with such identities deserve the utmost in resources, respect, and opportunity, and those without are marginalized and disregarded. Left unchecked, the demeaning  of one group by another may lead to the internalization of such misconceptions; people of ‘lesser’ identities may begin to perceive that they are worth less, are less important, are less capable. This is compounded by the taking of any meritable ideas or customs within the marginalized culture; taking away the positive destroys ‘proof’ of the greatness of some identities, adding that greatness to the more popular identity.

            However, it should not be a contest to begin with; ideas, customs, and cultures are beautiful things, and that truth is not dictated by who has them. It is the generating of such that makes life interesting, and the combination of those ideas, those cultures, through discourse and discussion that unlocks our full potential; who individually is the best is impossible to measure, and even if it weren’t so, we still get further by pooling all of our talents. For that reason, differences are to be celebrated, for they allow us to reach further together than we could alone.

            It is by talking to people, by reaching out to those who are different, that we begin to understand. When we listen and ask questions, we are closer to truly understanding the complete identities of one another.  In that understanding, we realize, we have far more in common than we do that sets us apart, even if it may seem that way at first- and of those things that set us apart, they are not evil or worthless in and of themselves. They’re just things, and we all have things about us- they simply define who we are.