20 Questions for America: 6 Years Later
Context
This July 4th I'm sure many of us Americans had conversations about the state of our country.
It reminded me of something I wrote in 2017 while still living in the UK. It's upsetting that 6 years later, living in Texas, it's more relevant now than it was back then.
I come back to a quote by Wade Davis, "The measure of a society is not only what it does but the quality of its aspirations". There is nothing wrong fighting for our own aspirational survival - but I think it's just as important to fight for the aspirations of those around us.
We're in this together. Keep the faith.
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20 Questions for America
When did we become so afraid of the power of another person.
When did circumstance become a call to arms, not a question of compassion.
When did we become so afraid that beauty, laughter, & love can exist in people & lands beyond our borders.
When did we become so complacent that suffering, despair, & hate can exist in people & lands within our borders.
When did a wall change from a symbol of repressive tyranny by other governments to a symbol of oppressive justice within our own.
When did the right to vote turn into a vote of who has rights.
When did a piece of paper gain the power to qualify the humanity of one and disqualify the humanity of another.
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When did the sick & the poor become a hindrance and the healthy & wealthy become in need of assistance.
When did the hollow numbness of depression become a crime for the urban and a prescription for the suburbs.
When did the complexities of motherhood become a singular censure by the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.
When did protests of murder become a demonstration of persecution.
When did thinking critically become political and shooting first become constitutional.
When did funding for education become about class and funding for drones become about classification.
When did the term “engaged” become a word that defines our military but not our workforce.
When did the term “engaged” become a word that defines our sanctity but not our unions.
When did the cultivation of questions become an ignorance of knowledge.
When did the consensus of knowledge become an establishment of doubt.
When did the establishment of ownership to our land become an exemption of responsibility to our planet.
When will we stop fearing the remoteness of our counterpoints and put faith in the nearness of our counterparts.
When will we become so brave in the power of ourselves.