Celebrate Diversity/Welcome Others

You're an all-around wonder, And all that jazz.   

Can you imagine if this country had stayed static since its inception?

Only white landowning males could vote, we’d still have slavery, and women would be functionally property of their fathers or husbands. One could argue that it was the influx of migration seeking the promise of what America could be and the awareness of other countries and philosophies that helped to generate the movement which ultimately ended slavery. But clearly did not eliminate racism and xenophobia.

The Founding Fathers did create a great democratic albeit wobbly experiment.  Yes, it is under severe peril currently but that has/ and will be discussed ad-nauseum. It is through the growth of this country, new people coming here, that forced the ongoing expansion of democracy in America. There was no Internet until a few decades ago, so people brought their ideas, customs and writings to this country. And, don't get me started on food.  Mayonnaise on white bread? Even white supremacist ICE agents enjoyed a Mexican meal in Minneapolis before they came back to arrest the staff that waited on them. 

Music/dance/language- both new ones and slang/ ideas/ books/fashion/ medicine/science and the expansion and enlargement of rights demanded by a diverse citizenry. Tattoos, Tacos, Squid Game, the British Invasion, Ballet and Opera, Anime and so much more that is baked into our culture. If you think a kakistocracy of white men with the occasional woman/ poor or person of color is a good idea- look around. 

Go through your day and see how much has been influenced not only by immigrants and diversity but by people allowed to invent, discover or articulate their views.  Yes, Thomas Jefferson read John Locke.  But who would have found Marx and Engels? These ideas segued to democratic socialism a political philosophy undergirding most of our government programs. The programs are so popular they break conservative’s brains. See the Tea Party chant:  keep your government hands off my (our) Medicare.

Let us not forget what people of color, women, undocumented immigrants, folks in LGBTQ+ and others have done for the world.  From doing most of the housework, family keeping and child-rearing, to populating the lowest service rung in healthcare, to virtually every task connected to food and construction, the list is too long to cite here.  I mean the first computer programmer was an English woman- Lord Byron's daughter! This is all vital and amazing work that the country cannot survive without.

Remember, progress does not happen in a vacuum or sterile environment.  So before you do anything each morning, I challenge you to find out the origin of the invention, the medicine, the process or protection we are now afforded and depend on.  Better yet: use that time to fight.  Protect your neighbors. And celebrate diversity.

DEI means a wider choice of talent and ability.  Should we have this nondoctor political nepo anti vaxxer head up HSS?  He's white and rich...Let's find a person who has actually studied medicine.  Must we have an inept, cruel, preening puppy killer in charge of Homeland Security?  etc to infinity.

We are battling not only for the soul of this nation but for the ideals it was awkwardly founded on.  And for our own humanity.  It is clear that too many people, especially those in power and their voters, are not reading history books. Even without horrifying context, one would think just absorbing the cruelty, illegal actions, violence and death, money not only spent but stolen from other vital societal needs would demand action.  In the wider scope of history, the precedents are clear. 

Fight in any way you can.  What is becoming more evident is that we must posit money against money.  Demonstrate the power we have as consumers. There are millions of us with very few having deposits in offshore accounts. Too many folks cannot afford all they need let alone save. For most of us, every cent goes into the economy. Everyday needs draining our stalled paychecks. People consume.  And they must become the master of their choices. Determine when/how and where you shop.

And then:  Don't Shop on Tuesday.

#DSOT #UPM