by Craig Wiesner – San Mateo Daily Journal – July 22, 2024
“Use your words!” That’s a phrase many parents utter when children are about to use their hands, striking out in frustration over something. Words, however, can also be used for great harm, to incite the very violence we try so hard to avoid. As a columnist I always try to ask myself, as I weave a web of words, what I’m trying to achieve. On the morning I started writing this, our country was reeling after someone attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. I’m grateful that he is fully healing. I grieve for the firefighter killed in that shooting and his loved ones. I pray for the other victims. I pray for our nation.
For each of my columns that appear in this newspaper, there is at least one that sits on my drive, perhaps to be resurrected some day, but more likely not. There go 800 words that I’ve decided don’t serve any good purpose, or worse, might cause harm. I’ve got a doozy written about former President Trump but each time I take a glance at it I feel like all it will do is rile people up. Will it move anyone who isn’t already on one side or the other? No. Will it give people hope, motivate them to do good? No. Will it spark mutually helpful discussions? No. Will it get lots of likes and shares on social media? Probably.
One person I follow on social media responded to the assassination attempt by saying that he’d taken a hard look at his own words, his posts, and even more importantly into his own heart and shared that he had fallen way short of the person he wants to be. Me too. Decades ago, when I first dipped my toes in the waters of progressive activism, co-founder of Global Exchange Kevin Danaher told a group of us that we shouldn’t spend so much time complaining about the world, being angry, talking about how bad things were. Instead, he said, we should embody hope and happiness, be like a bunch of people on the deck of a cruise ship, partying because the world we are building is so wonderful. When that cruise ship full of happy revelers pulls into port, people on other floundering vessels will see everyone having a great time and will want to get on board. Make your vision of the world something that gives hope and people will follow you.
Former President Barack Obama ran on a message of hope, hope we could believe in. I have to admit that since Obama left office I’ve been running, more often than not, on fear and dread, not hope. How’s that working out for me? Not well. I’m not alone. On July 11th an op-ed by NY TImes writer David Brooks appeared and the person in charge of organizing our Sunday early church service ditched that week’s Bible passage and decided we should use that op-ed as the basis for our discussion. In “The Deep Source of Trump’s Appeal,” Brooks talks about how politics in the United States today is seen as a form of “all out war.” Here in the “21st Century we don’t simply disagree with each other, we don’t even perceive the same reality.” Republicans, Democrats and independents, a majority of Americans according to polls, fear that our country is going in a wrong and destructive direction. Those who have chosen sides believe that if their candidate is not elected it will be the end of democracy. Why? In part because that’s what the candidates are saying.
Surely some things have to change. Brooks ends his piece saying “The task, then, is to build a new cultural consensus that is democratic but also morally coherent. My guess, and it is only a guess, is that this work of cultural repair will be done by religious progressives, by a new generation of leaders who will build a modern social gospel around love of neighbor and hospitality for the marginalized.” He fears that it may take decades. Hopefully not. The call to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is shared by people of many faiths, as well as those of no particular faith. The ‘Golden Rule’ is something to model and aspire to.
James Baldwin said “The bottom line is this: You write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can’t.” I believe words can change the world. Remember the answer to the question “And who is my neighbor?” You all are. I want to love you and don’t want you to be marginalized. Can you say the same? I believe we can live into that shared reality, one carefully chosen word at a time. This cruise ship we’re sailing on is worth it.
Craig Wiesner is the co-owner of Reach And Teach, a book, toy and cultural gift shop on San Carlos Avenue in San Carlos.
NOTE: I submitted this column to my editor a few days before President Biden decided to drop out of the race and endorsed VP Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee. What a difference a few days make.