Page 12
December 26, 2018
O PINION
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Ushering In a New World Community
turbing yet significant example
of white nationalist ideology and
was shocked to recognize its au-
thor from an old social
circle. I omit his name
because my goal is not to
single out an individual
by m atthew J ohnson
but an ideology. His writ-
It is unfortunate that
ings were not an example
in the 21st century we
of a lonely voice shouting
are still subjected to the
through the wilderness —
kind of propaganda that
or
I
would
not bother to comment.
positions white people and white
I
fear
that
his
is a view shared by
men in particular as the chosen
many
white
men
and the women
ones of history and, indeed, the
future.
It’s no secret that white nation-
alism is resurgent under Trump,
who recently identified himself as
a “nationalist” as opposed to some-
one who cares about all the world’s
citizens. It is far from a stretch to
assume that this was a signal to his
base and that the only reason he left
out the word “white” is because
even he’s not prepared to go that
far — at least not yet.
His far-right supporters likely
got the message, and some do not
even bother with coded language who rely on them from all social
— e.g. the Rise Above Movement strata. The Trump administration
or the Proud Boys — while others and its supporters would doubtless
hide behind a pseudo-intellectual approve.
His talk of the so-called ‘white
veneer. Racist views have become
man’s
burden’ is a dark remnant
so mainstream that even a black
from
a
past
that lurks at the highest
teenager shamelessly disparaged
levels
of
government
in the Unit-
her own race on a recent episode
ed
States
and
currently
threatens
of Dr. Phil.
much
of
the
world.
Brazilian
Pres-
I recently came across a dis-
True justice
will respect
differences
ident-Elect Jair Bolsonaro, advised
by ex-Trump handler Steve Ban-
non, is the latest political triumph
of white nationalism. This is an
ideology that promotes imperial-
ism as a Social Darwinian impera-
tive and confuses civilization with
barbarism: its proponents fail to
see that it is an indictment on a race
if that race succeeds by riding the
backs of others — not a source of
pride.
I propose another burden that
is far more noble: the burden of
privileged center can relate more
peacefully and justly to those on
the margins.
Moreover, in the information
age the very concept of whiteness
(or race, for that matter) is evolv-
ing into one that is far more de-
pendent on ideology or self-iden-
tification than physical appearance
or genetics. This is a positive de-
velopment in the sense that many
people — myself included — no
longer feel the need to identify
with an exclusive club based on
White men and women have an opportunity to (finally)
break their own chains of oppressor status in an increasingly
interdependent world. They have access to information
that can lift them out of ignorance and toward a new
enlightenment that goes beyond reformation within Western
societies and emphasizes how the privileged center can
relate more peacefully and justly to those on the margins.
justice. White men and women
have an opportunity to (finally)
break their own chains of op-
pressor status in an increasingly
interdependent world. They have
access to information that can lift
them out of ignorance and toward
a new enlightenment that goes be-
yond reformation within Western
societies and emphasizes how the
pseudo-science and primitive trib-
alism.
Given the complexity of genes
that make up an individual, it
would make just as much sense
for a white man to identity with
Genghis Kahn, Cleopatra, or some
primordial super-ape as it would
be to identity with Julius Caesar.
Human accomplishments and fail-
ures belong to humanity because
nothing happens in perfect genet-
ic isolation. (Don’t take my word
for it; read the acclaimed writer
Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the
World and Me.) But this is not to
say that all cultures or peoples are
identical — it’s the concept of in-
terdependence that white national-
ists fail to grasp.
Unlike the extremes on both
sides of the spectrum, I am not one
who believes that any skin color
represents good or evil — or that
the answer to history’s inequities
and inequalities is to condemn the
ancestors of those who came out
on top. There is more rage than
logic behind these views. How-
ever, justice must be done for the
benefit of humanity: white, black,
brown, red and yellow. It is the
lack of justice that not only stokes
the rage at the bottom, but also
buttresses the fear at the top. The
rise of Trump was predicated on
this fear. But rage alone will not
defeat him.
True justice will not only usher
in a new world community that in-
cludes everyone while respecting
differences — but will also ensure
that burdensome white men will
never again have to justify their
privilege.
Matt Johnson, syndicated
by PeaceVoice, is co-author of
Trumpism.
This Holiday Season, I’m Standing with Migrants
Our shared
humanity
demands it
Over and over again,
our delegation heard of
the need for more stroll-
ers for the migrant cara-
van. Could I even imag-
ine dropping everything
to walk 3,000 difficult
by K erri K enneDy
miles with my children
This holiday season
— a time so often associated with in my arms — without even a
bringing family together — my stroller?
Watching coverage of the U.S.
thoughts keep turning to the fam-
ilies in the migrant caravans mak-
ing their way to the U.S. southern
border.
I had the privilege of spending
four days in Mexico last month
with my organization, the Amer-
ican Friends Service Committee,
to assess the needs of participants
in the caravan and expand human
rights monitoring.
As I crept into my children’s
bedrooms to give them a kiss firing tear gas at migrants at the
when I got back, resisting the border, and hearing the harrowing
urge to wake them up for cuddling reports from my colleague who
and conversation, I thought about witnessed that violent repression,
what would make me pick up with I thought again about the mothers
them and flee, with little notice I’d met in Mexico. What could
and even less information about push me to take the risk of facing
this violence to protect my chil-
what would lie ahead.
dren?
I met so many people in Mexi-
co who joined the caravan because
it was their only way out.
I think about “Maria” (not her
real name), a young mother of four
I met. Maria is from El Salvador,
where violence and a complete
lack of opportunities put her family
at risk. One of her children had al-
ready been killed by gang violence.
to Egypt when King Herod’s gov-
ernment threatened their newborn
child, Maria and so many other
parents have picked up everything
and undertaken a harrowing jour-
ney to save their children’s lives.
Caravan participants I met ex-
pressed so much faith — both
in God and the idea that United
States is a place that embraces
those fleeing violence and pover-
Like Mary and Joseph, who fled to Egypt when
King Herod’s government threatened their newborn
child, Maria and so many other parents have picked up
everything and undertaken a harrowing journey to save
their children’s lives.
When word spread of the car-
avan, Maria made a spontaneous
choice to join. She told me she
was in search of opportunity for
her family, and the hope of seeing
her children grow up in a place
without constant danger.
Like Mary and Joseph, who fled
ty. What else can they do in the
face of such an existential threat
but hope and pray for a chance for
their families to live?
In the season when many cel-
ebrate the birth of a child whose
family had to flee to another coun-
try to keep him alive, what does
our shared humanity demand from
parents making the same difficult
choice today?
In the face of our government’s
cruelty, I feel called to stand up for
the people of the migrant caravan.
That’s why the American Friends
Service Committee has called
for action under the name Love
Knows No Borders: A moral call
for migrant justice.
We mobilized faith leaders to
the border earlier this month as
groups lined up to host actions
around the country expressing
love and solidarity with migrants.
We are demanding that our
country open its doors to people
like Maria, and thousands of oth-
ers, instead of meeting them with
violence.
In this season of giving, I hope
people of conscience across the
country will join us in standing up
for families in need of aid.
Kerri Kennedy oversees hu-
manitarian and peacebuilding
work in 17 countries for the Amer-
ican Friends Service Committee.
Distributed by OtherWords.org.