An Image from the 2016 Election – November 2016

A man described to me how his son, the day after the election, told him that a friend, a boy in his 5th grade class, was crying at school.  The father knew this friend and knew why he was crying.  His son’s friend was Muslim. Smiling denials, coy knowing silence, and easy back tracking, do not erase words that have catered to fears and anger, nor do they remove the effects of these words within others.  Historically, pervasive fears, once coupled with anger and focused upon particular segments of society, rarely progress to wise or compassionate thought.  The words of fears and confusion of this election, and their deep descent into receptive hearts and willing minds, have and will affect the lives of so many Americans.  Many of these words, spoken to encourage and utilize fear to secure the votes of millions, have also instilled fear and uncertainty into the lives of other millions, including children, and have not built anything of enduring good for our nation.  For me, the image of this election is the fear and anxiety behind the tears of this ten-year old fifth grader.  Who now speaks for this child?  No one it seems. This image, and this silence, do not and will not make America great, ever.  

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