WE HAVE A PROBLEM, PART II. . .

Caught in this syndrome (a syndrome of reactive-fear) is the ‘Other,’ who has had the misfortune to make him/herself, his/her wretchedness, his/her own conflicts, his/her own disruption, clearly visible at the precise moment when our ‘white’ culture is least prepared to cope with an extra load of challenges.  In one sense I do not fault us for we are not a ‘mature’ culture yet; developmentally we are in early adolescence and like the early adolescent we are more emotionally driven; our ‘brains’ have not fully developed nor have we had enough life experience (compared to some other cultures we might not even be in the early adolescent stage).

What complicates all of this even more is that as a culture we have a great deal of physical power and like the early adolescent who feels his/her physical power, we are tempted to react using our physical power rather than our intellectual power.

What is the result of all of this?  On the one hand, there are elements of the ‘white’ culture that are striving to welcome, to embrace, to integrate, and evolve together with the ‘Other.’  On the other hand (there is always this ‘other hand’ isn’t there), there appears to be a viciously hardening of our insecurity, a growing ‘last-resistance,’ a confirmation that we must indeed be fear-full, if not hate-full on the part of the ‘white’ culture who are determined to blame the ‘Other’ for disrupting our life (think: If it weren’t for the ‘Other’ than all would be O.K.).

At the extreme (which, sadly, appears more often these days), the incredible inhumanity of the ‘white’ culture’s refusal to listen to the ‘Other’ and to seek to at least ‘understand’ and empathize with the ‘Other’ guarantees that the ‘Other’ will continue to be ‘kept in their place.’  [As an aside: Some of the most fear-full and most reactionary folk are those who espouse to be followers of Jesus-the-Christ; if Christ were in a grave he would surely be turning over in it].

The animosity, suspicion, and fear which the ‘white’ culture feels (and which is rooted in our own insecurity) will lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy (there is not one ‘prophecy’ to be fulfilled and this, too, complicates things for we in the ‘white’ culture).

Sadly, for me at least, the ‘white’ culture’s fear is morphing into hate of the ‘Other.’  ‘Fear’ and ‘Hate’ allow one (permit one?) to guilt-free keep the ‘Other’ in his/her place (by using force if necessary).  ‘It’s all so simple,’ the fear-full folks say.  ‘We in the ‘white’ culture are being victimized by the victims’ (projection and scapegoating run amok).

If we continue on this path things will become quite unpleasant for all of us (now that, gentle reader, is an understatement).  As a member of the ‘white’ culture I put the ‘blame’ for this squarely on our shoulders (although I do give us some wiggle room for we are an ‘emotional and immature’ culture and so we might not be capable of the insight we need in order to embrace the ‘Other’).  The ‘white’ culture claims to be rooted in the Judeo-Christian Tradition and yet, we are not willing to trust the most powerful – and most repeated Bible advice – ‘BE NOT AFRAID!’  If we in the ‘white’ culture cannot trust God, who will we trust?  [As a final aside: For we who espouse to be followers of Jesus-the-Christ it might be wise if we actually followed Jesus-the-Christ’s example – His be-attitudes are always a great place to begin.]