The True American Story

 

    We need to widen the lens and we need more daylight on America's original sin. Strong people own up to the truth. This might be the time.

        Confronting racial tragedy, an increasing number of Americans are warming up to the idea of reparations. In some places the process is happening.

    As the discussion unfolds we need to set the starting date beyond 1619. The 1619 Project, an ambitious undertaking by the New York Times and developed by Nikole Hannah-Jones, 

    "aims to reframe the country's history by placing the consequence of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the United State's national narrative."

    Movement conservatives and old fashioned white racists,  are apoplectic about the educational programs and intent of 1619. Too, they are foaming about an old academic idea, Critical Race Theory (CRT). More about CRT later. My complaint about 1619 is that it's myopic.

the first victims

    The starting date for discussions of reparations should be moved back to the late 1400's, certainly the 1600's as European colonialists and trading companies continued a genocide of indigenous people in addition to the slaving that would stain our national character and pervert our destiny. 

    To be fair, reparation analysis must encompass the formation of the American colonies and fledgling federal system of the United States when it engaged in criminal behavior, theft, fraud and murder of those who lived here.

    The kidnapping, buying and selling of Black people and the centuries of its damaging legacy must be accounted for, but our egregious national history began before that and is larger than just the abhorrent period of slavery.

    When talking about reparations, we must discuss the theft of the very land we call home and we should atone for the evil our forebears did. Native people, their culture and the consequence of their treatment must also be at the "center of our national narrative."

      The symbols painted on the stone stand above the middle fork of the Kaweah River in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. They are a legacy of the Potwisha who lived in a village near the stone. They were a subgroup of the Monache or Mono people who were there around 1350.

      A hike here roams through land also occupied by the Yokuts and the Tubatulabal people. They were 2 of the approximately 600 tribes that populated what we call North America. 

     When a lost Christopher Columbus landed in this hemisphere there were some seven to ten million people living north of the Rio Grande.

 

    Our hikes have taken us to "kitchen" areas. These are mortars where native people ground and pulverized or refined food materials. Today they make fascinating visits to history.

        In this space some months ago I suggested we set aside 25 years for a time of national reconciliation, beginning with years of establishing the full accounting of history and the airing of all grievances, through a series of hearings in every state. 

        Once the record is established, and the truth is known the nation would enter a time of discussion including deliberations of reparations. It is the view of this old reporter that is the only way we will heal and resolve our divide.

        Generations hence, knowing the full history, will be better prepared to live with truth and each other.

    

    President Biden said it perfectly:

    "Democracy is more than a form of government. It is a way of being, a way of seeing the world. Democracy means the rule of the people, the rule of the people---Not the rule of monarchs, not the rule of the moneyed, not the rule of the mighty-literally, the rule of the people." 

        It is true this experiment of government is in a fight for its life. Democracy is under threat from authoritarianism and autocracy. One of our major political parties has become an enemy of the State.

      The republican party is in the words of historian Jon Meacham "irrational." It is  without platform or principle. Republicans have displayed abuse to the democracy, a lack of honor and disgusting cowardice. The old GOP is long dead. This party is symptomatic of the rise of aggressive ignorance.

        Perhaps this is a way forward. Either the President appoints a Commission, or the House and Senate appoint Select Committees, or both options, to investigate the 1/6 insurrection. In either case, Republicans should be appointed to the Commission and/or Committee.

        At the bludgeoning of Mitch McConnell Republicans are trying cover up and ignore culpability and seriousness of the insurrection. I wish that arrogance and naked lust for power were criminal, but future generations will see him and Republicans for the deserters and Judas like apostates they are. An appointment of a few republicans could help guide a just investigation and would in the end trump the Trump cult.

        Senators Romney, Portman, Sasse, Collins, Cassidy or Murkowski would certify a non political inquiry.

    

    When Black, and Latin kids were my classmates, friends and teammates, CRT meant cathode ray tube, the vacuum tube that enabled the new wonder of television. There were racial disparities and the civil rights movement was nascent.

    By the time this class was in high school the Democrats and Republicans were debating and then voting on the historic  Civil Rights Act of 1964. It passed in the Senate 73-27, but the party break down is illuminating.

    46 Democrats voted for it-21 voted against it. (69%-31%)

    27 Republicans voted for it-6 voted against it. (82%-18%)

    The House Vote was 290-130.

    Democrats 152 to 96  (61%-39%)

    Republicans 138 to 34  (80% - 20%)

    That kind of consensus does not exist. That kind of Republican party no longer exists. Gone are the days when each party had wings of liberals and conservatives. For more than a half a century republicans have twisted themselves into a tighter and tighter knot of absolutists driven by their right wing. 

crt is the new boogie man 

    Today the conservative to right wing of politics has gone back to the 1970s and collected writings of legal scholars looking at race and the law and have bloviated those academic theories and thoughts into a monster. CRT looks at sociology and legal rulings in trying to decipher racism. It examines how white supremacy, and racism relates to power through the law and how that can be changed. Conservatives reject underlying academic notions of communication and sociology. Some  reject the idea of racism being imbedded into social custom and practice.

    When the Civil Rights bill was passed with bi-partisan support conservatives opposed it. They drew boundaries and resisted progress. Many have continued to oppose the law and the follow-up Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

    The John Lewis Voting Rights Act is blocked now by republicans. Voter suppression is a republican strategy.

    As ugly and in need of healing as is our racial and cultural quagmire today, imagine how awful it could be and how many grievances there would be if those 1964 and 1965 acts had not been passed. It took a fight then. It will take a fight again to align with the aspirations of our democratic republic. But the times are more perilous.

the work of truth

    There is no longer an honorable second party that believes in American justice and tradition. There is however a belligerency of ignorance and the insanity of a belief in a lie.

  

    Until we tell the full story, the true American story we will be condemned to live with the consequence of our lack of honor, and to suffer the fate of unrepentant thieves, liars and killers.

    81 Million citizens deposed an evil regime. It will take that and more to hold the House, build in the Senate and clean out the vipers in several statehouses. 

    We can hope that republicans can somehow find a path back to American values and purge the fascists, racists, and authoritarian anti-democracy, dictator craving and Russian manipulated puppets and lackeys they are.

    There is truth to tell and hard work to do. 

    See you down the trail.     

      

CONTOURS OF BLACK FACE & PAYING DUES ON THE ROCK ROAD

     ocean rock off fiscalini ranch preserve  cambria

      A place of sanity and civility is a tough spot to find these days. The most recent black face blow up might offer a ledge, precarious though. 
     And ahead in this double post is a photo essay on paying dues on the music highway.

the rutted road of black face

       spanish moss tunnel on jack creek road templeton 

       Black face had its origins in Europe. It was used in theatre to permit white actors to play dark skinned characters, including Othello. It did not begin as an act of racial denigration.
       The "racism" of black face began in the early 1800's in  theater when characters with demeaned qualities were played by actors in black face. British theatre of the 1800's also used black face to portray Black people in stereotyped and derogatory ways. They were portrayed as stupid, lazy, slow talking, sexually aggressive, easily frightened, and worse. That same hurtful poison was poured by American theatre. By the mid 1800's actors in black face did music and comedy skits feeding the stereotypes. Minstrel shows toured and carried the racist stereotypes far and wide. 

even disney

     In the 20th century film, animation and even Disney cartoons perpetuated the stereotypes.
     This occurred in an age when racism was rampant, but ignored. White government and majority white society functioned as though it was blind to, insensitive of or ignorant about the damage and hurt caused by the perpetuation of the stereo types much less the under girding de Jure and de Facto segregation and racism. Such behavior is inevitable in a nation where many of the founders owned slaves.
    These are undeniable truths. It is also true that not all people who have put on black face are racists. They may be stupid, but not necessarily racist. 

stupid

    If this nation did a better job of teaching real history, and respecting the truth of our heritage, contemporary Americans would know how hurtful it is. 
    I wrote here earlier that Megyn Kelly was not automatically a racist when she raised the issue of black face, stupid probably, ill advised and her network bosses succumbed to perceived outrage and she was released. 
    Now that black leaders and community leaders have come to the defense of the Virginia Governor, it may offer that ledge to have a conversation about a couple of things.

in the national dna

     First, the US must acknowledge its racist and genocidal heritage and then teach it. Our government, our system of life, perpetuated, enabled and encouraged racism and ethnic genocide. 

not fully human

    People of color were not recognized as full human beings, that was in our charter. Before that we did not recognize the sovereignty of the first citizens of this continent. As terrible as it has been for African Americans, it has been worse for native Americans. This nation slaughtered millions of native inhabitants. When the murder stopped, we then lied to and cheated them. That is who we are, and what we did. Thank God men and women of conscience and increasing intelligence have reshaped, refined and corrected our national establishment, but it has been a long battle and it continues.

reason, don't screech

    Second, and this needs saying. Stupid things done by a student 35 years ago should not be the automatic disqualifier for a person who otherwise has demonstrated good judgment, citizenship and character. Who did not make poor judgments in their youth?
     There are limits here. Dressing up like Michael Jackson, or Al Jolson may have been stupid but it is not like doing a crime of violence. Being overtly racist, abusive, discriminatory or committing sexual assault are more serious than dressing up. We need to acknowledge that.
     There is a screeching factor in American politics today that borders on hysteria. It is loud and it drowns out common sense, civility and due process. It makes victims of the system and can injure people more grievously than some of the so called alleged offenses.  To those who are calling for the Virginia governor's dismissal, I urge you to point some of that venom toward the American mass culture and educational system that has failed to teach just what black face is, the whole story. 
      It is offensive and dangerous when a society fails to know and learn from history. We have much to learn, and a lot of making amends to do. 

 the music road

   the pour house  paso robles

    Davy and the Midnights do a sound check at a tap room in Paso Robles. Their tour of the California coast takes them from LA to San Francisco and north.

   Haven't heard of them? You may someday. They play country, blues, rock and the sort of fare that keeps you alive playing bars. Their own music is good and they are refining it in an LA studio. 
   They are young, on the road and paying their dues.
   Lead singer Davey Allen is also the keyboard player for Eric Burdon and the Animals and has played with other big name rockers. He's got a great band.

    Guitarist Greg Cahill is a superb player. Full disclosure-His dad is a life long friend. We've watched Greg from when he first sat at a piano as a tyke.  He's true LA pro. 
    But that doesn't make life on the road easy.

      cayucos saloon and card room  the"tav"  cayucos

     After the Paso gig it was on to a place to sleep, briefly. An early morning wake up put them on the road to Carmel Valley for a three hour acoustic performance at a winery. The long drive back slammed into showing up in Cayucos to set up for the Saturday night show at the old Saloon.

    These guys are not in the music royalty, yet. They are their own roadies, engineers and set up men.

     On the road, you never know what kind of set up and acoustics you'll find.

     It takes a little psychology and musical alchemy to get a sense of the crowd, what they want to hear, and then feed them.

     There's no time to perfect the "room" for sound or staging. Just get up there and do it.

      After the second set at the Saturday night show, I told him it takes someone a lot younger than me to keep up the pace.                        

      In the next 8 days they'll be in San Rafael, Sacramento, San Francisco, Fairfax, Blue Lake, Arcata, Brookings Or., and Crescent City.

    Rock on!

     See you down the trail.