Civil Regression

I am depressed. I have spent four decades in the South fighting for civil rights, equality, social justice, compassion for the poor, inclusion, welcoming immigrants, etc. Okay, so I could have moved to a “blue state” at any time, but I’ve stayed. I’ve stayed, and I’ve not been silent. (I know you can’t imagine me shutting up.) I’ve had to wear bullet proof vests, had body guards, been spat upon, had my tires slashed, and endured three church fire bombings. People have sent me thousands of pieces of hate mail for supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights, the equality of women, the freedom to vote, and gun control legislation, and for opposing capital punishment, corporate greed, and tax cuts for the one percent. All of these things seem to be sacraments in the South.

It hasn’t been easy, but the truth is it hasn’t been all that hard either. You see I have had friends and supporters like you who love me, support me, and, most importantly, agree with me. Oh, I know we don’t see eye-to-eye on everything, and you let me know when I cross a line with you. Still, we hang in there together because, like me, you aren’t always in the majority. We have created a “cushion of congruence” in which most of those with whom we spend our time agree with us on the majority of issues.

My current state of depression comes from the fact that you and I are so often out-numbered. Oh, yes, we are making great progress on the issue of marriage equality … and that may be the worst thing that could happen. Don’t get me wrong. I married a man more than 33 years ago and have fought for equality the entire time. What depresses me is that the progress we are making on that front seems to be blinding too many of us to the civil regression on other fronts:

• Millions of unemployed people are becoming homeless and their children are going hungry because we have not renewed their minimal assistance.
• Speaking of the hungry, we just cut millions of dollars out of “food stamp” programs, but not even the most liberal of us wept for the children who are made hungry while corporate farms are feeding at the trough of corporate welfare.
• The National Rifle Association is killing even the last shreds of common sense and no one seems to notice mass shootings and dying children.
• Mother Nature is screaming warnings at us, but we shrug and think recycling and rapid transit is for others.

The list could go on and on, but if you aren’t depressed then:

• You are a privileged American who doesn’t think you need to care;
• You are so narcissistic that, unless it interferes with your daily life, you don’t think it is important; or
• You are a fundamentalist who thinks Jesus will come back and fix it all.

While we cannot let our depression immobilize us, if you aren’t depressed for a little while each day you just don’t care … and that is a deadly sin.

by Michael Piazza
Center for Progressive Renewal