Thinking back to the late '60s, when the protests on campus were about Vietnam, I can definitely recall the thrill of righteousness as we marched and protested, the disdain for the nexus of evil in the military-industrial complex. Then I got a summer job with a company that epitomized that military-industrial complex and discovered to my astonishment that these were regular people...not the evil villains I had pictured.
So now as I watch (from a distance) the current protests, my hope, my prayer, is that this generation too will have experiences that challenge their isolation, their separation from different experiences and perspectives, so as to develop that empathy that you and David have written about so well.
I've participated in several protests, decrying unnecessary police violence in our community. We certainly wanted change, but many of us knew the outcome was largely out of our hands. Instead we came together in a common lament against the injustice embedded in our system of policing / criminal justice system. (Wendell Berry's commentary on Hayden Carruth's poem focused on protesting Vietnam in "What are People For", p. 58 - reflects on this dimension of protesting, one that was deeply personal for Berry himself.) Overall, protests are not monolithic. Some people will gravitate towards a posture of self righteousness - I certainly have at times - but many others will come with a deep sorrow over the destruction of their neighbors. As with a funeral, shared lament (paired intentional care for one's community) is not how I would prefer to experience belonging, but it's surprisingly possible.
Thinking back to the late '60s, when the protests on campus were about Vietnam, I can definitely recall the thrill of righteousness as we marched and protested, the disdain for the nexus of evil in the military-industrial complex. Then I got a summer job with a company that epitomized that military-industrial complex and discovered to my astonishment that these were regular people...not the evil villains I had pictured.
So now as I watch (from a distance) the current protests, my hope, my prayer, is that this generation too will have experiences that challenge their isolation, their separation from different experiences and perspectives, so as to develop that empathy that you and David have written about so well.
Looking forward to your further reflections!
I've participated in several protests, decrying unnecessary police violence in our community. We certainly wanted change, but many of us knew the outcome was largely out of our hands. Instead we came together in a common lament against the injustice embedded in our system of policing / criminal justice system. (Wendell Berry's commentary on Hayden Carruth's poem focused on protesting Vietnam in "What are People For", p. 58 - reflects on this dimension of protesting, one that was deeply personal for Berry himself.) Overall, protests are not monolithic. Some people will gravitate towards a posture of self righteousness - I certainly have at times - but many others will come with a deep sorrow over the destruction of their neighbors. As with a funeral, shared lament (paired intentional care for one's community) is not how I would prefer to experience belonging, but it's surprisingly possible.
Yes, great points all around.