Why 1964? That was the year the Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson making it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their race, religion, sex, national origin, or the color of their skin. It also made segregation in public places illegal, enforced the desegregation of schools, and addressed unfair and unequal access to voting and voter registration.
It was a red-letter day for African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, Asians, and women. Additionally, Martin Luther King, Jr., at only age 35, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in leading the non-violent resistance against racial prejudice and segregation in the United States.
Now, 58 years later, we’re watching our country slide back to the time before 1964 as civil rights are being purposely eviscerated, voting rights are being eroded, and political gerrymandering is being blatantly used as a power grab to ensure Republicans win Congress and the Presidency again.
And it’s amazing the players involved who are pushing us to move into an authoritarian, ultra-conservative, white supremacist rule, and one-religion nation: Black people in positions of power and influence.
One Black politician believes women should not be in positions of power, that women are to be led by men, and that Black people should not watch movies made by Jews. He also denies that systemic racism exists in America, denies climate change, owns AR-15s, and calls LGBTQ people “filth.” Another Black politician running for office believes all LGBTQ allies should be executed.
Then there are the Black pastors urging their congregations to vote for white politicians — some who are white supremacists — simply because they are, allegedly, “Christians” who support “Christian values” — and if they’ve sinned, then God forgives them. Some of these pastors are so virulently anti-LGBTQ that they’re calling for all gay people to be lined up and shot. They also believe that killing pro-abortionists and bombing abortion clinics is sanctioned by God. This is how emotionally and psychologically off-the-rails people have become.
All of this is extremely confusing, contradictory, inflammatory, and duplicitous. None of it makes sense. It really brings to mind the idiom “shooting yourself in the foot.” But let’s not forget the millions of white Americans vehemently striving to return to the days of segregation, second-class citizens, and, ultimately, white male dominance in all things.
There is only one reason why people are regressing into this old mentality: fear. That fear has become so intense that there are people who feel their only recourse is to destroy what they don’t understand, to kill what is different, to suppress or crush what disturbs their comfort zones. Fundamentally, it’s about people denying the existence of what is more advanced emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and consciously than they are. And that’s the core of it: consciousness, or the lack thereof.
The rhetoric surrounding this fear isn’t based on sound reasoning, isn’t based on facts and truth, and isn’t based on universal principles and wisdom. It’s based on the irrational emotionality of survivalism and the potential of losing something. What people are doing is automatically resorting to fight, flight, or freeze — none of which involve critical thinking skills or a higher level of consciousness.
Let’s talk about consciousness for a minute. What exactly is it? Basically, it’s being aware of one’s own existence in relation to one’s feelings, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, and those of others. As you might expect, there is a multitude of levels of consciousness ranging from the reptilian brain to those we consider spiritual giants.
What we’re seeing a lot of now is the lowest level of consciousness: extreme selfishness and self-centeredness, quick aggression and defensiveness (even to the extreme), rejection of intelligence, lack of consideration and compassion, lack of respect and integrity, fear of who and what is different, division and segregation, tribalism, authoritarianism, a sheep/follower mentality, reverting to old ways, vigilantism, book burning, suppression of rights, the elevation of self/group over others for personal gain, and the jettisoning of truth.
Along with this, people are just plain making up stuff in order to assuage or avoid their personal fears, to achieve power and control over others, to gain fame, and to win. The winning is at any cost, no matter what lies are told, whether one bears false witness, what conspiracies are concocted, or if illegalities are involved.
Fear is driving it all: fear of being canceled, fear of being replaced, fear of beliefs and lifestyles different than one’s own, fear of being held responsible and accountable, fear of history and facts, and fear of the truth being found out. All of that and more is driving us to backslide prior to 1964. One white politician recently said, “Hitler is the kind of leader we need today.”
The question is: Why are some Black people supporting people who are stridently working to suppress African Americans again?
It’s as though we’ve forgotten what World War II was about, what the Civil Rights Movement was about, women’s suffrage, the fact that our country was founded on religious freedom and the right to create one’s own destiny — life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Yet here we find ourselves mired deep in fear, fighting and killing each other, willing to subjugate others, desiring to return to a time of repressing anyone who doesn’t fit within our rubric. It’s appalling how morally bankrupt we’ve become as a nation — all for money, fame, power, control, status, and ownership. It seems we’re headed toward a rehash of everything this nation fought so dearly to abolish.
“Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.”
– Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead
So, let’s instead do what we can to uplift, celebrate, honor, and respect each other. Let’s pull ourselves out of the muck of fear, take a step back and remember who we truly are: divine sparks of the Divine Itself seeking to add the highest value to all people at all times and in all endeavors. It’s not about ego and focusing only on “What’s in it for me?” but asking, “How can I be of service to you?”
It’s about lifting all boats, enhancing, expanding, and moving onward and upward on the spiral of consciousness. Truly, there’s everything to gain and nothing to lose but our fear. ●
