I remember sitting in the movies as a kid watching the 10 Commandments and suddenly my mother put her hand in front of my eyes. I have no memory of what she felt she should shield me from but considering the subject matter, it had to be pretty innocent. I’m sure she was reacting in what she felt was my best interests, as decided by the forces around her. But there is nothing in that movie that would have scarred me for life.
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But even today, there are times when the subject is intense, or somewhat taboo, that I will feel uncomfortable, for no reason. I’m not really sure why, but I do know it happens. But then, I just ignore it for the most part. But there is no denying it’s there. I have to wonder where such feelings come from? And, I’m sure that I’m not the only one that has those feelings.
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My mother was a wonderful person and would never knowingly have hurt me, in any way. As I have said before, I grew up in 1950s Florida on the good side of the segregation coin. I saw the four bathrooms, the two water fountains, and waiting rooms, and heard all of the rationales and lies, to excuse inexcusable actions and attitudes. No matter how much shit they pushed, it was never right and I knew it. But for too many I grew up with, it was a birthright.
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In 2023, we still live with the ghost of 1958. The faux superiority of white skin, the hatred of anyone different, or against the existing power structure, the community standard of hate. We are haunted by that ghost, as we are by the one authoritarianism, self-destructive “Faith” and belief systems based on illogical and unproven concepts. But yet they haunt us.
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How many of us, have unconscious reactions to things and don’t understand why they occur. I know I do. Have you ever wondered how these transitory insanity episodes affect our society? And to what end?
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I have heard that Billy Graham had warned the Evangelical leadership not to become part of the Conservation establishment. Which they promptly ignored. Even his own son, Franklin has become a Con. I have come to wonder how an entire sect of a religion, could become not a celebration but a tool of mind control? Sometimes Father does know best because in the end, this will be a huge train wreck and Billy knew it.
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For our entire lives, we, for good or bad are groomed. We create our own monsters. Perhaps it’s time to build human beings instead.
RC Romine