The Current American Dilemma is Unfortunately Familiar

The first time I saw Do The Right Thing was nearly 20 years after it was released. The sets and costume design seemed a bit dated, but by now neon colors and short shorts are back in fashion. That's what I get for judging things in my 20's. Now I'm the doofus who walks around in baggy pants with a dad hat. Anyway, it was a good movie and like most good movies, it gets better with each viewing. One particular part of it, though, has resonated with me lately given the current state of affairs in America.

As you may know, the climax of Do The Right Thing is eerily similar to the real-life murder of George Floyd in 2020. A white police officer kills a black man without a valid reason and a riot ensues. Afterwards, the main characters are left exhausted, unsatisfied, and still searching for answers. Before the closing credits, the following two quotes are displayed, and this is what has been rolling around in my head over the past few weeks:

"I think there are plenty of good people in America, but there are also plenty of bad people in America and the bad ones are the ones who seem to have all the power and be in these positions to block things that you and I need. Because this is the situation, you and I have to preserve the right to do what is necessary to bring an end to that situation, and it doesn't mean that I advocate violence, but at the same time I am not against using violence in self-defense. I don't even call it violence when it's self- defense, I call it intelligence."--Malcolm X

"Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends by destroying itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers."--Martin Luther King, Jr.

Adding to the brilliance of those two quotes side by side, Spike Lee superimposed them over the following picture.

http://screenprism.com/insights/article/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-ending-of-do-the-right-thing

Sure these viewpoints are in stark contrast with each other, but these words aren't impulsive tweets designed to get clicks and stir controversy. These are the careful thoughts of highly influential and effective people who were two of the smartest thinkers of their generation. They mostly didn't see eye to eye, but they recognized that they had a common goal: to right the wrongs of racial injustice in America.

One could make the case that either was right or wrong in how they went about that, but in this case, the means didn't matter. What mattered was that they could put aside their differences and allow each other the space to drive steadfastly towards their common end. The result was the strongest sparks of real civil rights change that America had seen in nearly 100 years. Tragically, both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. Jr. were assassinated before those sparks could turn into full blown flames.

Fast forward 25 or so years after those quotes, and one of the many takeaways of Do The Right Thing is that the struggle to end racial injustice was still very much alive, despite all of the strides made by the two men saying those words. Jump ahead another 30 years, and how much closer are we to that justice in America? Not close enough.

There are many reasons for this, but one that comes to the forefront of my mind is the ever increasing inability in this country to put aside differences and achieve what should be a common end. Somehow, some way, the quest for racial equality has become a partisan issue and the belligerent voices and actions on either side of the political spectrum aren't helping the cause at all. This isn't a political issue, it's a human rights issue, and last I checked, everybody affiliated with a political party was human.

So is there a way out of the partisan hell we're currently living in to get us back on track when it comes to racial equality? Well we can start by learning a thing or two from the two men quoted above. That would mean actually listening to, taking the time to understand, and potentially respecting a difference in opinion when it comes to these matters. On top of that, when speaking or writing words on the topic we can think about them first and act as if we'll be held accountable for them once they come out of our mouths or type them with our hands. This may sound remedial or obvious, but a quick peek at the social media outlet of your choice will tell you that it's a needed reminder.

Better yet, if you're white, we can understand up front that we'll never actually know what it's like to be black (or Asian, or Hispanic, etc.) in America. From there we can seek out a friend, co-worker, or family member who is non-white and ask them about their experience with racial injustice. Once the question is asked, we can open our ears and brains, close our mouths, and listen for a while. This would be way more productive than sharing the latest simplistic political meme on your feed as if it's a salient point.

When it comes to the main topic of the quotes above - violence - there are strong opinions on its use by protesters in our current situation from both sides of the political spectrum. But let's look at it through the two different lenses offered by Malcolm X and Dr. King since their words are as relevant now as they've ever been.

Even in the face of unjustified violence against blacks at the hands of whites in a position of power, it's clear that Dr. King would prefer a more idealistic route. For him, the way to make justice prevail would be through honest, meaningful, lucid communication between the oppressors and the oppressed as evidenced by his comment that violence "leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue."

However, by now we can see that protests of this nature have more often than not been a monologue, regardless of the use of violence. Since the time of Dr. King there have been no shortage of peaceful voices practicing what he preached. Those voices are either falling on the deaf ears of those who need to hear them, or are being met with more violence in retaliation.

The idea that peaceful protests filled with valid and explicit grievances consistently fail to affect change is a disturbing one. Yet, it fits in with a growing trend in America that our partisan leaders have been pushing for decades. In an effort to hide what may be ugly realities within our country, there's a refusal among our leadership to use or accept truthful, honest language. When that type of language is cast aside in favor of obscurity that my help a political agenda, dangerous things happen. For instance, like ignoring what should be meaningful protests and rendering them powerless. George Carlin made this point better than I ever could about 30 years. Have a listen if you will:

Which brings us to the Malcolm X viewpoint. He makes the case that there is a time and place for violence on the quest for justice. It's safe to say that he would see violence as strategically warranted these days in America. Considering the use of force that some protesters have faced recently, violence in self-defense may serve as a wake-up call in our country. That if the peaceful words and demonstrations in the name of  justice are ignored or suppressed, there will be consequences until the grievances are acknowledged. It's not a perfect solution, but we're not living in a perfect world.

There may be another way out of this that doesn't end in either complacence or bloodshed. A solution that gets us closer to racial justice and falls somewhere in the balance between the paths set forth by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. If it exists, I'm admittedly not aware of it, but I'm certainly willing to hear people out who have thoughts on the matter.

What I can offer now is that while these are difficult times we're living in for many reasons, we all have the power to make it a little less difficult. Let's act as if we'll be held accountable for our actions. Let's listen to others, especially if they look different than us. Let's think before we speak. And when our mouths do finally open, let's speak the truth, not the politically correct bullshit our "leaders" compel us to say. We'll all be benefit from it, especially those whose lives are at risk simply due to the color of their skin.