Hate rally at MSG?
I can’t say I did not see that coming…
I shouldn’t make light, but if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry.

And light is what we need.

Anybody who talks about other humans the way those “patriots” did should be ashamed of themselves. I hope with every fiber in my being that if any Trump supporter finds themselves in need, they receive the kindness their dear leader and his ilk refuse to show others. I hope if they ever find themselves tired or poor, yearning to breathe free, down and dejected, desperate and in need of empathy, that they get the love they so cruelly deny. Maybe then, and only then, they will finally see that race, sexuality, power, being from a sheltered suburban town… they will see that none of it means ANYTHING if their hearts are filled with hatred for their fellow human.

And that was hatred. An angry man brandishing a crucifix… keep Jesus’s name out of your mouth. Read the words (even the ones not excised by the Catholic church) and show me where Jesus ever uses that language against those in need. I know Superman fans who emulate their favorite hero more than these “Christians.” Show me the part where he’s not saying to help the poor, the sick, the lost. And some of them call themselves Christians. I’m more of a Christian than they are, and I swore off Christianity once it was no longer compulsory for me.

An aside: I grew up in a small town of privilege. It was a mostly white suburban enclave. Some want to stay there and keep it that way. But I saw that town from the outside looking in. My father was raised by foster parents. We never owned a house. We rented from the foster family at a cut rate (hey, I guess there was some payback for those government checks my foster grandmother was soo good at investing). I went to high school driving my mom’s beat up station wagon while some of my classmates drove BMW’s… the student parking lot was an interesting contrast from the teachers’ lot. There were others like me, but we were the minority. And let me be clear. I know that being a poor white kid in a wealthy town isn’t a tear in a barrel compared to being non-white in today’s ‘murica. And also, I know there’s nothing wrong with success and opulence earned. It’s the American way I suppose. But when that opulence blinds you and hardens you to the plight of others? Wake up. I hope they are never in need. But if they are, I hope the world treats them in directly inverse proportion to how they think of “others.”

I grew up with people who would give me the shirt off their backs. They were kind… to me. It took me a while to realize that those who were kind to me didn’t have nice things to say about “others.” I don’t mean others, I mean “others.” The cognitive dissonance of that kind of kindness. It is the kind most unkind. “But they’re nice to me…” Even poor and from the other side of the tracks, I still looked like hegemony. I am not saying that everyone from my whitebread hometown was a vile, elitist racist. There were some “fine people” and some finer people. But sticking my head up and looking beyond the cozy confines was a bit of an eye-opener. I’m reluctant to tell people I’m even from there without a disclaimer. It’s a bit like Plato’s Cave. Some stay chained to the walls watching the shadows dance. They think it’s real. But I digress.

So, if you can stomach it, watch those clowns at MSG. It’s almost unavoidable. Those sad sad sad hate-filled souls. Look on them with compassionate pity. How far must you be from your true heart to speak of others in such a way? To look upon your fellow human as “garbage”… and to cheer that on.

I recently added an ESOL license to my teaching certifications. I have the privilege of working with high school students who are in a new country, learning a new language, learning new content, in a New York that all but stacks the deck against them. I see their hearts in their eyes. I see their futures in their works. That moment when a student who is uneasy feels seen… it is magical.

I wonder if Trump or any of his sycophants could even recognize that look in another’s eyes. I wonder if they could let the mask down long enough. I wonder if it would change them if they did.

I think it would.

Now back to the light. I mentioned light at the beginning of this screed and I plan on shining it. I stumbled upon these daily affirmations from a company called Rage Create. I am in no way affiliated and I get nothing from sharing this. I know almost nothing about the company. I just know that the main person is named Heath Armstrong and I only know that because he signs off his podcast that way. He has a daily podcast of Power Affirmations for Creative Maniac Mind. The other day he had this one:

Today’s Power Affirmation: As my lighthouse shimmers for others, it lights my own way, too.

Today’s Oracle of Motivation: Of comets and stardust and moonlight symphonies, your glow is a lighthouse for all the ships lost at sea. By creatively and passionately embracing your hero’s journey, your energy becomes an alluring guiding light to others who may feel broken or hopeless. Keep sharing, connecting, and offering your vulnerable wisdom. As your lighthouse shimmers for others, it lights your own way too.

I love that. “As your lighthouse shimmers for others, it lights your own way.” That’s the secret I’ve learned. The more beauty and hope and love you put out, the more it shines your way through the path. Others begin to reflect it, and it all becomes brighter. Illuminating.

Why do those who claim to be the most “Christian” fight against the founding ideals of Christianity? Why do those who claim to be the most “American” oppose the founding ideals of America? Maybe they just lost the way. It’s hard to see when you dwell in darkness.

Maybe they just need a light.