A Need for Anger, A Path to Peace, A Time to Listen

I thought I’d take the plunge and write something about the events going on in the world today. To be explicit, I am of course speaking of the protests in response to George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a police officer.

First some framework. I am an Australian of Cyprian descent, an ancient world mongrel born and raised in a western world. I am an outsider in this matter, looking in with as much empathy and compassion as I can conjure for the community in the thick of it. As such, I can only write as an outsider, to other outsiders.

And since the world is now invested in this in such a big way, I thought I might just share some thoughts on the matter. It will be meandering, perhaps lacking in wit, but honest, which is all I can do.

Perhaps all of what I say here doesn’t apply to you reading this at all. That is fine. It is for you to look inward and be honest with yourself. Perhaps you will disagree with some or all of the thoughts I pose. That is fine also, and to be expected. It is the nature of healthy discourse. Perhaps this is nothing more than a reminder to myself to act in the way I hope to emulate.

All that said, let me start with a general point. The racial aspect aside for a moment, this type of act by law enforcement, in any society, cannot be tolerated. It has to be stamped out by the government of that society with decisive action and stern example. A police force with too much authority is simply a too-well-armed militia wielding too much power. Look no further than the Roman Empire to see the extent to which the law enforcers could influence politics simply because of their ability to cause violence.

But we do not live in ancient Rome, and it is equally folly to take a polar opposite stance that all law enforcers are corrupt. We have already seen hopeful examples of the unity between police and citizen in the actions of various police chief’s marching side by side with protesters. These people are important for a functioning society, and to do away with them or make them all a blanket enemy would be a catastrophe for all involved.

That being said, vigilance is necessary, and accountability is key. If the government appears to do little, the people must act. And decent Police officers – despite the actions of their Government and less-decent colleagues – must clean up their own house and stand up for the true virtue of Lady Justice, who is blind, lest the same tragic story be played out over and over again.

As we seemingly progress as people through history, we cannot let things slip back to the way they once were. More than that, we hope to make grand strides forward, to shake off the burdens of our past mistakes so that all can live free, safe and unafraid, regardless of their identity.

Sometimes we need to fight to make such strides. Sometimes there is no other choice but to wield that most intense and perilous weapon named violence. Sometimes it is, sadly and with all gravitas, the right decision to make.

But even as the decision to fight, to be violent, is made, it must be anchored with this most important hope – the hope for peace. Without this anchor in place, the violence will only drift further and further from its original destination, until only the violence remains.

We can never lose sight of our destination, lest we forget what we were fighting for in the first place.

And this anchor of peace is not just an assumption we make, nor is it a claim we use as justification for our anger. No, we do not have the right to so simply say, “we are doing this because our cause is just.” We must live by that anchor. We have to act with it truly embedded in our hearts.

That is the reason for empathy. That is the reason for compassion. To one day discard the baggage of our past together, to dispel the illusion that we are different from one another, and to finally realise that we are one race.

A human race.

Do not mistake me. I am aware this is extremely difficult to do. Anger is fire, and fire is a gift from the gods themselves – we survive the coldest winters because of fire, and we fend off predators far beyond our ability to fight with it. But fire can also be used to hurt, and it leaves painful scars, constant reminders of the trials we have faced, of the cruelties we have endured.

And like fire, anger is contagious, able to catch on and sweep across the land with terrifying swiftness, until a line is crossed when the inferno knows not where it started, nor why.

It just burns.

This is why we have to be wise. Now more than ever before in our lives. There is a potential for some true good to come from the events currently gripping the world’s attention, some real change to bring us closer to that frustratingly elusive goal to unify as a single human family.

But there is also potential for the opposite to occur. More division. Another cycle of violence and hate, more illusions cast upon us all, removing the beautiful complexity of the human spirit, and further urging us to believe the lie that we all fit neatly into “well-labelled boxes.”

I, for one, am not a fan of boxes, and have never fit well into one. And I don’t like when other people are put into boxes, even worse if they are convinced to climb in of their own will. That makes me angry.

I see many boxes being constructed regarding people’s response to what is happening now in America, from people on the outside no less. I’d urge you to be wary of “box-thinking,” be still and quiet, and just listen for a moment. That, I think, is an important way to show our support to the community who is right now taking the stage to better their own lives, and those of their children.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you are some bastion of virtue and goodness by participating in the movement going on. You are simply doing the decent thing any neighbour should do. Get angry if you are invited to do so, and do not take that invitation for granted – you are supporting cast in this play, which it seems has grown infinitely larger than the tragic inciting incident at its core; your role is to direct your light towards the main players, and to keep the family and friends of George Floyd in your heart and mind.

And don’t make this about your politics, no matter how related you may think it is. If you are not part of black community in America, it is not about your politics, simply put. There are people you might label opposition in the political sphere supporting side by side with you, and there are people you would say align with your politics who merely see this as an opportunity to spout their particular brand of idealism.

This is not about politics. It’s about people.

Sure, some movement in the political sphere is necessary to make practical changes to a society, as has always been the case with civil rights movements in history. But our current idea of politics has become more divisive than anything else, which is precisely the worst kind of poison to pour into this potential wellspring of change.

No, ultimately these types of problems will only be resolved on a social level, on a level of the collective consciousness, beyond any of the petty politics we try to tout as important. We must stand solid together, and be there for those who may need our support, and ever seek to understand each other better.

This community in America, right now, wants their voices to be heard. We should simply be still and listen.

And that wisdom might be applied to any other scenario in which you find yourself an outsider looking in to a community with a grievance. Listen. And together may we push through the confusion towards a better world for all.

So, even as you share in the anger of your neighbour, even as the injustices set you aflame, consider this advice also. Take the time to step into a cool pool of water every now and then, and absorb more than just the outrage that social media loves to dispense.

Listen to John Coltrane’s mastery of the saxophone. Read the poetry and the works of Maya Angelou, or simply listen in awe to her speak her wisdom. Listen to the music by Gill Scott Heron, tracks such as “We Almost Lost Detroit,” or “Grandma’s Hands.” Explore the diverse range of hip hop that you might not even realise exists, with tracks like John Robinson’s “Black Gold,” or Blackalicious’s “Make You Feel That Way.” Discover the works and ideas of James Baldwin and – like Maya Angelou – simply listen to the wisdom he has also imparted to us.

Take the time to actually learn about and appreciate the richness of this culture in America that we are all standing with right now, rather than just piggybacking off the anger they have the right to use at this time. That culture is more than the oppression they have, and still do, face.

They are human beings who have enriched our world, certainly mine, in ways that I am eternally grateful for.

Peace.