Troubling things hiding
in plain sight 05/03/14
Vermont Public Radio
comment for commentators brunch
My late mother never
heard an adage in which she could not find a basic truth. For her, the idea of
things hiding in plain sight was actually contained in the old
saying, “there are none so blind as those who will not see.”
I have always
opposed the notion of sweeping generalizations. I have subscribed to the
idea that every human being is unique, And I have rejected the impulse to
categorize people according to their race, religion, gender, economic status or
sexual orientation. That means of course, that I am therefore allowed to do
commentaries on public radio.
But here is the dirty
little secret that I discovered after spending most of my adult life living
abroad while reporting from many of the countries of the world.
Human beings are
remarkably similar. They may come from totally different cultures, speak
different languages and pray to different Gods.
But there are human
traits, which can be said to be universal.
One of those universal
traits is quite often not to see things that are in plain sight - or- to
be deliberately blind to things one does not wish to see. While this may
be understandable - perhaps a coping mechanism to avoid unnecessary conflict - it
is not a desirable trait because it often implies tolerance for
things which ought not to be tolerated.
For nearly a hundred
years after the end of the Civil War, far too many Americans were blind to the
racism which permeated much of American society.
And even today I am
appalled at how tolerant we still appear to be, of the blatantly racist
attitudes and words directed toward the first African American president and
his family.
But as one who probably
won’t live long enough to have to face its most serious consequences, I
remain deeply concerned that of all the problems in our world
today, climate change is the issue of our times.
We have just gone
through one of the worst winters on record. Historical floods and blizzards,
hurricanes, tornados, droughts and raging forest fires are happening all around
us. Storms of the century seem to occur weekly. We all know our climate is
changing, but too many of us seem content to acquiesce in these changes as
though they are simply an inevitable fact of our lives.
Yet, this indifference
concedes victory to the climate change deniers. It allows our political leaders
to escape their responsibilities to address what I have no doubt is the
greatest challenge of the 21st century- not just for the United
States of America, but for the entire globe. My friends, we have all the proof
we need- and it is right there, in plain sight.
I welcome your comments. To post your thoughts, click the word "comments" below.
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