In her book, The Word of a Woman: Feminist Dispatches, Robin Morgan vocalizes her opinions on America, and its continuous attempt at dominating as a white society. Morgan says: "You do not exist, white America. The agony you have created for others is real-but has always been to convince yourself as well as those in agony that the illusion of your existence was as real;--You are a figment of your own brain, which has settled for a petty uncreative imagining."
America: Land of The Free, Home of The Brave. Unfortunately, whose America is this? The Star Spangled Banner now exudes a comical connotation, as recently, our society has promoted and supported the notion of domination; whether in terms of politics, social-ranking, ethnicities, sex, or regarding monetary status. Now more than ever, there must be a societal recognition towards the idea that America is in the hands of no one individual, of no male, Caucasian, dominating figure, because this country will only survive once it is able to accept that any forthcoming positive change; economically, politically, or educationally, will likely be initiated by the rapidly increasing diverse cultures.
In a time predominantly dictated by the thoughts and statements of those in charge, there is an enormous disconnection from the once-prevalent strides towards unity and peace within our nation. As the 2016 Presidential Election has come and gone, and as politicians who advocate for acts of violence and defunding of our civil liberties become the driving forces for the decisions of our country, an overarching theme within our nation becomes apparent. From the beginning of time to present day, our country has been surrounded by a fear, and in the words of Robin Morgan: “The fear is not that we are different. The fear is that we are the same.” While her novel was published in 1994, the perspective has remained consistent. Societally, we are afraid to except change. More so, when such change begins to be positively reinforced and supported, there is a sudden excitement towards an immense proliferation of fear, creating a widespread effect of communal apprehension, sending the mindsets of our culture backwards.
The notion that all facets of humanity are so greatly similar, entirely contrasts the general viewpoints within our history, while generating a hope for peace and equality in a way such that dismisses the opinions of many well-respected leaders, majority of them depicted as the greatest in history. Realistically, their views cannot be looked in a demeaning way towards their character; because a society that which does not stand together, will not survive, and during those times, this was societal, not personal. Sadly, the idea that we as a society, are much more equal than our skin colors, cultural backgrounds, or positions in civilization often convey, is worrisome and terrifying to certain political figures, and their followers. Those who find comfort in sticking to the values they know, those values they have accepted and grown with, find such immense difficulty in losing the racist, homophobic, natures of the past, without realizing something much greater: the idea that those leaders they heavily look up to, preached values they did, in order to reciprocate the times they lived in. I have strong hope that a modern-day Thomas Jefferson would not own over six-hundred slaves, or that the mentality of George Washington today would follow in the footsteps of an educated, culturally-aware, baby-boomer.
That being said, there must be a mutual consensus, one in which everyone understands the idea that Morgan works so hard to illustrate: "Hate generalizes; love specifies. Or: The movements of hatred are toward generalization; love's movements are toward specification." Recognition towards the importance of love and acceptance can generate such a change-evoking solution to the hate within the world, but unfortunately, as this fear has been around for such a long time, it has the ability to define America by its often dismissive and unaccepting values.
