Why Silence Isn't an Option, (or the devil grows stronger when you deny him.)

Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.

Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.

Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

-1 John 2:9-11

Today I wish to emphasize that the problem of intolerance must be confronted in all its forms: wherever any minority is persecuted and marginalized because of its religious convictions or ethnic identity, the wellbeing of society as a whole is endangered and each one of us must feel affected.”

-Pope Francis

I was recently discussing this weekend's events in Charlottesville with a fellow Catholic whom I love and respect a great deal.  This person expressed to me that s(he) believes the proper method of dealing with people like David Duke is to take away their power by ignoring them.  In regards to the protest/anti-protest this weekend they said "I wish no one had shown up."  While I understand the viewpoint, and in many ways wish it were true, I fundamentally disagree.  Here's why:

For too long, many of us with the power to speak have chosen not to on the mistaken belief that not actively part taking in racism and discrimination leaves us morally exempt from any discussion of race.  I am ashamed to admit that growing up I felt this way.  I didn't think about race, and in doing so I believed I had achieved a sort of racial neutrality that was the same as being "not racist." This was a false belief, a belief symptomatic of the privilege that I did not understand myself to have, that I could not comprehend.  I was inactive in the conversation about race, and I thought that meant I had no effect on it. In reality, by not talking about race I was moving aside and creating an open space for racists to step into. And now they have the spotlight.

So let's be explicitly clear.  Racism is real, alive, and well in the United States.  It is part the continuation of a legacy of racial violence that began with the founding of this country and is just as integral to the American story as freedom, bravery, and moving west. As a White person, I have a special responsibility to articulate to these men who claim to represent me that I reject their entire ideology.  Because, unfortunately, White opinions are the only ones that matter to them. 

I am saddened that I have not observed a more overt stance on this issue within the Catholic community.  A traditionally conservative group, I believe many parish priests are afraid of alienating their congregation by appearing to preach in favor of one political party over another.  But the Church's stance is clear and uncompromising on this issue, so there should be no fear of offense.  We as Catholics need to stop pretending that racism isn't a moral issue.  Racism is a sin. And, just as there are both venial and mortal sins, there are both overt and subtle forms of racism.  As with all sins, racism must be stamped out within ourselves and actively combated in society.  I should no more deny my tendency to make racial judgments than I should deny my tendency to lie.  What I should do, instead, is try to stop lying- stop making racial judgments. Racism, like the devil, thrives best when we deny it's existence. The fact that it makes us feel better to believe it doesn't exist cannot make it so.  It it best that we confront it directly and with force. 

Let us also never forget that we too have a history of oppression in this country. Along with Jews and people of color, laws existed to suppress and control us.  Laws were also written prevent our immigration into the US on the basis of our alleged desire to overthrow the government and place the pope in power.  Basically, people thought we were terrorists. Groups like the KKK still include Catholics on their lists of undesirables, but in general society our status has elevated dramatically. We are, in fact, a group with a great deal of power both politically and economically.  How disappointing that, rather than using that power to fight for others experiencing discrimination, we have become safe and complacent.  We shut our doors and mind our own business.

On the rare occasion when I do hear a Catholic speak about our history of discrimination, it's often, disturbingly, used as an excuse for inaction.  The "Well, we were discriminated against too."  is usually a stand in for "We can't be the bad guys" or "It's not our job."  But it is our job.  And, yes, we can be the bad guys.  By promoting hatred against Muslims, Jews, and the LGBTQ community, we have actively contributed to the problem.  By doing nothing we have passively contributed to the problem. (Remember, we confess both what we have done and what we have failed to do.) 

Now is the time to do the right thing, to take a moral stand on the side of good.  It's what Pope Francis is asking of us.  More importantly, it's what Christ asks of us. 

Why I didn’t go to the Black Lives Matter protest. And why I wish I had.

It had something to do with the specifics of the demands the protestors were making.  One of them required the courts to overturn a previous not guilty verdict, which was the equivalent of double-jeopardy, which I could not support…. Or something.  That’s the rationale I gave myself.  For not going to the Black Lives Matter protest in 2014.

The real reasons were much more personal.  Since moving to New York some of the people I have become closest to are members of the NYPD.  They are members of my soon-to-be-family and they are good people and I love them.  Even if I might disagree with them on just about every political front imaginable, they are kind, decent people.  And I don’t know even a fraction of the sacrifices they have made in the line of duty.  They are brave people and they are honorable people.  And I saw how they were hurt by the protests, and by the media frenzy, and I saw their names dragged through the dirt and I couldn’t bring myself to protest because I felt like protesting would be protesting against them.  And I couldn’t shake the feeling that they would feel the same way.  Worse, I was afraid that the man I love might not love me any more if I hurt his family like that.  So, as with most decisions, my motivations were more emotional than rational.  But the result was the same as if I didn’t feel a thing: I just didn’t go.

Since then, there has been more violence.  More senseless death of civilians at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect them.  And with every futile pop of media outcry I feel more ashamed.  Because what use are my feelings if they are never transformed into action?

I’m a White woman who didn’t do anything.  Who is continuing to not do anything… because of inertia? Shame?  Fear of rocking the boat? How ridiculous for me when I write it out like that.  That I should be afraid of retaliation in the form of angry words from people who love me.  Perhaps those people will cease to love me. I doubt it. But that’s about as bad as it could possibly get.  And people are losing their lives out there.  People are getting gunned down at traffic stops.  People are dying and I’m worried about my family being mad at me.

If that’s not White Privilege, I don’t know what is. 

As a Catholic, the situation is especially troubling.  Catholics, and Christians in general, have long been at the forefront of Civil Rights movements… where are they now? Well, times have changed.  The pendulum has swung so far Right that, for many, political conservatism is more important than regular attendance at Mass.  The reasons for this are too complicated for this particular post, but suffice it to say, Catholics fall hard on the police-apologist side of this particular issue.  

Unequivocally bashing the people who protect us, who risk their lives for us, is immoral.  Siding with people who attack police is immoral.  Succumbing to media brainwashing is immoral.  I can agree with all of that.  But our responsibility as moral thinkers requires us to see the difference between opposition to the police themselves and opposition to police brutality and institutionalized racism. 

But an even deeper problem with a Catholic approach to Black Lives Matter is that many Catholics struggle to understand racism, how it manifests systematically, and what it really means.  Catholicism is an extremely diverse religion worldwide, but in the United States it is largely a White religion.  (Although this is rapidly changing.)  White people in White social groups don’t have to ask themselves if they are racist.  It’s easy to “not see color” when everyone around you is more or less the same. Trying to explain why “All Lives Matter” isn’t the best approach from a moral perspective is difficult when we don’t realize how unequal the value of our lives are.  (Imagine if Pilot said to Jesus, “All Lives Matter.”)  

“We don’t believe in sins anymore.  The only sin we believe in is racism.”

 A close friend (who will remain anonymous) once said this to me in a moment of bitterness.  I understand what she meant.  She meant that young Catholics no longer take obligations such as chastity, fasting, and receiving the sacraments seriously.  She’s right.  We should be taking those things more seriously. But the shift in focus towards social issues is not the problem. Racism has always been a sin- it just wasn’t taken seriously.

One of the criticisms I often hear from people who have left the Catholic Church is that it’s a religion that requires you to feel a lot of shame.  You spend a lot of time thinking about your sins.  This is one of the things I love about Catholicism.  Sometimes, shame is the exact right thing to feel.  I am ashamed because I did not stand up for what I believe is right.  I am guilty because I benefit from a system where my life will go largely unchanged whether I do anything or not. I feel these uncomfortable feelings because I should feel them.  Because it is good to feel them.

To my fellow Catholics, I entreat you…

Remember that Conservatism and Catholicism are not identical. The word Catholic means universal. We are the universal Church. We ought not fall into party lines.

And we certainly ought not fall into racial lines.

We fall into what is right.

Remember, it was Christians who were abolitionists.

It was Christians who Marched on Washington.

Because racism has always been a sin in Christianity. 

And doing nothing in the face of wrongdoing has always been a sin.

And people like myself will continue to be sinners until we repent and change.