Lemons and Lemonade

I have read Michelle Obama’s Princeton theses in light of the controversy it interjected into the campaign and the attention all kinds of media have given it. Considering its source, I see nothing radical, dangerous, or even very controversial in it. I see it as a very normal expression of a young, intelligent black woman in the America of 1985. I think there is a way for the average American to understand it in the broad American culture rather than in the black culture segment within that broader culture from whence it originated. Merely replace each word white in the thesis with the word, American or even, non black wherever it refers to race and it becomes much more understandable.

America has assimilated many different ethnic and racial subgroups over the years. Many of these had to fight their way through prejudice and bigotry to become truly integrated into the American melting-pot. Yet even many of these still maintain at least part of their heritage and their culture. Many live in neighborhoods or even cities where they are with mostly others of their own ethnic background, often bound by language which tends to isolate them. In these circumstances, natural as they are, it becomes easy and convenient to blame those outsiders for many of the individual’s and the group’s problems. Successful members of these groups may even use the overcoming of these often imagined problems as their means to success. Unfortunately it is far easier to succumb to the temptation to blame others other than engage in the hard work of overcoming these problems in a positive manner.

There are many groups who have actually done this in America. Nationalities like the Irish, Italians, Germans and other Europeans faced with terrible discrimination and bigotry at first, then overcame it and became integrated into America, at least mostly. Of course, these were all white or Caucasian people and thus more easily integrated. I think you would find that those immigrants who came to our shores in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries did not see it as very easy. Look at the non Caucasian immigrants from China, Korea, Viet Nam, Cambodia, The Phillippines and elsewhere on the Pacific rim. Still in the process of integration, many of these people became highly educated and successful, some say driven by cultures that prize education, family continuity and self reliance. Few of these people used discrimination as an excuse for poor performance.

The latest cultural, ethnic invasion of America by Latinos may be creating another group to use the excuse of being denied advantages by those in the majority. This is an easy trap for those who lack the will to succeed on their own to fall into. Blaming the powerful in any venue, social, economic, ethnic, racial, and/or political, as the reason for one’s failure absolves a person from any fault. The blame game has been taken to the heights of excusing one’s own failure. Whether it’s big business, big government, the boss, the wealthy, or even Whitey, it’s the same lame and actually damaging effect. It actually keeps many so-called disadvantaged people from solving their own problems. After all, Since I am not the cause of my problems, I cannot do anything about them. As long as a person can blame those other than themselves, they have an excuse for failure in virtually any endeavor.

Misdirected and often unscrupulous leaders of these groups gather support by keeping their constituents downtrodden and so beholden to them. By virtually screaming discrimination or conspiracy and anti establishment rhetoric at every opportunity, these hate mongers and rabble rousers promote themselves and seek to control their followers. They do this by blaming the group they call oppressors, of an evil conspiracy against the helpless victims in their supporting groups. Then they call these imagined oppressors every evil name in the book as if most of their efforts were directed specifically to oppress them. This of course is right out of the NAZI play book.

All actions of these leaders, no matter how evil or outlandish is condoned or excused with, it wasn’t their fault, or look where they came from. While the best known of these leaders are currently from the Black community, there are a number in the Latino community who seem to be growing in power and influence. Currently, the reverend Wright has gained the spotlight because of these actions, but he is merely one of a large group of destroyers who spout hate to rally their supporters. These are small people who take advantage of the ignorance and frustration of those they seek to lead in promoting their own agenda of hate. The lynch mob is their most prominent accomplishment. The really sad thing is that these leaders not only do great damage to those they purport to be aiding, but they help advance the efforts of their counterparts in the other groups. White supremacists, for instance, gain much credence from those leaders in minority groups who speak out with inciting, hateful charges against whites. Were it not for these minority leaders, white supremacists would have no more power than a distasteful joke.

Frequently, when members, even famous and admired members, of these disadvantaged minorities try to help their fellows by pointing out that they have the power to overcome being at a disadvantage. That by self reliance, hard work and positive effort on their part they can pull themselves up economically and socially. Even when they offer encouragement by example, effort, or pointing out that positive effort is more likely to get positive results than negative effort, they risk being condemned by many in their community to whom being a victim is their greatest asset. I illustrate with one example where all I need do is mention the name of one who is greatly admired by virtually all Americans, Bill Cosby. The response to his words of encouraging advice to his fellows was to be called by many an Uncle Tom. That was pathetic. Like the name calling done in third grade playgrounds it was childish and unworthy. His response to this attack was an indication of his greatness and humanity.

In his book, The True Believer, Eric Hoffer describes men who think so little of themselves they can only gain self-esteem by abandoning self to a cause. These true believers, as he calls them, will do anything, including committing suicide, for their cause. Following their leaders who enslave them to serve the leader’s own and often undefined purpose, these are not men of free will, but true slaves of those who manipulate them. Such is the enemy free men now face.

Man has a natural instinct for enslavement. All great and small movements utilize this pack animal instinct to control masses of people as tools of opportunistic leaders. Humanitarian civilization tends to counter this instinct while mobs, movements, charismatic leaders, and fundamentalists tend to nurture and expand it.

The real power in mobs, movements, fundamentalism, and other uses of instincts to control lies in a very simple, irrefutable fact—that it is infinitely easier to damage or destroy to change things than to build or create. Only the most rudimentary skills were used by a few men to bring down the World Trade Center in just a few minutes. Contrast this with the immense effort required to design and build those same structures. In the same vein, it is far easier to make angry criticisms of ideas that differ from your own than to listen to those ideas and then make calculated judgments. Closed minds can be true agents of evil.

Of those controllable by such leaders, Eric Hoffer wrote, “People unfit for freedom—who cannot do much with it—are hungry for power. The desire for freedom is an attribute of a have type of self. It says: leave me alone and I shall grow, learn, and realize my capacities. The desire for power is basically an attribute of a have not type of self.”

What is needed is for these kinds of men in any group or society to be treated for what they are, immature annoyances to society serving their own egos for their own selfish purposes. There are many of these types of leaders. Most common today are those leading the inner city gangs in the drug culture and living off of the misery of others. These are the little Napoleons with maybe a few dozen soldiers who create and destroy victims and whose lives are almost always short and violent. The romantic picture of these contemporary pirates as portrayed by our entertainment world is a far cry from the sordid realities of their lives and those of the victims of their actions. In truth these are the marauding packs of humans like feral dogs, bent on destruction and death. Why? Simply because it is far easier than being civilized. Civilization requires hard work and respect for others. Gang life disdains both as does the life of any who are slaves to the command of others rather than free men.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”

James Allen said, “Before complaining that you are a slave to another, be sure that you are not a slave to self. Look within;...You will find there, perchance, slavish thoughts, slavish desires, and in your daily life and conduct slavish habits. Conquer these; cease to be a slave to self, and no man will have the power to enslave you.”

What all of this says is that many people, placed at a disadvantage by any circumstance, will blame something outside of self and so be defeated from the outset. Those who realize it is up to them and so work to overcome their disadvantage often reach heights of success in spite of overwhelming handicaps. Joni Erickson Tada is one great example. Paralyzed by a diving accident at seventeen, her life was virtually over. Joni refused to be defeated and with herculean effort refocused her life and became an inspiration to thousands of handicapped people all over the world. Her books are now sold all over the world and her positive contribution to humanity is priceless.

I am reminded of an old saying I really like and try to act on. If life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. I firmly believe life has handed a lemon to many out there, but most just decry about and fight the lemon while a few add their own form of sugar, ice and water creating a delightful beverage. The individual has the power to chose between bitterness and joy.