In case you're tired of Pokemon Go or
haven't had the energy for all that walking, there are, thanks to the
various tragic shootings in Dallas, New Orleans, Orlando and so many
other places, two old favorites you might want to dust off: The
Blame Game and Defensive Offense.
Who or what is responsible for these
tragedies? The victims and perpetrators seem to have been lost in the
battles to assign guilt. Poor gun laws? The NRA? Wimpy
legislators? Capitalist society? The moral bankruptcy of the country? The racism that lurks in everyone's heart to a greater or
lesser degree? The general feeling that we have fallen down the
political rabbit hole to the Wildest, Wackiest, Maddest Tripartisan
Teaparty Ever?
The Blame Game has been going on since
the Creation. Who's the biggest sinner – Eve, who disobeyed God;
the Serpent, who gave her the idea; Adam, who could have just said no;
God, who set humankind up to fail and then was angry when they did?
There never seems to be a winner in the
Blame Game, but there's never a loser, either. Or maybe everybody is
a winner; there's plenty of blame to go around and if any falls on
you, you can dump it on someone else.
Defensive Offense is newer. Back in the
Olden Days, if a group or individual was accused of something, he
(like Henry VIII), she (Queen Mary I of England, AKA Bloody Mary), or
it (the Inquisition) just continued about their business, knocking
off their accusers along the way. But today, people are more aware
or more sensitive or more touchy, as can be seen in the Black Lives
Matter/All Lives Matter controversy. In response to BLM's
accusations of racism as seen in the recent shootings of unarmed
black civilians by white law enforcement officers, a new movement,
“All Lives Matter” is accusing BLM of racism.
It's not clear yet which side is going
to win. Both have advantages. BLM has centuries of oppression
(continuing to this day) and the “microaggressions” of white
privilege. But ALM has more options: Asian Lives Matter! LGBT
Lives Matter! Hispanic Lives Matter! Police Lives Matter! Women's
Lives Matter! Unborn Lives Matter! Jewish Lives Matter! Even White
Lives Matter! And, of course, Black Lives Matter! And they all do.
But the problem is that in spite of all
the editorials, blog posts, demonstrations, signs, and T shirts, the
people who need the messages are not paying attention. Those who
are paying attention are asking what can be done and are often
answering “Not much.”
A second problem is that the movements
are seen as divisive and hostile. Even if they are not meant that
way, appearances can't be explained or discussed away and may turn
into reality.
So what can one do as a Christian, a
liberal, or a person of good will?
Maybe we can stop playing the games or
stop listening to others play them. While they have noble goals –
to save lives or show the basic unity of people – they aren't
helping.
These things may not help the situation, but they may help you.
Rodney King was right when he asked,
“Can't we all just get along?”
