The Other Games

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.

So pray, do what you can to get stronger gun laws or better enforcement of the existing laws, treat all people as if they matter, because they do.

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?”