What It Means To Be An American
by Bill Gouveia for the Sun Chronicle
There have been times when some have questioned just what it means to be an American. This is one of those times.
We are a country born of protest and rebellion. Those we call the “Founding Fathers” were termed “Treasonous Criminals” by the lawful government at the time. Had they strictly obeyed the laws and patiently waited for fairness, rather than taking a radical, dangerous and sometimes violent path — the America so many claim to love would not exist today.
This country condoned the enslavement of an entire race for over 80 years. Then fought a vicious, bloody, civil war in large part to allegedly “free” that race.
It took another 100 years before a sweeping civil rights movement would bring African-Americans even remotely close to the equality our Constitution promises. It was modeled after peaceful protest but marked by disobedience both civil and otherwise, and sometimes violence.
Today, things are much better. America has improved. We have re-written and passed many laws to protect the rights of minorities.
But better is not good enough. In this regard there is no such thing as “more equal.” There is only equality or inequality. And inequality has been tolerated for far too long.
In our area, the impact of systemic institutional racism may not seem as obvious — unless you are a victim of it. It may be more subtle than in Boston or Providence or other cities, but it is real nonetheless. That is a fact we can no longer deny.
I don’t pretend to understand it. I am a white man. I grew up and still live in Norton, a town the last census showed was over 90% white. In school in the 60’s and 70’s we had only a handful of black students. Even now, most people I know and interact with are white. That’s just a fact.
So although I read about the problems of race, talk to people about it, and watch it on television — I have little actual experience. I consider myself to be an open and accepting person. But is that enough? Have I done anything to truly help the situation? Or have I contributed to the problem by just saying racism is wrong, but not actually doing things to expose and expunge it?
Let us concentrate on that. Not on the looting, which is wrong and should stop. The truth is, that’s the easy part. And as Americans today, we are too often all about taking the easy path. The hard stuff? That’s somebody else’s problem.
This is not just about policing. It is about how society views black people, especially young black men. It is about our attitudes, our obvious prejudices and the ones we don’t even know we are projecting. It is about confusing “better” with “equal,” and mistakenly believing “white privilege” is just another made-up term instead of the truth it so obviously is.
And it is about the lack of positive action from people like me, who just simply haven’t had the experience. Who haven’t had their lives directly affected. Who need to better comprehend.
I think today, understanding that is to understand being an American.
Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and longtime local official. He can be emailed at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.
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