RtR Community,
The temperature's rising. In the wake of the assassination of white supremacist propagandist Charlie Kirk, white supremacists have heightened their calls for violence and vengeance. Whether it's threats on
Historically Black Colleges and Universities or the bomb threats posed against two of Oregon's Black State Senators, James Manning Jr. and Kayse Jama, and Lake Oswego's own Senator Rob Wagner, we
can see that those calls for violence have been heeded.
Meanwhile, on the left, the debates about the merits of political violence and shaming of those who refuse to mourn Kirk--a man who once said, among other things, that the Civil Rights Act was a "huge mistake", there's no such thing as a Palestinian, "having an armed citizenry comes with a price, and that is part of liberty" and "I can't stand the word empathy--are following the same tired script.
Some
have even gone as far to say that despite their "differing opinions" with Kirk, that he "practiced politics the right way." It's vomit inducing to people who have been on the wrong end of not just the white supremacist rhetoric, but the violence and oppression that has come with it. Yet, it does highlight an
issue that should hit home especially here in Clackamas County.
Kirk was a despicable person, but he was an effective white supremacist propagandist because he did what many of us give lip service to--engaging youth where they're at. RtR has been hosting student panels and speaking activities over the years and the prevailing response is the same. Students share their trauma, concerns for safety and the reality of the racism of their classmates while adults pat them on the
head and repeat empty affirmations that the next generation will fix all our problems, all without doing any real engagement with these students themselves. If Kirk and his ilk did anything, they mobilized countless youth who really weren't alright while many of us were gleefully patting ourselves on the back for taking selfies to convince ourselves we were on the right side of history. Even California Governor Gavin Newsom, a rising liberal star many want to run for President, said his son was
a fan of Kirk when he had the prolific bigot on his podcast.
Now he's a martyr to a group that's been romanticizing Civil War openly for years. So what are we going to do?
Unfortunately, there are no magic fixes. No saviors are coming (and if someone presents themself as such, you should think long and hard about a time not long ago when such a man came riding into politics on a golden elevator).
This moment calls on us to come together to
organize for real justice, not just comfort and going back to the way things were (which were never acceptable for some of us). It calls on us to put ourselves out there in ways that are not just self serving. We are called upon to stop gaslighting the children and letting our fear of the hard work that comes with truly investing in youth stop us from really engaging while the worst people in the world indoctrinate them with naked hatred, unimpeded.
Are you interested in
engaging in that hard work? The Direct Engagement Team meets monthly to organize for deeper change. They're meeting this Saturday at 1pm at Lake Oswego United Church of Christ and will be holding space for those wishing to not just process this political moment, but strategize to create lasting change.
