Why the Hate?

 "Why do you hate your own people?" I was asked. "Why do you look to denigrate all White people, making "our" history one of hatred and violence, instead of focusing on all the good we've done? What about the creation of the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, winning all those wars?"

This was in response to a post I shared on Facebook about one person's observation of the US accepting White "refugees" from South Africa and not Black or Brown ones from other countries. "Why the Hate?"

But here's the thing. I am a passionate sports fan. I have been a fan of the University of Georgia, the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Atlanta Hawks for well over half a century. When they lose, I don't hate them; I want them to do better. When the Braves won only one World Series in the midst of 14 consecutive division titles, I was proud! I didn't hate them, I wanted them to do better. When the UGA football team went over 40 years without a National Championship, mythical or otherwise; I didn't hate them; I wanted them to do better. When Jan Kemp uncovered the scandal at UGA in the 80's, or when Jim Harrick was exposed for manipulating grades, or when a football player and a staffer died in a car wreck a few years ago, I didn't hate anyone. I simply wanted UGA to do better. When the Falcons led 28-3 in the 2nd half of the Super Bowl... well, that one is still kinda painful.

When my band students mess up, or make mistakes, or do things they shouldn't, I don't hate them. When my family does things I don't agree with, or hurts me with the things they say or do, I don't hate them. When any of the many administrators I have worked for makes what I consider a wrong decision, I don't hate them. I simply want them to do better.

So when I see us mistreat immigrants, read about how our country has fallen fall short of its ideals throughout its history- slavery, Jim Crow Laws, redlining, the KKK, segregation, poll taxes, the Trail of Tears, massacre after massacre, the My Lai incident, and so many more- I don't hate my country; I want it to do and be better. 

We can't be or do better if we don't acknowledge our failings of the past. My students can't play a correct Concert Bb scale if they refuse to acknowledge that the one they played was incorrect. I can't do better in my career if I refuse to acknowledge (and apologize, if necessary) that I've made mistakes, or refuse to correct those mistakes. My favorite sports teams can't get better unless they analyze where their failings lie, and strive to eliminate them.

And our country will not be "Great Again" (as if we were great sometime in the nebulous past, but not now) until we learn from the past, and work hard not to repeat the same mistakes. Our country is great, just like all my favorite teams are great, but we, and they, are not great every day, or every week, or even every year. And we have not always been great in the past. But we can strive to be better. 

And what we are experiencing now is not greatness. The blatant corruption, the destruction of our economy, the disregarding of our laws, and so much more from this administration is not going to make us "Great Again". Our country has been a leader on the world stage for more than a century, but this administration has thrown it all away just to satisfy some billionaires and some White supremacists. 

So yes, I'm going to continue to point out where we have fallen short of our ideals, and when we continue to fall short. And I'm going to keep pushing us to do and be better. For as much I love my Bulldogs, Braves, Falcons, and Hawks, I love my country just as much, and I want them all to be the best they can be. And when they mess up or fall short, they should apologize, move on, work to do better, and don't keep making the same mistakes.