Tag: Discrimination

Rewiring our Democracy Pearl

Are you rewiring this autumn? Anytime works for rewiring your thinking for your well-being and others’ well-being, although one might devote more energy to brain rewiring with more indoor time in autumn’s cooldown temperatures. Daylight is less available (depending on one’s location). I embrace this perception from John Steinbeck’s 1941 book, The Pearl: “It is the hour of pearl—the interval between day and night when time stops and examines itself.” It has been decades since I read this novella, but Steinbeck’s story about a Native American pearl diver, Kino, seems important to lift up in these times. Kino’s insecure income, healthcare refused due to a lack of money, and the tested values of a man who finds sudden wealth, are relatable themes today.

This is the hour to reimagine the pearl of democracy, a precious concept that appears under threat. In simple terms, democracy is about empowering citizens to hold free/fair elections and upholding the rule of law which promises equal protection for all. The well-being of all people is implied. The Statue of Liberty does not discriminate. Emma Lazarus’ welcoming words represent the underpinnings of democracy: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

I have listened to a weekly 6-part series of lectures from Stanford University on “Reimaging Democracy.” The final guest speaker in the series was former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Her words sting with a sharp truth: “The Congress is not working very well, not legislating well…the executive branch puts out orders; the judicial court challenges. We only have two branches working. We are windshield wiping back and forth.”   

It is a stormy season in our democracy. But change can come after tough times. Often it is in our rugged struggles that we might be inclined to examine our actions. Dr. Rice advises that folks discard the (fixed) mindset, “Because I think it, it must be true.”  She advocates that learning to listen is key. This was a bit of synchronicity for me, as I was preparing for my volunteer activity with a YMCA-sponsored after-school project at a local middle school. My focus was on listening and resilience exercises. These young adolescents appeared more perceptive than many adults regarding their thoughts on listening! Their candid comments set a truth learning-curve for all. One boy offered that he pretends to listen to someone when he is NOT listening. What if we had this degree of candor in Congress? Is Listening 101 ever discussed there?   

The Statue of Liberty’s original copper torch was leaking from rainstorms and corrosion. It was determined that the damaged torch should be replaced (7-4-1984). A rewired torch was installed. Let’s reexamine and rewire democracy.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

446. When have you pretended to listen to another person, but you knew you were NOT listening?

447. What does reimagining democracy mean to you? 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day and/or Columbus Day

What did the traffic light say to the car? “Don’t look now. I’m changing!”

Change is cumbersome even if you have a traffic-light mentality of its-green-for-MY-car.

According to https://renamecolumbusday.org/ over 200 cities and 29 states have renamed Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Some states acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day in terms of a proclamation; others celebrate it as federal holiday. Name changes include “Native American Day” in South Dakota, “Columbus Day + American Heritage Day” in Alabama, and “Discovery Day” in Hawaii.

Regarding Christoper Columbus, he reportedly never reached the North America continent; on October 12, 1492, Columbus reached an island that today is part of the British Bahamas. Believing his discovery was a grand route to India, he called the people he met “Indians.” Columbus was not the first European “discovery” explorer to cross the Atlantic successfully, as Vikings reportedly kept a short-lived second home in Newfoundland in the 11th century…so our grade school stories about Columbus were fake news? A factual Founding Father, Thomas Paine, wisely captured such disparities as the Columbus distortion in his 1776 Common Sense pamphlet: “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.”  

While some have this opinion, “You’re trying to change history – you’re confusing our grandchildren,” others want to rename the second Monday in October “Italian Heritage Day.” Still others would like to take a vote on whether to rename Columbus Day. With a current divided country, it could end up being a 50/50 election.

Ever curious about people’s values and how they think about a topic, I did an informal survey over the weekend. I asked individuals to vote for their naming preference. More people favored Indigenous People’s Day, although combo-naming was one person’s opinion in being inclusive and honoring Italian heritage. A tongue-in-cheek response likely speaks for many: “I call it a day off work.”

Indigenous People’s Day has enjoyed federal recognition since 2021, with the Biden administration proclaiming the second Monday in October “a day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this Nation.” Wording in the 2024 Indigenous Peoples’ Day presidential proclamation is critical language for today: “…we recognize that it is hard work to heal the wrongs of the past and to change course and move forward, but together, nothing is beyond our capacity.” 

Discrimination continues to hamper needed changes. Why do we recall the names of the three ships of the Columbus expedition decades later? Schools may teach the ship names (the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, in case you forgot), but we do not represent Native American names in our current entertainment industry. Less than 1% of Native Americans work in this field.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

333. What is your vote for naming the second Monday in October?

334. Beyond saying the names of the early people who settled our city lands at community gatherings, how might we correct cultural narratives about Indigenous people?             

Ageism Discrimination

Ageism Awareness Day is on October 9th, but let’s make every day an ageism awareness day as the Baby-Boom generation mushrooms into seasoned citizen territory.

 The World Health Organization posts these alarming findings:  Ageism costs billions annually in the U.S. from age discrimination — the economic cost of age discrimination against older workers was estimated to cost $850 billion in lost GDP in 2018 (from factors such as the inability to find work and earn promotions).                                                                                                               1 in 2 people worldwide are ageist against older people.

It is also possible to be ageist against young people, as in saying, “She’s too green for the job,” likely a sexist attitude and ageist. These discriminatory attitudes often travel together, along with a particularly damaging attitude — racism. “Ageism intersects and exacerbates all the other ‘isms,’ including racism, sexism and ableism,” according to the Ageism Fact Sheet compiled by the American Society on Aging (https://asaging.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/Ageism%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Ageism%20Awareness%20Day_0.pdf ).

Here is how journalist Connie Chung, first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News, describes the career hoops she jumped through at age 23 in Connie: A Memoir: “…Since I stood only five feet, three and a half inches (don’t forget the half), I compensated by wearing stilettos. I wanted to be as close as I could be, eye to eye with the men. I did not want to look up at them. I wanted to be their equal. I tried to lower my voice to mimic theirs and copied their on-air cadence. I knew they could easily bully me, and I was powerless to fight them, so I joined them. I knew I could never be one of the boys, but surely, I could adopt pages from their playbook. It was easy to imagine myself as just another white guy. I became aggressive, tough, bawdy, and extremely competitive. Yes, I looked like a lotus blossom, but I talked like a sailor with a raw sense of humor.”

There is more ageism discrimination for older adults. 64% of older workers maintain that they face age discrimination; 41% report ageism experiences in their workplace. Often companies have expected ages for “retirement.” For some individuals, leaving a demanding career may be a welcome life development; for others, a mandatory age for retirement seems dismissive of one’s talents.  

• Age diversity is not foremost in planning a company’s workforce, although organizations might gain a competitive advantage from multigenerational employees. Acknowledging age equity increases worker feelings of belonging, along with enhancing productivity.                                                                                                                                                         

 • Healthcare is ageist: In ages 50+, 1 in 5 experiences discrimination in healthcare settings.

Now for the good news, if you are lucky enough to live into your 70’s and beyond: people who possess more positive self-perceptions of aging live 7.5 years longer than those with less positive perceptions, according to Yale University researcher Becca Levy.

Find resources to advocate against ageism (https://asaging.org/ageism-awareness).

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz 

331. How often do you catch yourself being ageist?

332. What might you say to another when you hear an ageist remark?