Fear Has to be Replaced by Hope

Fear Has to be Replaced by Hope

As I was preparing my notes for a presentation that I was to give this evening, I decided to change my blog post (which will appear May 26, 2021).

Three points that I want to make and then questions, comments, interruptions, and objections are welcome.

• Italians are not White
• Italians are Italian
• This might seem trivial, but I will elaborate, but first, let us remember that it was one year ago the horrific image of a police officer kneeling on man’s neck while the life drained out of Mr. George Floyd. The words, “I can’t breathe” took on an entirely new significance. Protests under the banner of “Black Lives Matter” erupted across North America, regardless of the Pandemic.

My journey into my topic for today did not start there. For years I have told dinner guests that there are three kinds of people in the world:

1. Italians
2. That that want to be Italians
3. And those that want to be Italian but don’t know it yet.

Some people have smiled, a few have laughed, many more have groaned. However, there was something that rang out in my head not only one year ago. But when an American President declares himself a Nationalist (in October of 2018) – was it ignorance? Or is he playing to his base – a white and fearful base.

Fear holds us back ~ @Lino_Matteo

In my Italian heritage, the family was central, and the village (lo il paeso) was central. Now while Italians are proud of being Italian – many can take or leave their country, but their village is home. As Italians immigrated, they still congregated with their neighbours, friends and family from their village – it became an extended family of cousins, aunts and uncles.  Compari extended these relationships to one of an extended family formed via baptisms, confirmations, and weddings. It tied the community into family. Often with those other two important Italian components – religion (even if only for the event) and of course, food. Lots and lots of food. These ties were multigenerational. They were remembered even when the participants were no linger of this world.

My sense of Identity is not based on the completion of my skin. In fact, my earliest member of my skin tone was in reading the Hardy Boys, where they had a friend of Italian background – with an olive completion. Italians know that olives come in many shapes, sizes, and colours.

Speaking about olives did you know where the world Fascist comes from? It is a buddle of sticks, often symbolized as olive branches. A single stick or twig can be easily snapped and broken. But a group or bunch of them from a (fasce) or something that is tough and strong. Hence the meaning from the name Fascists. Now in the history of today, Fascists got a bad rap – with great justification. But I have an aunt, a nice lady, that told me years ago that the Fascists were not all bad.

I disagreed. But I decided to do some research. I remembered that the Fascists had published a manifesto. I did not recall that it had been written in 1919. That is over a 120 years ago. Some of what they proposed was quite extraordinary for that time. It included:

• Universal suffrage with a lowered voting age to 18 years, and voting and electoral office eligibility for all ages 25 and up;
• Proportional representation on a regional basis;
• Voting for women (which was then opposed by most other European nations);
• Representation at government level of newly created national councils by economic sector;
• The abolition of the Italian Senate (at the time, the Senate, as the upper house of parliament, was by process elected by the wealthier citizens, but were in reality direct appointments by the king. It has been described as a sort of extended council of the crown);
• The formation of a national council of experts for labor, for industry, for transportation…
• The quick enactment of a law of the state that sanctions an eight-hour workday for all workers;
• A minimum wage;
• The participation of workers’ representatives in the functions of industry commissions;
• To show the same confidence in the labor unions (that prove to be technically and morally worthy) as is given to industry executives or public servants;
• Reduction of the retirement age from 65 to 55.
• Creation of a short-service national militia with specifically defensive responsibilities;
• Armaments factories are to be nationalized;
• A peaceful but competitive foreign policy.
• A strong progressive tax on capital (envisaging a “partial expropriation” of concentrated wealth);
• The seizure of all the possessions of the religious congregations and the abolition of all the bishoprics, which constitute an enormous liability on the Nation and on the privileges of the poor;
• Revision of all contracts for military provisions;
• The revision of all military contracts and the seizure of 85 percent of the profits therein.

Many of these ideas seem progressive and sensible. Maybe my aunt had a point. I remember her telling me that education, even for girls, had become a priority under the Fascists. That must have been revolutionary in the early 1930’s. But was saw how these grabs for power were perverted and led to World War II. We saw the horrific excesses of the Nazi brand of Fascism that used the label Nationalist and Socialist in its propaganda and branding.  We saw many countries in the West flirt with their own forms of fascist ideology. Why? Because, we think, they were in fear. In fear of the Soviets and Communism. Communism was a bigger boogie man than Fascism to many.

In October of 2018, an American President (DJT) said that he was a nationalist. That sent my alarm bells ringing. He had crossed the Rubicon, in my mind. We saw the Republicans brand their opponents as Socialists and state that there was no difference between socialism and communism. By now most of the Western World has adopted so called socialistic policies. In fact, if you look at what the Fascists were proposing they would be deemed socialistic.

Labels – propaganda – fear.

But in my mind what I heard was:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

~ Pastor Martin Niemöller

The other day I was walking with a friend of mine. The topic of American politics came up. He expressed his dismay at intelligent people voting for Trump. He asked the question: “Why would they do that?”  

My response was: “Fear.”

“Fear of what he asked?”

“Fear of you and me. Our skin tones. Our ideas. The fact that they fear what is different.” My friend is a priest of Indian origin. He is nice man that is almost 75 years old. You would think that fear should not be factor when dealing with him. Yet, fear seems to be a main driver of American and by extension the Western worlds politics.

Monsters do not walk out onto a stage and declare themselves as such….

Yet is that not close to what Trump and some other Republicans have done when they demonize their opponents? Why should worlds like “All lives matter” become a shorthand for your life does not matter unless:

• You look like me
• You think like me
• You act like me

Welcome to the MAGA version of the Republican party.

FEAR has to be replaced by HOPE.

Do you know what is the biggest terrorist threat to America?

• Americans
• Race based militias
• White supremacists

Sacred? Perhaps we should be concerned. Remember January 6^th, 2021? Thousands marched on the Capitol Building trying to influence the counting of the Electoral College votes. Hundreds breached the barriers. People died. People were ordered to not augment the Capitol police so as to avoid this potential travesty. The United States of America became – even if only for a short while, a Banana Republic. What do some Republicans now say – that it did not happen?

January 6^th is when some Christians celebrate Epiphany. A relevant definition is: An epiphany (“manifestation, striking appearance”) is an experience of a sudden and striking realization. Generally the term is used to describe a scientific breakthrough or a religious or philosophical discovery, but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be understood from a new and deeper perspective.

The Americans missed the significance.

A more perfect union; A more perfect community; by raising up everyone in that community, we would all benefit. Yet, fear is in the way.

We should not fear change; we should not fear restoration. But a restoration not to what was, but to what should have been. We should embrace our cultural communities and differences – not as a sign of weakness but as a realization of strength. Change must come but we should seek change with the respect for all and with hope for all and dare I say it with love for our fellow human.

Lino Matteo ©™

Twitter @Lino_Matteo

May 25, 2021