Merry Christmas, Linus Van Pelt

 

 

 

 

 

 

*If you look around
The whole world’s coming together now

Can you feel it?

Can you feel it?

Can you feel it?

  

It’s been over 18 years since that fateful night when an intoxicated Rodney King was beaten in the street by four Los Angeles police officers.  I’d think that we all remember the initial outrage at the video footage of the “suspect apprehension,” the disconsolate feeling of the state trial verdict, the disbelief at the community’s riotous reaction, the horror of the retaliatory assault on truck driver Reginald Denny, and the emptiness of the federal verdict convicting two of the four policemen.  The thing I remember more than anything — particularly during the holiday season — are the words spoken by King himself, in an effort to quell the violent uprising within the African-American community:

 

“People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?  Can we get along?  Can we stop making it, making it horrible for the older people and the kids?  It’s just not right.  It’s not right.  It’s not, it’s not going to change anything.  We’ll, we’ll get our justice….Please, we can get along here.  We all can get along.  I mean, we’re all stuck here for a while.  Let’s try to work it out.  Let’s try to beat it.  Let’s try to beat it.  Let’s try to work it out.”

Linus Van Pelt

When I originally heard that speech, for some reason I immediately thought of Linus Van Pelt’s soliloquy in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” when Charlie Brown asked the Peanuts gang “what Christmas is all about.”  Linus responded with the Nativity story outlined in the second chapter of Luke — ending with the phrase, “…and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.”  As I mentioned in my May 2009 blog entry, it is my belief that everyone on the the planet shares one desire:  to be happy.  You don’t have to be a Christian to believe that peace on earth and goodwill towards men is a good thing.  Yet, there’s some part of our nature as homo sapiens which feels justified in acting against this basic concept when dealing with one another; despite our self-interest, we continue to hate, prejudge, defame, and at times even kill the very people who might be willing partners on the peace journey. 

  

*Feel it in the air,
The wind is taking it everywhere, yeah

 

Can you feel it?

Can you feel it?

Can you feel it? 

 

 

As I look back on what might be the most monumentally historic event of my lifetime — the inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States — I am somewhat disheartened that his election may have divided the country as much as (if not more than) the Rodney King incident.  Keep in mind, the L.A. riots, confined primarily to African-American enclaves such as Compton and Watts, sowed the seeds of mistrust towards the justice system– bearing fruit during that 1994 police chase of a Ford Bronco, occupied by A.C. Cowlings and a very famous passenger.  I’d think most people would acknowledge, even grudgingly, that most issues in our country are viewed through the prism of race — that is, the prism of our own perceptions about race.  If anything proved that, the O.J. Simpson trial proved that.  Even critics would admit that the October 2005 verdict (I remember exactly where I was when it was announced) polarized the country along racial lines…and revealed that issues of class and celebrity have been underserved as part of the social dialogue.  Since that fateful criminal trial (and, to a lesser extent, the civil trial), there have been flashes of progress towards that “peace-and-goodwill” thing — only to be tarnished by the spectre of our base nature.  The difference is, while Black people are more than willing to characterize the existence of race as a component of our cultural dynamic (although some might wish that Kanye West were not one of those voices!), the mainstream of society (euphemism: White people) is, er, reluctant to address it at all. 

  

*All the colors of the world should be
Lovin’ each other wholeheartedly
Yes, it’s all right
Take my message to your brother and tell him twice

  

There has been a lot of heated debate over President Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize this year.   Truthfully, the criticism that Obama hasn’t yet done anything to deserve the award is justified.  In contrast, there’s equal merit in the talking points surrounding his recognition, such as his ”efforts at dialogue to solve complex global problems.”  Personally, I believe anti-Obama pundits are either failing to recognize the foresight of the awarding committee, or refusing to acknowledge that the world isn’t as stupid as they’d like to believe (likely, a combination of both).  Perhaps this is a thumbing-the-nose at an America which hypocritcally trots the globe exporting our brand of capitalism and righteous indignation at others’ human rights violations, yet refuses to clean up its own mess at home.  I think the world believes Obama represents the promise of the United States, who elected a man of color DESPITE its continued promotion of privileged, minorities-as-second-class-citizens social practices.  Perhaps, the world sees the opposition to Obama as a desperate backlash against being led by a person who, in their privileged eyes, reached above his station, DESPITE his qualifications, capabilities, and co-mingled heritage.  Perhaps, the world views Obama as America’s first worthwhile, believable step towards peace on earth, goodwill towards men in a long, long time.

  

*Spread the word and try to teach the man
Who is hating his brother,
When hate won’t do, hoo
‘cuz we’re all the same,
yes the blood inside of me is inside of you

  

During this holiday season (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, etc.), I invite all readers to be more introspective with regard to your beliefs and feelings as they relate to your fellow man/woman.  I believe we can be better than we are.  I witness the buoyancy of the human spirit every New Year’s Eve.  I experienced it during Obama’s inauguration.  There are pockets of goodwill throughout the year…even in the most unlikely of situations.  I’m reminded of the true story of the Christmas truce between British and German soldiers on the battlefield during World War I.  Conditioned to kill the “enemy” during conflict, these men were overcome with a spirit of love for his fellow man at a time when many celebrate the birth of a child who embodied peace and goodwill.  These men saw a little of themselves in each other: brothers in the spirit of the holiday…if only for a day.  I say again:  we can be better than we are. 

The only thing stopping us from sustaining that feeling of fellowship we seem to get during the holiday season year-round is…us.  The best gift I can try to give others is the best of myself.  Instead of cussing out that kid who cut me off in traffic, I can say, “Merry Christmas.”  During next year’s election season, whenever I see a political ad that makes my blood boil, I can say, “Merry Christmas.”  The next time my wife moves my stuff during her “cleaning spells” and neglects to tell me where she moved it, I’ll just say, “Merry Christmas, honey.”  With the frequency in which I employ curse words, I’ll be wishing “Merry Christmas” quite a bit.  It’s a start.  Perhaps, that’s the start we all need.

 

  

*Now tell me

Can you feel it?

Can you feel it?

Can you feel it?

 

 Yes.  I can feel it, Linus.  Merry Christmas!

  

~Brian

 

*The Jacksons, “Can You Feel It”

Tags: peace