J’ACCUSE – Tom Finneran

Friday, August 21, 2020

Tom Finneran, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

Tom Finneran is the former Speaker of the MA House

Accusation.

Such a bitter word.

Indulging in it seems to have become America’s favorite pastime.

Everyone is angry. Everyone is nasty. Everyone is guilty of some unforgivable social injustice. Except of course for those wonderfully tolerant folks without sin, who readily hurl the charge of bigotry, hatred, and intolerance at anyone who might disagree with them.

The word itself---accusation---is not associated with the nicer habits of mankind. No one is accused of kindness. No one is accused of thoughtfulness. No one is accused of gentleness or generosity. Rather, the word is reserved for the worst traits of mankind.

All of which makes the frequency of accusation in 21st century America ever more wondrous. Notwithstanding Covid-19, notwithstanding economic challenges, notwithstanding political disagreements, we live in a miraculous age of abundance, comfort, convenience, and prosperity. An outside observer might ask “why all the anger”?

Notwithstanding the daily diatribes of extremists and certain newspapers, my eyes and ears tell me that racial respect and acceptance is at an all-time high. I see it at the gym, at the beach, and at the golf course. I see it in the more serious pursuits of business and opportunity. I see it in family gatherings, at civic gatherings, and in religious services.

The same holds true regarding sexual orientation. My eyes and ears tell me that gay and lesbian couples are warmly welcomed in every imaginable setting, whether such settings are social, civic, recreational, or professional. It is an outcome long overdue.

America in 2020 is not the America of the 1920s, ‘30s, ‘40s, or ‘50s. The nation has come a long long way and is today much more closely aligned to its founding principles and ideals than ever before. Ask an older black person about her life experiences in 1940 America and then ask her to compare the freedom, the experiences, and the opportunities enjoyed by her children and grandchildren. It’s a different and better world in every aspect of life. The arc and acceleration of progress is astounding to her eyes.

Yet the noise and strife of the day would leave one to believe that America today is the antebellum South on steroids. The television news is depressing. Everyone is a racist, or so they say. Everyone is a homophobe, or so they say. Everyone is a xenophobe, or so they say. I find myself wondering why the media give such coverage to these constant accusers. Do the media truly believe that America in 2020 is a virulently racist society? Do the media truly believe that the nation is virulently homophobic? Where is the historical perspective of America’s social progress?

I think of two phrases which capture my imagination:

“E pluribus unum”. Translated it means “From the many, one”. I am an American. I am an American first. I am an American before I am a white American, an Irish American, a Catholic American, an Italian American, or a black American. America was the place where the many—after great struggle-- became one, where the ideals of freedom and justice and opportunity were embraced by fair and honorable people of all faiths and races. I believe that that America, partly mythical and mostly real, still exists in the hearts and minds of my neighbors and friends. Although one would never know it from the news………
“Love is patient and kind”. Taken from the Bible---1 Corinthians 13---, this beautiful phrase should be a daily refrain, uttered during those burdensome moments that test one’s tolerance for mankind’s many shortcomings.

In the days ahead, might we all drop the impulse of instantaneous accusation and opt more frequently for decency, patience, and kindness.

Let’s move from J’accuse to J’aime.