CV19: Dismantling

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One of my favorite movies that confronts and explores fear, including fear of and vilifying others, is Monsters, Inc., an animated comedy from 2001 that is about the divide between the worlds of humans and monsters.

Mr. Waternoose, the monster boss who runs the power plant, has a team of monsters who sneak through doors at night and generate energy from scaring kids. They capture fear to power their world.

But the biggest, scariest monster, Sully, and his partner, Mike, accidentally bring a child back to the power plant and are terrified of her. Monsters have been told and conditioned to fear children as contaminated beings that would destroy their world. In a series of misadventures, the monsters inadvertently discover that laughter and joy is more powerful, a lot more powerful, than any scare.

Ultimately Waternoose is banished and the company is forced to change or not exist. They adapt. Changing their tactics and restructuring their energy company makes life better for the monsters and the kids.

There are a number of parallels to American life today, along with opportunities to change things around. Like the moral of the story in the movie, I also believe that the power of joy, love, and laughter is infinitely greater than fear, anger, and violence.

How do we get there? One educational, understanding, and connective step at a time. Jump in with me and challenge everything we were taught or indoctrinated within our families, neighborhoods, or culture.

First, some resources: These are just a few among the compelling educational programs and narratives that have affected my understanding and appreciation for the topics.

1. Read and learn from the New York Times multimedia deep historical exploration on slavery, The 1619 Project . The 1619 podcast is one of the most meaningful productions I’ve experienced.
2. Follow and learn from @thegreatunlearn “A community of everyday human beings committed to curiosity for what is possible in the world. Monthly self paced syllabi curated by @rachel.cargle“
3. Watch the PBS series Asian Americans . “Explore the impact of Asian Americans, the fastest-growing population in the United States, on the country’s past, present and future, told through individual lives and personal histories.”

Next, a call to action:

• It is time to recognize the oppression of Native Americans and tribal communities and to take action to support the wellness, safety, sovereignty, and empowerment of indigenous people.
• It is time to stop killing black people and for our society to unequivocally condemn the killing of people of color across all races and nationalities.
• It is time for women to have unmitigated control of and sovereignty over their bodies and lives and for society to support women’s rights.
• It is time to recognize a spectrum of gender identities and stop pushing binary absolutes socially and in legislation.
• It is time to recognize the dignity and worth of people seeking asylum and to create a path to safe immigration and citizenship.
• It is time to unravel the school to prison pipeline.
• It is time to stop normalizing the death of 90,000 people (in the US out of 316,000 worldwide!) infected with coronavirus, and to change the economic system to one that supports human beings over profits.

It is time to build a world where we collectively honor and support the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings.

To get to a place where we can begin to adapt and make changes that eradicate unhealthy power structures, we have to understand the people and situations that are feared and misunderstood and marginalized. The United States was founded on the concept of freedom, yes, and it has also thrived due to a historical economic and social structure based on slave labor, and current underpaid and unpaid labor, that is racist, sexist, and oppressive.

Once you know the suffering and joys and love of another, you cannot un-know them. Because we, all living beings, are connected. It is a gift to witness the truth of another person’s existence. It is a gift to be seen.

The world has too long relied on an imbalance of power, fueling unnecessary destruction and suffering. I believe we are called to dismantle oppressive frameworks.

“If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it” ~ Zora Neale Hurston

The coronavirus pandemic is shining a light on these disparities again and again, and we cannot ignore them.

We can do more with education, understanding, connection, and love than the fear and divisiveness that has been programmed into culture for generations. Just like Monsters, Inc., when the monsters find out that kids aren’t dangerous and the kids find out that monsters are funny, the world goes forward with an even better power source, and everyone has more joy living in an equitable and connected community.

Postscript: What I write here has been said by many others, so I add my voice to the chorus. What do your voice and actions support?