Reason for Concern
Heading into a contentious election, the table is being set for chaos.
When I came across Mike Henderson's painting The Scream, I was struck by its enormity. This huge painting, hanging on an otherwise empty egg-white wall, demanded my attention. It reminded me of something: my own discontent with our current social situation. Without knowing anything about the painting, its intentions, or even its topic, I immediately understood what it meant.
As much as I try, I find it challenging to completely avoid the news. I make a conscious effort to read and watch enough to stay informed about current events, but I refuse to immerse myself in the constant stream of misery that the news seems to revel in, reporting bad news every minute of the day. It's important to remember that news is, at its core, entertainment. It's not fake, but these days, the news is no different from a reality television show. The subjects of both news and reality shows are in a constant battle for publicity and camera time. This parallel is not only concerning but also a reflection of the state of our media.
Even though I disengage from the news as much as possible, some disturbing information has grabbed my attention. In Virginia, a school board voted to reinstate the names of Confederate generals for two schools only four years after those Confederate names had been removed. Some years ago, my grandson was in an area in Mississippi where the high school was named after a Confederate leader. After some family discussions, he decided to attend a different school. Even though the new school was not as resourced as the other school and had lower national test scores, we thought it was worth moving to the new school.
Virginia is not the Deep South and has an ample number of African American and democratic voters. Yet, this is happening only four years after those names were removed. It is not a stretch to think that many other communities (mostly in the South) will soon follow in this Virginia school district's footsteps.
Since the 2020 elections, many states have passed legislation restricting the activities of organizations that conduct voting drives. In states such as Florida, Ohio, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, and Tennessee, restrictions are already in place. Going against these new restrictive laws is an existential threat to organizations due to the threat of financial risk and jail. People are threatened with a felony conviction, therefore, even losing their right to vote. In Florida, fines add up to over $250,000, more than the entire budget for these voter registration organizations.
Some of these restrictions and charges include where organizations can return forms, barring non-citizens from voting, and impersonation of an election official, which, according to some, workers can be charged with inadvertently based on the nature of their jobs. Due to these rules, several Florida-based groups have already shut down their voter registration drives. Without resistance, this will continue across the country.
In each of the states mentioned above, Republicans are leading this suppression effort. Their concern is fraud, even though there is no evidence of significant voter fraud anywhere. This effort is quickly being copied as Republicans in other states seek to limit voter outreach by creating criminal penalties for organizations trying to increase the voter pool.
Texas Governor Gregg Abbott pardoned Daniel Perry. Perry is the former Army sergeant who killed a Black Lives Matter protester and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Perry was carrying an AK-47 as an Uber driver. He shot the protester (with a .357 revolver) by rolling down his window and shooting the victim 5 times before driving off. He not only received a full pardon, but he also had permission to continue to carry arms. This is one well-armed Uber driver. This is one of those “stand your ground laws, where if you “think” you are being threatened, you can protect yourself with deadly force. Before the shooting, Perry posted online that the Black Lives Matter protesters were “a bunch of monkeys flinging shit at a zoo.” He also stated he would kill his daughter if she had a crush on a “little negro boy.” lol “negro?”
Taken individually, these incidents are not rare in America. However, we are heading for the most contentious election in American history. Add to this, the rhetoric of Republicans is full of references to violence, not by using dog-whistle tackets, but outright threats of violence if the election does not go their way. The only elections they will count are the elections they win.
Now, about this painting. Mike Henderson is a Bay Area artist, professor, filmmaker, and musician. This is his visceral response to the racism he experienced in San Francisco. Looking at this painting, I understand the anger it conveys. I imagine it to be the end of some type of metamorphosis, not a moment in time, but a long, continuous change from a normal face into one with anger that simmers below the surface like a disease and slowly rises to the surface where it can be seen, and sometimes misunderstood. This is a view of a black man, not from the outside, but on the inside.
Just like Dorian Gray, this is the real portrait of a Black man. But this portrait is not kept not in a dusty attic but in a much worse place: his head. There is an emotional cost to all of this turmoil that takes place in America. Henderson’s portrait conveys that. We are only at the tip of this problem. How either side reacts to this next election will determine if we will remain a functioning country. This is not hyperbole. Only a few years ago (and a galaxy far away), I would have never imagined that the disintegration of our democracy would be a serious concern. But all around, I see one side positioning for the fight ahead while the other is only concerned with counterpunching.
