Photo Credit: Ted Eytan (Flickr CC)
We’re hearing the word “transition” a lot these days. Every time I hear it, I think of my trans friends and their rites of passage. There’s a metaphor, or at least a parallel, in the two processes.
For the individual, transitioning is a complex journey and a personal imperative. Despite the biological conflict, it demands an individual’s reckoning and a decisive action on the matter of their identity, Beyond the myriad emotional, spiritual and physiological issues to deal with, there’s another critical factor: acceptance. That spectrum is broad, ranging from unconditional embrace to complete rejection. For the transgender person, the process of acceptance may never end.
The U.S. is in transition. It is moving from its state of aggrieved authoritarian disunion and hate inspired governance by the privileged to its true democratic identity. For the national transition to be successful, the nation must decide whether or not to reconcile with its identity. President-elect Biden has optimistically appealed for unity with an idealized “we’re all Americans” slogan. However, that implies willingness on both sides, buttressed by a Rwanda-like criminal tribunal perhaps, to come to that sort of resolution and reset. Sadly, a happy ending to our national transition is unlikely. In fact, we’re already seeing our current state of division exacerbated.
During the regime’s remaining weeks, it’s pursuing the familiar divide-and-conquer strategy, but at breakneck speed. Of course, at the forefront there’s the attempted Republican coup to overturn the will of the people. Meanwhile, the plunder of natural resources continues and more conservative (and, as in past appointments, unqualified) judges are being confirmed to life-long seats on Federal benches. We saw the judicial impact of government by the greedy back when Wisconsin’s Supreme Court struck down the pandemic response measures sought by Governor Evers.
Trumping Common Sense
In similar fashion, in deference to the 1st estate, the Supreme Court of the United States just decided to put New York State’s restriction of public gatherings on hold. In its decision, so-called religious liberty trumped common sense, science and, one could argue, the separation of Church and state. It’s reminiscent of Milwaukee Archbishop Listecki’s “Return to Church” order for Catholics back in September in which he suggested noncompliance with the Sunday obligation would be a “grave sin” (he got the grave part right…and thank God for the Cemetery Trust Fund).
The irony in both cases is the apparent disregard for public safety in the name of religion. While dominionist zealots may argue the primacy of religious belief above and beyond any consideration for worldly matters (like highly contagious diseases) and may actually believe it, others more pragmatically may simply be worried about their tax-free tithe flow and their ever barer larder.
Locally, our Wisconsin death Panel (aka Supreme Court) put a hold on Racine’s virtual school mandate while it ponders Dane County’s. Meanwhile, the pandemic spreads. Or course, for LGBTQs, the future of our equality and basic rights hang in the balanced despite the Biden victory.
To complete our transition successfully, it all comes down to Georgia’s senate runoffs on January 5. Should Republicans prevail we’ll see the same obstruction witnessed for the duration of President Barack Obama’s second term. It will also signal our continued slide towards an Iranian style theocracy. We can only hope for a Democratic victory. Transitioning is difficult in the best of times. I marvel at the audacity and strength it takes. I hope the nation can muster those same virtues as the individuals I know who have accomplished it.
