Inclusion, Exclusion, & Social Cohesion

It's occurred to me that one of America's greatest strengths – its diversity – is becoming its primary fixation, joining fame and money in a trinity of all-too-common aspirations. 

This focus on diversity is not enriching us. No. Many have abandoned our aspiration for greater and greater inclusion for exclusion, enfeebling us by the day. 

It’s like we no longer believe 15th-century proverbialist John Heyward’s adage, “Many hands make light work.” We’ve lost appreciation for the variety of talent and viewpoints. Jealousy, resentment, fear, and distrust fuel this move away from acceptance and openness. 

The motto now seems to be “Only I/we can get this done. There’s no need to reach beyond our clan to make this happen.” Now the stranger is turned away; foreigners are demonized if they can’t be exploited. 

Inside & Outside

While once we seemed devoted to the richness of our national complexity, now we’re outsiders and insiders on the lookout for ways to get in, get out, let in, or push out. Lacking individual definition, we try to identify who we are by focusing on who we are not.

Young not old.

White not Black.
Rich not poor.

Strong not weak.

The older I get, the clearer this becomes – and not just because experts tell us seniors start to fade into the mist of anonymity and irrelevance (National Institute On Aging). Even a cursory survey of social media interactions and news reports would support the conclusion that feuding is like a fetish for folks.

I'm right, you're wrong.

I'm smart, you're stupid.

I belong, you don't.

I'm saved, you're not.

I'm a winner, you're a loser.

Winners & Losers

Zero-sum politics reflects of our eagerness to be on a winning team and not just to beat but to destroy opponents. As Zendaya's ruthless tennis coach in the recent film Challengers tells her protege/husband before a middling match, "Decimate that little bitch." That statement might one day be stamped on our coinage (philosophyterms.com).

As stated by the villainous marquis in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” “Second chances are the refuge of men who fail.”

Insularity, tribalism, harsh competitiveness, and confrontation are not recent phenomena. My observations are certainly not new. The rock band Pink Floyd's included these notions in song “Us and Them” on its 1973 release Dark Side of the Moon.

Black and blue

And who knows which is which

And who is who

Up and down

And in the end

It's only round and round, and round

"Haven't you heard it's a battle of words?"

The poster bearer cried

"Listen, son," said the man with the gun

"There's room for you inside"

Opening Minds & Arms

Finding ways to tell others they don't belong or, even worse, they don't matter were once just loose threads and dropped stitches in America’s social fabric. Letting it become the warp thread that is the basis of the nation’s structure would be tragic.

Ironically, those wanting to counter these trends and restore inclusion and cooperation in the U.S. might look to the work of “outsiders” in other countries who are trying to install peace in their communities. 

As described by the International Peace Institute, grassroots organizations in Africa, Asia, and South America are building coalitions that challenge the status quo and exclusivity for peace and human survival (International Peace Institute). We might rediscover how working together leads to positive change.

© Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash