Religion and Politics

Through the years, people much wiser than me have advised me to stay away from religion and politics in this space.  For the most part, I've heeded that advice. 

I mean, think about it.  What two issues do we have today that seem more divisive?  What generates more passion than religion and politics?

But I've slipped one in here and there. 

This is going to be one of those columns that you can probably make it out to be whatever you want it to be about.  Some may read it as a political statement.  They would be right.

Others may have arrived here, in the Sports Pages, looking for something about sports.  They're probably going to find that too.

Maybe you will see it as a piece on religion.  I guess that's OK too.  We shall see.

This all started with Clemson football coach Dabo Swiney's treatise on Colin Kaepernick's choice of protest.  It was good.  You can find it on YouTube.

It also reminded me that I've seen a lot of things that Coach Swiney talked about.  He mentioned Martin Luther King's dreams for the world.  I remember that speech well.  We knew it was profound as were the events surrounding that speech.

I remember thinking that I didn't see all that prejudice and hate in the world but that's because I was blind.  I remember Jim Crow south, where the black friends in my small hometown had to go to a different school, miles away.  I remember how glad we all were to finally get to attend the same school.

Those were my friends.

Call me old (it's ok...I am) but I've witnessed a lot of things in my lifetime.

I can tell you where I was when we learned of JFK's death.  I remember when the Kent State students were shot.  And the fall of the World Trade Center.

I remember the '69 Mets and Dwight Clark's miraculous Super Bowl catch and Hank Aaron's home run to break the record.   I was living in Memphis when Elvis died.

I remember when Gandhi was a real man and not just a legend.  I was in Neyland Stadium when Billy Graham preached and Richard Nixon politicked. 

I've voted in every presidential election since I've been eligible.  I've won a few and I've lost a few.

But folks, I cannot remember a time when we've been more truly divided than we are in this country today.  About everything.  In today's society, you either agree with me or you are wrong.

I shared a taxi with a Georgia Congressman one time and asked him why politics had gotten so partisan.  He said it was because America had gotten so partisan.  He said that the government was merely a reflection of our country.

We hate people because of the color of their skin.  Because of their religion.  Because of where they live. 

We don't like this group because of their gender or this group because of their sexual orientation or this other group simply because they are different from us.  Goodness gracious, there are people that hate each other because of what school they attend or follow.

I've seen teams run up the score on the other team just because they didn't like the school they represented.

And then you can talk about the presidential election.

Why have we let it get this way?  I think a lot of it is learned from our parents.  Kids brought up color-blind simply see another person when they look at others.  Kids brought up with tolerance possess it in abundance as adults.  Kids taught acceptance learn those lessons well.

Kids that are taught that there are two sides to every argument learn to collaborate and compromise.  Kids that learn that together we are better and stronger become better teammates, spouses, and leaders.

I want to see a world where no one cheers when a kid makes a mistake.  I want to live in a world where we work together for the common good and no one suffers prejudice for being who they are. 

I happen to believe that our best days are still ahead of us.  I pray they are so.