A few thoughts on the current situation

My views of the way that social activism has developed in the wake of George Floyd's death are nearly all positive.

What strikes me the most is this: most of the people I see on-screen in the marches and protests are peaceful; they are young; they are multiracial; and their motivation is coming from a good place.  They are motivated by love; they are trying to show solidarity; and they want to make the world better than it has been.

This is such a tonic after the last four years of Donald Trump - the man who rode seething resentment and intolerance into the White House, and has been trying to stoke resentment and division ever since.

It appears to me that politics have been reswizzled because of this moment.  This activism has shown me, and I hope has shown the American people, that we don't have to settle for resentment and division.  We can embrace unity and hope and change for the good.  Donald Trump suddenly feels obsolete; the world isn't defined by his framework anymore.

The Democrats may also have been reswizzled.  Biden vs. Bernie from just a few months ago feels obsolete, too.  Neither candidate seems made for this moment.  If the Democratic primary could be reset and start over again now, I suspect we'd see a different outcome.  I am not sure who would seize the moment.  I'd like to think that it would be someone who can project optimism and passion for change.  That suit doesn't fit Biden or Bernie very comfortably.

The protests and the movement they exemplify seem to be pursuing change on a couple of different fronts.  One is police reform.  That seems likely to happen.  Both houses of Congress, and the president, are in favor.  And at the state and municipal level, which is where most reform actually would occur, politicians seem ready to enact change.  Naturally, the police and their unions are resisting, so the outcome isn't clear, and what we end up with may not be as much as seems possible.  But even half a loaf is more nourishing than nothing at all.

The second front for change is to purge racism.  Perhaps there are legislative remedies that can be pursued, but I don't see legislation as the main arena for this effort.  One of the arenas where we are seeing activity is in corporate America.  Corporate leaders are sprinting to try to get out in front of this moment.  Corporations are being pressured, by savvy activists who are learning to pull the levels of investment activism.  They also are being pressured by the marketplace - their customers - especially those who sell consumer goods.  And they are being pressured by employees who also are starting to find their voices - a development which could portend further reforms beyond racial opportunity and equality in hiring, employment and promotion practices.

It seems fairly likely that Juneteenth, a term with which I was barely familiar a month ago, could be inaugurated as a national holiday.   My wife's employer, a large multinational corporation, gave its American employees the day off on Juneteenth this year.

It's worth noting that this moment could have been waylaid.  It's critically important that the violence, looting, burning and other lawbreaking mostly abated after the first couple of days at the end of May.  The dismay and anger which drove the protests mostly haven't been channeled in these destructive and self-destructive ways.  They have been channeled into peaceful but passionate protests.  And they have been channeled in ways that are likely to bring about real, tangible change.

We've found ourselves in a remarkable time.  It seems that nobody planned it, and not many foresaw it.  I think it's possible to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit.  Come Holy Spirit and renew us.