Last week, I wrote about my friend Majda coming here to the U.S. As I’ve thought about her, I’ve wondered how our lack of civility here in America must frighten her. She saw this kind of tribalism tear her country apart. Her husband, who died during the war, reported on Yugoslavia’s breakup. She reported on the refugees. She knows about the death camps and the rape camps and the depths of human brutality.
How must she have cringed during the 2016 election when she heard the chants, “Lock her up! Lock her up!” She must be terrified by armed people on statehouse steps screaming, “Liberate Minnesota! Liberate Michigan! Liberate Virginia!” while people die.
Majda did something she was sure she’d never do. She met a man she loves and she’s remarried. Moved halfway across the continent and we’ve lost touch, but I can’t help thinking about her and her daughters.
Her youngest daughter—after the war—went back to Bosnia during summer breaks from college and gathered up the children. She taught them mediation, how to get along even if you have different beliefs. I wonder if she’s working in America now along with the other mediators I know.
How weary she must be.
Faith, I love this provocative piece. You already know my concern that our current political and cultural wars are using the all too familiar tactics that eventually erupted in Bosnia and were used as excuses for the violence and atrocities. The complicity of the political and ethnic leaders simply required someone to start outward coordinated actions, planned actions as we have learned, and the people were stuck having to fall in line or flee.
I fear that, without change, we on a path to become the Bosnia of the North American Continent.
I am beginning to get the ear of media producers and some of the political leaders for which I am grateful, but we all need to learn how our own brains are complicit in America’s problems as well. We need to learn how our political and social reactions are setting us up to accept taking sides if someone just starts the actions.
I pray we will learn before things reach a critical mass from which we are unable to return. I pray that we have not already reached that critical condition.