Greetings. I hope you had a restful and meaningful Father’s Day and Juneteenth observance. Beyond the usual work obligations, I was treated by David to a round of golf on Sunday; remarkably, I comfortably broke 100 (which is not such a great score) after not having played a round of golf in 14 months. Dave did better. So, even though golf “won” (as it always does), we had a wonderful time, followed by a family dinner.
I have begun reading the book “Putin vs. The People,” by Samuel Greene and Graeme Robertson. Harriet and I heard Greene speak at a book signing on Thursday evening. I was struck by the surprising (to me) observation that Putin is indeed very popular in Russia (his approval ratings exceed 70%!), and that this popularity rests not only in his authoritarian manipulation of public behavior and internal information, but by his keen understanding and responsiveness to what most Russians want to think about themselves. It is fascinating reading.
One of the real turning points for his regime has been the ability to control information flow, which in the internet age is voluminous and nearly instantaneous. Contrast that with the events of June 19, 1865, 18 months after the Emancipation Proclamation, and more than two months following the surrender of General Lee’s army at Appomattox. Information traveled more slowly in those days, and authoritarian control rested upon keeping enslaved humans illiterate and immobile.
How long might it have taken for word of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach around the globe in the modern era? One day? One hour? One minute? But, how long might it take for such a decree to take root, to come to life, when the intention of the state is not aligned with the will of its citizens? The United States was at war with itself back then, and a simple decree, no matter how noble, meant nothing until a bitter war had been won. The gains, and the intent of the Emancipation Proclamation, then were devitalized by Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and now by the grim reappearance of overt bigotry in public policy, discourse and practice.
So, here we are, 154 years following the original Juneteenth. Once again, we are at war with ourselves, though far less blood has been shed. Once again, the governing consensus that aligned with the way citizens understood their world has been sundered. How long will it take for the real intent of Juneteenth to be realized? I fear that laws and needless bloodshed won’t cause durable change until we can re-establish a shared understanding of what it means to be an American, and to understand that this definition is not bounded by race, religion or personal origin story.
Putin knows the importance of consensus to be true in Russia and has created a shared vision that, in many ways, embraces the opposite of the goals of our 246-year-old American experiment. No Juneteenths in his world…
I hope that we rediscover our founding purpose in the coming years. Until then, let’s commemorate Juneteenth with a solemn purpose to create that more perfect Union, founded on justice and the dignity of all human life. I also hope that the Russian people come to realize that their existing consensus, which aligns with Putin’s worldview and supports a continuation of the abhorrent attempt of Russia to conquer the Ukraine, will lead to changes in the approaches of Putin and his successors.
I have more hope for the United States than I do for Russia. Always had, always will.
Stay safe and be well.
Lou
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.