Whiteness is a hungry ghost.

Whiteness is a hungry ghost

Buddhist tell a story of a spirit with a insatiable appetite, filled with greed - a hunger that will never go away because it has a pin-hole sized mouth, suggesting that no matter how much it consumes, it wants more and is never satisfied.

They call it the Hungry Ghost.

It’s a frightening scene to behold in the spiritual dimension.  But we need not look far off for ways in which it’s more real than we could imagine.  As we speak there is a hungry ghost on a rampage for power and control throughout our land.  It’s moving through the state legislative processes across the nation.  It’s feeding on fear and grabbing for power, seeking to rip democratic power right out of the hands of citizens in order to feed its insatiable appetite.  But unlike the traditional notion of a ghost, who remains mysterious and veiled - this ghost has a name and a host body it has occupied.

It’s called Whiteness and Its host body is the GOP.

Now its important to note that whiteness is not a tone of skin or racial identity, rather it is a social construct created and maintained for the sole purpose of leveraging power and privilege of one class of people (mostly white)  over another (mostly black and brown).  This dis-eased form of consciousness has been around a long time (originating in the late 1680’s), and for much of that time it has been in sole position of the levers of power, privilege and wealth in this nation.  But this perch of power has been slowly eroding with the diversification of the American population, their constitutional rights. What was once an formidable voting block is no longer large enough to hold on to the power it has amassed over the years.  Privilege and power does not like to share what it believes it is entitled to, they must be fed a steady diet of more.

Yet more is not coming, not any time soon*.  In some ways it’s a classic tale of growth and expansion - growing pains of an American success story if you will.    As future generations grow in education and embrace the ways of the modern world, the old “traditional” ways are forgotten, dismissed or set out to pasture.  In other ways its the rise and inevitable fall of a false narrative, giving way to a greater truth.

Either way, in this case the “traditionalist” represented by the consciousness of Whiteness refuses to yield or even acknowledge the fabric of diversity woven into the American story.  What’s more, Whiteness refuses to acknowledge any legitimate presence or standing for anything other than what it deems as acceptable. Everything unlike itself is an “enemy of the state” even and especially in the face of the inevitable.

And so, we are left with a Hungry Ghost, insatiable in its appetite to not just hold on to what power it has, but to crush and diminish anything that rises against it.  And as its body begins to be ravished by the hunger it cannot feed, its outburst for power become more desperate, more dangerous and more cunning.

Ask any “Friend of Bill” and they will tell you the desperate lengths of manipulation, distortion, and immorality to which the disease of alcohol will go in its quest for control.

But if you want to see the desperate lengths to which the disease of Whiteness will and is going - just pay attention to the legislative process currently underway, most likely in your very state.  Like alcohol, a disease needs a willing body to do its bidding.  Whiteness has hand a long and storied relationship with its willing body; conservative and evangelical politics.  These sometimes strange bed fellows have gotten along swimmingly since the dawn of the modern Conservative Party in 1980 and the election of Ronald Regan.  Like all couples they’ve had their spats and hard times, but through it all have achieved their mutual goals often enough to make all the difficult times worth it.  And like many couples, each side has undoubtedly awoken the morning after a long night and hard fought victory and taken a long look in the mirror to ask, “is it all worth it?”   Looking back on the aftermath of Jan. 6th and the insurrection, one would hope the answer to that question would be no.  To more rational and level headed minds one might expect as much.  Sadly though the toxic cocktail has taken its toll on the body.  The toxicology report has come back and after years of mixing the dangerous elixir of white evangelical christianity and white patriarchy based politics, the damage seems irreversible.  That’s what makes the first step so difficult.  Rarely does the alcoholic want to hear that they have a problem.  Rather, they insist, they can handle it!  They can control it.  They can fix it. Just give them another chance.

“I alone can fix it:”

-Donald J. Trump 2016

“I am your retribution”

-Donald J. Trump 2023

Following the humiliating loss of two popular vote counts for President of the United States, including a re-election bid, the reality of which It is unable to face, along with dashed hopes for an insurrection inspired moral revival as well as a less than convincing “red wave” return to power in the mid-term cycle - the body is beyond parched.  It is in withdrawal - the addicts most dangerous state.

So how is this withdrawal manifesting?

St. Louis, MO - The state GOP controlled legislature is seeking control of the city of St. Louis police department.  Similar efforts were previously enacted in Kansas City, MO.  Dismissing its elected officials in favor of state appointed control*.

Flint, MI - Provisions for “emergency city managers” have been put in place in several red States where the GOP is chomping at the bit for the right opportunity to oust democratic leadership and have its own way with city resources, and almost always in predominately black and brown communities. When implemented, these have been disastrous initiatives.*

Atlanta, GA - The GOP majority Senate passed a bill giving the state legislature the power to remove any sitting prosecutor they deem unfit (including the prosecutor of Fulton, CO, who is currently closing in on an indightment against former President Donald Trump.)* This after last years move to oust the Fulton Co. elections board, if and when they deem that they don’t like the results.  Fulton County is majority black and democratic county.

And in the nations most egregious example, Jackson MS, the GOP is seeking to carve out 2/3 of the City of Jackson, making a new State GOP Controlled Territory* - where city officials will be replaced, including Judges and prosecutors, city police will be dismissed in place of the state run Capitol Police (already netorise for its over-reach, aggressive tactics and shooting of unarmed black men).  What’s more, to fund it, they will take money way from state and federal public good funds, like the Americans with Disabilities Act, in order to fund their GOP controlled occupation camp….what else would you call it when the water is not drinkable, democratically elected officials are dismissed of their duties and state run police are in charge of “keeping the peace”?   To be clear, Jackson MS, as we speak is under siege by an anti-black, anti-democratic agenda.

All across the country in democratic cities with African American elected leaders, the GOP is exerting its muscle and either taking over or setting the stage to be able to do so at will.  The message is clear;

“You will not replace us” - democracy and the rule of law be damned.

Disease does not care about rules, laws or democracy.  Disease only cares about itself.

For a disease to remain in control, when it’s already out of control, requires a distraction.  The disease called Whiteness needs a shinny object to distract from this immoral, anti-democracy power grab.  It needs a “boogyman” to distract and occupy the hearts and minds of the people.  Enter anti-trans legislation.

As of the writing of this article there are over 370 anti-LGBTQ bills either being proposed or debated in State Legislatures nation wide*.   These bills range from criminalizing gender affirming care, restricting who trans-youth can speak to about their journey, to outlawing drag shows.  Now let’s be clear, drag has never been a problem for the GOP.  From Bob Hope to GOP disgraced darling Rudy Giuliani - Drag has always been an acceptable punch-line for comic relief.  But when you are in power, like Whiteness has been, you get to decide what is funny and what is in or out of line.

But now that the power is slipping away, the need for a new moral outrage is ever pressing.  Never mind that everyone from John Wayne to Robin Williams has donned a skirt and lipstick and “Bosom Buddies” kept us all in stitches on mainstream network television, some how, the GOP is going to stop the wave of trans-athletes from “stealing sussy’s swim trophy” and put a end to Ms Doubtfire’s cozy book hour.  It all would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious.   These bills have real consequences on the mental health of a population already gripped with suicide ideation.  The GOP wants you to believe they’re concerned with the safety of children, but in actuality they are only concerned about the degree to which they can leverage your support through a manufactured crisis.  After all, it’s about the only play they have left in their book.

Like a drunk father stumbling through the house after a night of drinking and unrequited advances, he looks for a new target.  Everyone in the house is in danger, especially those that love him.

Yet there is hope.  We can turn this around.  Not by hating the one drunk on this power, not by making them the enemy of us, but by addressing the disease itself.

Ultimately every disease must run its course and that journey is filled with many choice points along the way.  The GOP must decide if and when it’s ready for a detox and rebuild itself.  If the latest activity in Florida is any indication - that day is still a long way off.

Meanwhile, we must decide how to be in the midst of what will continue to be troubling times.  What is ours to do to protect the children?  How will we ensure the safety of our most vulnerable populations, cities and communities?  Where will we draw the line and insist on the respect of citizens rights to choose their elected officials?

What will it take to move us beyond these dangerously violent false political and sociological binaries being peddled as “just the way it is.”   As we hold space for the politically sick to come to terms with their disease - where and how do we hold our banner high in the public square pleading for a more sane discourse?

These and questions like them we must take into serious contemplation and then act accordingly.

Take courage my friends, in the words of James Baldwin

“all is not lost.  Responsibility cannot be lost, it can only be abdicated.  When one refuses abdication, one begins again.”

- James Baldwin