I don't know, dear reader, if you have arrived here after your own fall down the rabbit hole, but if you read my previous blog, you'll have seen that I am a) a raging liberal and b) not a fan of the new president of the USA. Please don't feel that either of these things define me: I am more than the sum of my parts. Nonetheless, on this occasion, it is the above factors which came to mind as I read the article and the definitions of each phrase. These are also the basis of the rest of this blog post.
There were three phrases which especially felt important. I'd like to share them with you...
"Homo sum humani a me nihil alienum puto"
I am a human being, so nothing human is strange to me
The article describes this as advocating respect among all people, regardless of superficial differences. I think this can apply across several levels. In the context of modern politics, we need to encourage less division and fewer barriers. The world is shrinking as transport and technology connects us at greater speed than ever before. Yet the population is more divided than at any time in living memory... except among the decreasing few who remember World War II.
We can also use this phrase as a reminder to consider the many circumstances which we face as humans - positive, negative, affirming or debilitating. When chatting earlier about someone who only joins conversations infrequently and even then with little enthusiasm, I had to force myself to think that this person could be suffering from any number of issues, from anxiety or pain to bad past experiences. We never know what drives another human until we really get to know them intimately. Even within our own culture, race, religion, age group, there are so many other things which can separate us that we must fight to put them aside and look only at what unites us all: our humanity.
"Corvus oculum corvi non eruit"
A crow will not pull out the eye of another crow
Once we've realised that we belong to a team (or species!) it is our duty to stand shoulder to shoulder for the benefit of the group. From childhood I've never understood the attitude of "I'm alright Jack" - I'm fine so why bother worrying about the person next to me. Everything in nature shows that we are stronger together: a blade of grass is easily blown over but an entire hay bale takes a lot of effort to move.
Equally, human history shows us that societies which fail to support their most vulnerable put everyone at risk. A German theologian became known for his statement beginning, "First they came for..." which has been copied and altered many times. Martin Niemöller was a pastor in the German Lutheran church and was an early supporter of Hitler and the national conservative ideology which arose after the fall of the German empire and the Weimar Republic's subsequent socialist and communist leanings. However by 1934 he had realised the extremities of the Nazi cause and was a campaigner against them. Despite his change of heart, he still had some flawed opinions at that stage and only spoke out for those whose beliefs aligned with his own. He was imprisoned in 1937 and again in 1938 (with no freedom between sentences!) until 1945 when he was liberated at the end of the war. He cites this imprisonment, spent with people from all walks persecuted by the Nazis, as the turning point in his life. He spent the rest of his days campaigning for peace, justice and disarmament. He was a key figure in the Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt which acknowledged the failings of the Church in allowing the Nazi persecutions to go on without challenge. He is still controversial as a flawed individual but by his death in 1984 he had fully admitted the sins of his past and worked tirelessly to make amends. His story is quite remarkable and one which I think is important not to lose through time. His story also serves a valuable role today in reminding us not to repeat his mistakes. It is vitally important that we do not allow governments and leaders to sideline, persecute or exclude any group from our society, regardless of our own position or privilege, and with Pastor Martin's words in our ears:
"Castigat ridendo mores"
Laughing corrects morals
Morals are subjective. What I believe is "right" is entirely based on my nature and nurture. Another part of my nature/nurture is a complete inability to keep my mouth shut when I perceive injustice or wrongdoing. I am a very outspoken person and while I am capable of tact, diplomacy and common sense, I am also a fierce fighter for those who cannot speak for themselves. I understand why some people shy away from speaking up, preferring to avoid negative attention. I sympathise, especially when I'm on the receiving end of backlash after opening my mouth to object to something. I'm tempted to do what my children try with their mouths when they get into trouble for speaking out of turn: Zip it, lock it, put it in your pocket.
Then I remember Pastor Martin. I'm a western white female. I'm a follower of the largest religion in the world. I would have thought that I was in a position of privilege. Until I witnessed a room of men in America enact a law that affects women globally. Then today I read the Vice President of that largest power in the Western world promise to defund selected women-only rights. Regardless of your views on abortion, these two acts directly affect women and only women. "Privileged," western, white women as well as the poorest in US society. This presidency is only one week old and its laws, signings, bills and promises have already hit immigrants, Native Americans, women and federal scientists (who were figuratively gagged in direct contravention of their First Amendment rights).
It is tempting to say, "it's only in America, it won't affect us," but the unelected Prime Minister of the UK is currently having tea and Bakewell tarts in the White House, so I wouldn't start counting any chickens just yet. Just as Hitler wanted a world filled only with blond-haired, blue-eyed boys who followed only the ideologies espoused by Adolf himself, it won't be long before we start to see the American businessman finding a way to harm any group that doesn't fit his standard of greatness. And what is good for the US is often OK in the UK, since we became the weaker partner in that "special relationship."
So with "phrase one" in mind of our fellow humanity and "phrase two" in mind of our obligations to stand up for each other, we must now push forward with "phrase three:" kill their power with satire. Laughter is the key. Undermine them, challenge them, ridicule them and just don't take them bloody seriously. If you take them seriously, they can go ahead unhindered. Waste their time arguing semantics, grammar, crowd size... Take up valuable air time to make them look silly. Anything to stop them having a platform for hatred and prejudice.
I found out about the Women's Marches too late to join in, but I loved looking through photos from the events, especially reading all of the signs. Some were ingeniously funny. A friend travelled to Washington DC to take part in the march and I cried watching her videos. There weren't just women in attendance, but men, children, dogs! Standing together to say that we will not be knocked down so long as we have each other.
So when the scientists of the US National Parks, EPA and NASA were vilified earlier this week and began to plan a march for later this year, I decided to follow the UK sister march and I intend to be there with my husband and children (they just don't know it yet!) I'm utterly sh*t at science of any kind (I'm a linguist, remember?) but my husband is a scientist and my oldest son has the most curious mind imaginable, always has. We will stand as a family, as part of a wider community and say, "not in my name."
So there you have it. I opened my laptop tonight to write a blog about how to enjoy life and I ended up exploring language and politics. Again. Oops. I promise the next blog won't be controversial at all, not even a little bit. It will be positive and life-affirming and fun.
Bigly fun.
Stay woke.
FG x
Latin article here
More on Pastor Martin here
UK science march info here
US science march info here
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