second amendment

Transcending Division

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 2 Comments

Recently I spoke of the perceived division that America has been caught up in for these past many years and the opportunities we have to transcend that division, find common ground, and work together for the good of the all.  To do this, however, we first have to heal the division between us. This may sound like an impossible task, but from personal experience, I can attest that moving beyond division (especially political) is not only possible, the effort is profoundly worthwhile.

Let me share with you two stories from my own life that demonstrate this point…

Before sharing these stories, I should probably share where I tend to stand politically. Based on my social media and other public accounts, some would likely think of me as a bleeding-heart liberal. On some policies, maybe. But in truth, I tend to be moderate-to-progressive while being somewhat left leaning. In an electoral college system, this means that for the past many elections, I have cast my vote for the democratic candidate. That is not to say I wouldn’t vote for a candidate of another party, if their policies were in line with my beliefs and vision of what our country can be. It’s just that for most of my adult life, the democratic platform has more closely aligned with my beliefs.

I should also add that I have many friends and family members, who I deeply love and respect, who tend to vote differently than I. Knowing these individuals and what is important to them, I can (for the most part) understand their choices. Even if I don’t understand them, I can honor their choice. Their vote doesn’t make me love them any less.

Love, as it turns out, transcends division.

Now on to the stories that demonstrate some simple ways in which we can begin to move beyond division as a culture and find common ground…

The first happened sometime after the Parkland school shooting. As you likely remember, there was a loud cry for a ban on guns along with an equally loud cry in defense of the second amendment. In the midst of the outcry, not being a gun owner myself, and really knowing nothing about guns, I reached out to a good friend who both a gun owner and a strong advocate for second amendment rights. I asked if we could meet and discuss all of the above. I reached out to this friend because I knew he would provide me with intelligent, well-researched, and historically accurate information. I also knew that this would be a civil conversation.

It was. He instructed me on the history and original intention of the second amendment. He explained the current gun laws and all the protections therein. We discussed guns for hunting, assault weapons, and handguns – and where they fit into the discussion. In the end, I felt I could make an informed decision about where I stand on the topic of gun ownership. As it turns out, my friend and I discovered we had arrived at a similar position, perhaps with a few nuances, but that we could honor those differences between us.

Perceived division arriving at common ground.

The second conversation was more recent as it related to the 2024 presidential election. I knew of several family members and friends who voted differently than I did. In the midst of a friendly chat, I learned of another friend who had voted in that way. This is one of my closest male friends and I wasn’t surprised about his vote based on his background and life experiences, but I was curious, so I invited him into a conversation. I wanted to know what inspired him to vote the way he did, and he wanted to know what motivated me to vote the way I did. We had a respectful and informative conversation without judgment or condemnation. We both wanted to understand the other because we are friends and care about each other – and that’s what friends do. I think I can speak for both of us in saying that while we chose differently, we could understand why the other chose the way they did and honor that choice.

Differences don’t have to end a friendship.

Admittedly, both examples were conversations that happened between trusted friends who were emotionally mature and could carry on a civil conversation without judgment or condemnation. No one was attempting to prove they were right or convince anyone of anything. I don’t know what a similar conversation would look like with a stranger or with one who appears to hold violent beliefs. If we ever want to heal the division that has been created and imposed between us, however, and work toward finding a common ground from which we can improve our lives, we have to start somewhere.  

The Divided States of America

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Rome (aka the USA) is burning! In some places literally. In most other places, the nation is experiencing an increasingly volatile burning from the inside. What was called by the founders of this nation, “The United States,” is imploding from within due to division. At this point, we may as well admit the truth – we are no longer the United States of America.  The USA may more accurately be described as “The Divided States of America.”

Even with our heads in the sand, the division is obvious:

  • Racists vs. People of Color
  • Democrat vs. Republican
  • American Nationalists vs. everyone else
  • Rich vs. Poor
  • Evangelical Christians vs. everyone else
  • Anti-abortion vs. Pro-choice
  • Homophobic vs. everyone else
  • Patriarchal men vs. Women
  • Power driven vs. those seeking unity

The list goes on and on and on, and I don’t even know what to say about guns. Is it reasonable to argue that the second amendment protects people’s rights to own military assault weapons that are capable of committing mass murder?  Should we protect people’s rights to own bombs too?  Asking for a friend.

Division is the sad reality of our nation and I am convinced that nothing is going to change it. One might argue that change is always possible. In a recent post, popular pastor John Pavlovitz expounded on the dangers of Evangelical Christianity and issued a charge for us to do something about it. What does Pastor John suggest we do?  I’ve learned that if there’s one thing we cannot do – it is change someone’s mind. When someone is convinced their way is right, there is nothing we can do to convince them otherwise.

I’ve have freed myself from the illusion that I might change someone’s mind. I have also let go of the hope that change is possible in this nation for the simple fact that second only to death, humanity’s greatest fear is change. In many (if not most) cases, change only happens after something is pulled from our cold, dead fingers.

This is the point. The empire as we have known it is dying. As well it should! An empire built on the illusion of freedom by a bunch of slave-owning white men, where every ounce of liberty for anyone other than white men in power has been very hard one, is not a model I’m interested in continuing.  A nation built on fear, power, oppression, division, and control is by its nature unsustainable and cannot stand.  As one very wise brown skinned man once said:

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”  (MT 12: 25)

So it is with our nation. Rome (the USA) is burning and there is nothing we can do to stop it – neither should we try. It’s time to let it burn. There’s also nothing we need to do to hasten the burn – it’s doing a really good job all on its own. Instead, we are invited to accept the death of that which we have known, surrender to its death, and do what we can to keep ourselves safe and sane in a nation that is dying by its own hand.  Toward that end, I am holding a special LIVE event on Tuesday, June 14th via ZOOM, entitled: Surviving the Collapse of an Empire.  Click on the image below to learn more and to register.