Screaming NO!!: Rejecting the Tragic Flaws Hidden Within "Make America Great Again"

Have you ever questioned the history you were taught—or the parts that were left out?

In recent years, the deepening divisions between differing beliefs in the United States—and indeed, around the globe—highlight the urgent need for this kind of radical engagement. It often feels as though we are living with two, or even multiple, competing narratives about who we are, where we come from, and where we are headed. These divergent worldviews are not arbitrary; they are the result of disparities in the education we receive, the stories shared within our homes, and the values upheld in our communities. In many cases, these narratives reflect broader systemic inequalities, privileging certain perspectives while erasing or devaluing others. The challenge before us is to bridge these divides by critically examining the sources of our knowledge and by fostering spaces where diverse truths can coexist and inform one another. Only by addressing these deep roots can we hope to cultivate a society grounded in justice, equity, and mutual understanding.

To fully grasp what calls us to act for the betterment of our human collective, we must be willing to step beyond the boundaries of our comfort zones and be exposed to new ideas and perspectives. Growth happens at the edges—when we are confronted with stories, struggles, and experiences that differ from our own. It is through this exposure that we begin to see the interconnected-ness of our humanity and understand how our personal actions contribute to a larger tapestry of justice and equity. Without the courage to engage with ideas that challenge our assumptions, we risk remaining tethered to the narrowness of our inherited worldviews. By embracing the unfamiliar, we open ourselves to empathy, creativity, and a deeper sense of collective responsibility—elements essential for fostering meaningful change in a fractured world.

As civil rights activist and historian Howard Zinn once said, "History is important. If you don’t know history, it is as if you were born yesterday. And if you were born yesterday, anyone in a position of power can tell you anything, and you have no way of checking up on it." The stories we are told shape our understanding of the world, but they are often incomplete or reflect only the perspectives of those in power. Too often, history is presented from a white, male, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied lens—one that reinforces systemic hierarchies by centering the experiences of a privileged few while erasing or marginalizing the voices of women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and others who have been historically excluded.

To build a truly just and equitable society, we must seek out and study the stories of our shared history that have been silenced or overlooked. This means engaging with Indigenous histories that predate colonization, learning from the resilience of Black communities in the face of systemic oppression, understanding the contributions of queer activists to movements for justice, and recognizing the vital role of disabled individuals in shaping our world. By embracing these diverse perspectives, we not only challenge the dominant narrative but also enrich our understanding of the human experience. It is through this intentional study of history that we can dismantle the myths that uphold oppression and pave the way for a more inclusive, compassionate future. Let us commit to seeking truth—not the sanitized version presented to maintain power, but the messy, complex, and beautiful truths that reflect the fullness of humanity. Over the coming weeks and months, I invite you to go on a journey with me. This is a collective movement of reading, considering, writing, sharing, and loving each other as we navigate this world together. We inherited a world and a nation created by white men who sought to strip this land and the people who inhabited it of its wealth to serve their own greed. We inherited a world and a nation built by poor people who were manipulated by religion to believe that their eternal salvation depended upon their cooperation in those efforts. We inherited their world, and some call on us to preserve it - to "Make America Great Again." But it is past time for us to collectively say "NO!" as we reimagine a world built on the concepts most individuals still claim to believe in - love, hope, compassion, empathy, justice, equity, family, community, and joy. These are my thoughts, my goals, my focuses in this time. Now I want to see yours. I want to connect them in a vast spiderweb of hope and change. I will be focusing on reconsidering history - my first Blog on that will be tomorrow when I reconsider the annointing of the Christos and come up with a drastically different meaning than most pulpits are preaching.

What about you?

Staying silent is no longer an option so how are you going to speak?

Because if we do not learn to speak, how can we ever hope to learn how to yell?

kfr, all rights reserved, 2025