Ricardo Villarreal

Think, Therefore Think Again

How plutocracy and religion are killing American democracy

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Statue of LibertyIt’s happening. The guy at the very top position of power is threatening the foundations of liberal democracy in our country by paving the way for plutocracy and religion to perpetrate in the functions of the government.

We need to continuously remind people who is this enabler: a self-called billionaire who lacks all the important skills to be president, a revengeful leader, ignorant of the country’s constitution, who continuously lies to the public, who has shown no respect for minorities, who doesn’t take any criticism, and who has even singled out the media as the enemy of this country.

Sure, democracy has room for improvement. Nevertheless, it is still the best form of government and we need to protect it now more than ever.

The current administration shines not for having the smartest individuals at the top jobs, but for their wealth. Their biggest merit is certainly not a qualification at all.

It is, however, the fuel that feeds plutocracy. The ultra-wealthy people in this nation help elect those in government, and in return gain the power to secure cabinet roles and to influence political decisions that would protect their interests and businesses, rather than the interests of the general population.

Not only that, but they think money and power give them the right to impose their beliefs on others. And this is how plutocratic forces amplify the dangers of religion and the risks it represents to our freedom and democracy.

For example, the presence of religion in politics has influenced legislation that has negatively impacted the rights of women and minorities on issues like abortion and gay marriage.

In education, politicians of faith in many states have tried to impose religious subjects in public schools as alternative to science. This is a clear reflection of the fear they have that scientific knowledge presents indisputable evidence and objective truths that undermine the validity of their religion.

There is no question religion thrives in an environment of ignorance, fear, and oppression. But suppressing science, reason, and truth is not an option.

Where does religion belong? In the privacy of individuals, not commandeering the functions of government, and certainly not becoming an obstacle in the exercise of freedom in an open society.

Only in a secular government can diversity, freedom of religion, equality, and a fair rule of law can coexist, while protecting democracy from any abuse, discrimination, and corruption that would favor one religion over the rest.

Rather than imposing beliefs, it is better for a country to have a society of free-thinkers, where ideas can be exchanged freely with an open mind.

The founders of the American Constitution believed in the idea that dialogue, not force, should triumph over the decisions pertaining the prosperity of the nation.

But the current leader of this country does not believe in dialogue. On the contrary, he has prevented arguments against him, demands his opinions to be unquestionable, and has even fired those who challenge him.

The moment you impose censorship upon the opinions of others (especially minorities), you open the doors to intolerance and the creation of fanatical bigots. And unfortunately, that is exactly what we are seeing happen today.

This is not a matter of political ideology. It is a matter of preventing the rise of a dictator-like figure threatening to destroy the democratic foundations of our nation.

It is not an exaggeration, and we cannot wait to act until it’s too late.

 

Misogyny Killed the Woman Star

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virginia-woolfe-a-room-of-ones-ownCan you imagine how different (and better) the world would be today had women always enjoyed the same opportunities as men to freely exercise their creative genius and influence humanity through their works of literature?

In her celebrated book “A Room of One’s Own” (1929), Virginia Woolf lectures us on the injustices women writers suffered before the nineteenth century when it came to creating and producing fiction.

It also protests against how women were portrayed as characters in fiction books written by men. Remember, books were mass media back then and the negative descriptions of women further influenced how they were treated.

Puzzling to Virginia Woolf is why women were completely absent when it comes to the creation of extraordinary literature during the times of Elizabeth I (1558-1603), considered to many the most splendid age in the history of English literature. A period which also witnessed the genius of William Shakespeare.

But during that time, the archaic mentality of men was such a deterrent that they deemed impossible for any women to have the genius of Shakespeare.

And so it is here where Virginia Woolf debates this argument by creating the imaginary figure of Judith Shakespeare to masterfully address this terrible injustice. The hypothetical scenario of what would have happened had Shakespeare had a wonderfully talented sister demonstrates a contrasting parallel among the two.

In those times, the Shakespeare brother William would have easily sought fortune in London and would have freely practiced his art surrounding himself with everybody in the industry. Access to the royal family would have also been attainable.

On the other hand, his extraordinarily gifted sister Judith would have unfairly remained at home. Despite her genius and her unusual creativity, she would have never been sent to school. A monumental loss for humanity.

Without a doubt, a plethora of extraordinary talented women existed then (as they have always had), and it would be delusional to think the contrary.

But men, in their opposition to women emancipation, created a hostile environment where they would have ridiculed, humiliated, and made life a living hell to any woman who dared become a writer.

I absolutely agree with Virginia Woolf when she says, “Genius needs freedom; it cannot flower if it is encumbered by fear, or rancor, or dependency, and without money, freedom is impossible.”

That is precisely what her title “A Room of One’s Own” refers to. Give women a room of her own and the financial comfort that removes all obstacles from expressing her art and speak her mind; allow her the concentration needed in order to achieve prodigious work; suppress the unhappiness suffered by inequality that interferes with her creation; and we’ll see geniuses.

“Literature is open to everybody and there is no lock you can set upon the freedom of a mind”, says Virginia Woolf. And there should be no locks preventing the advancement of women.

Reading this book as a man made me think of the great damage we men have done in limiting women’s full potential, of all the wonderful genius creations by women that never flourished because of us men.

A lot has improved from the time Virginia Woolf published “A Room of One’s Own”, but us men today need to do more to make up for this tragedy and support feminism. There is no excuse.

Yes, this book was written almost 90 years ago! But its powerful message still echoes today as an inspiring instrument of the feminist movement, and it will continue to remain relevant at least until we reach full gender equality.