FL School Bans Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. What the Hell?

“We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it”

The line quoted above is from the poem The Hill We Climb.  Just typing the word again brings me to tears.  This is gonna be tough to write about.  For both good reasons and bad.

One parent, ONE closed-minded bigoted giant anal orifice, a parent in a Florida elementary school used a law passed by the FL legislature as part of Ron DeSantis’ efforts to prove to MAGA that he was “Trumpier than Trump” to ban the work of the current U.S. Youth Poet Laureate.  I was already a blubbering mess, gasping for air as I fought to keep control of my emotions and hear the extraordinary delivery of her extraordinary poem at President Joe Biden’s Inauguration when that line seared my consciousness forever.

This incredible young woman, who as noted in this link is a Harvard graduate, class of 2020.  After what Trump put our country through, both his Presidency and the insurrection he incited, his failed coup attempt created a unique and defining moment in our history.  Ms. Gorman faced an incredible challenge, and both her poem and her rendition that day met the moment.  I urge you to check out the link (to the Harvard Gazette) and the whole thing is there for you.  Save it for when you need inspiration.  We are all going to need it.

I couldn’t help but keep thinking about Ms. Gorman and her Inaugural poem as day turned into evening, and the realization hit me that as much as I, and so many others were inspired beyond our wildest dreams millions of MAGA were furious.  As was damned near every (if not all of them) Republican on that platform or the other GOPer politicians watching at home.  All the way down to the local level.

Because of that line I cited at the top.

That line calls out conservatives.  It is their platform.  They’ve made it part of their DNA.  There core belief system is based on “If WE can’t have it all, then no one can have anything.  We will burn it to the ground if we have to but we will NOT tolerate everyone having a real shot at the American dream!”

If Ms. Gorman’s words seared me and in a good way, they seared countless conservatives in the worst possible way.  Someone not only exposed them, called them out but that someone was a young, smart, talented and beautiful woman of color.  I thought that night about the different feelings different Americans were having.  People like me were feeling relief, mixed with joy and some hope that the worst damage of the previous four years could be fixed and that within a year or so our country would be back to its old self.  Flawed to be sure as we’ve always been, but at least making effort to move closer to our founding ideals.

At the same time I knew there were so many others vowing to punish us, our country and everyone and everything not Trump/MAGA.  I actually thought “I hope Biden has made sure she’s (Ms. Gorman) got good security and will have it for a good long while because she’s going to need it.”

Poets are artists.  And this extraordinary young woman has already proven she belongs in any discussion of great poets/poems.  She delivered a tour de force lesson on our country, both the good and the not so good but the theme was one of hope.  That we had the ability to be a place where freedom was everyone’s birthright, and everyone got a fair shot.  A place that regardless of the circumstances you came from, even if born poor, or if you weren’t (like me) lucky enough to have been born both white and male, that no matter who your parents and prior generations were, as in where they came from, your ethnicity or religious beliefs (or not) that you were equal to anyone else.  That if you applied yourself you could go as far as your talent and work ethic could take you.

But a large chunk of the country doesn’t want that.  Never has.  They want to shut out anyone who isn’t like them.  And most of these people are white.  Even if working class or poor many of them complain about equal opportunity for all, believing that “those people” don’t deserve the same freedoms and equality under the law that some of us believe and work to ensure all people have.  Hell, as I write this the GOP is ready to trash both our own and the world’s economy rather than pay the nation’s bills.  GUT non-defense spending they say or we’ll crash the whole system.

For tens of millions of Americans this is music to their ears.   We talk about Trump blaming everyone but himself, but we all know people, regular people who aren’t satisfied with their lives but who wouldn’t put in the effort to be better off.  That believe certain traits entitled them to breaks “those people” shouldn’t ever get.  And Trump/Trumpism was the ugly manifestation of their attitude.  Burn it all down if that’s what it take, and worship a leader who they have been suckered into believing cares about them and will make sure they, and only they & people like them can lead comfy, prosperous lives.

And the LAST thing these kinds of people want is their kids reading and learning in school artistic works that inspire the thought that at times we’ve striven for great things, and set aside differences and worked together for the common good.  For all.  And that we can still do so.  And worse, a poem that as it inspires points out the tragic fact that there are those who will fight such things every step of the way.

And burn EVERYTHING to the ground to make sure “those people” don’t get anything.

One effing parent gets a beautiful, inspiring poem and it’s author banned from an elementary school’s English curriculum.  Mark my words this a$$holiness will spread around the country!

So again I say “What the hell?