SANKOFA

  The title is a word deriving from the Twi language of Ghana. It is a concept which behooves the world to seek to understand and apply to the world we live in, to hold true to its concept and purpose and adapt and adopt. We live in times so confusing that we often appear to be taking steps both forward and back in that same step. Only with a full-on application and understanding of the purpose of Sankofa, its version in one's own culture, will we    be able to take step after step and make our way out of the fetid swamp now growing apace and all the ugliness and infection it spreads throughout the world. 

Only thus can we begin a long and arduous journey as we look backwards into the past and understand who we were, what we thought, what we did, and then know how to move forward, enable a better future. It will be based on a careful sifting of the past, discarding the evil, the negative and useless, and keeping that which is positive and productive. Based on the positive inheritance, learning the lessons of the past, we can craft an improved present and a hopeful future. 

" ...  it means “to go back and get.” The phrase embodies the concept that for humans to better understand what’s happening now and what is possible in the future, they need to go back and comprehend what happened before."

Unfortunately, we seem to glean from the past that which should have been left behind to rot in the fields. Lessons of rust and corrosion in morality, in actions and concepts developed. Humanity too often chose the path leading directly back to the fetid swamp of the errors of the past. We choose, too often, to reimpose and rejuvenate that which should have long ago been declared out of date, off limits, totally deterimental to the betterment of humanity. 

We misused the concept of Sankofa, much to our disgrace and imperilment. We have chosen wrongly, egregiously so. Now, here we are. We reimpose terror and remove nourishment of the soul. We push aside all that would enable a better world, a better life for all. Instead, we turn to the past to pick and choose from all that is misguided and many times pure evil. In doing so we engender a lesser present and an abysmal future. 

Why we have so opted is a mystery about which many tomes have been written. Perhaps because so many of us are weak and we seek the easy way out, the lower path with fewer rocks to climb and a lesser elevation. Is it because you think it will make you more feared, wealthier, whatever motivations impel us? Perhaps it's because it is more difficult to do the right thing, to be kind and more understanding, more tolerant. To be kinder appears to be a dying art. Why? I leave that to wiser heads. What I do know, what I do see, is the reality of our present world and the challenges we face, many of which we have self-created. Too many of us have gone over to the Dark Side, employed the same ominous deep tones of a Darth Vader, placed masks upon our faces and hearts and denied our humanity. 

Kindness is an endangered species as acts of kindness grow ever rarer and further apart. Why? Again, I know not why but merely record what I see, what I think what I feel. We are not the better for it and nor are others. We have grown less tolerant of differing opinions, often denying their voice. Only that speech which reeks of hate and rot and incitement to violence should be banned. Unfortunately. with the growing crazed voices demanding censorship of all other than their thoughts, with raucous ugly voices of hate spewing forth, almost continuously, we are at a bad point, very much so. Certainly, we are not the better for it and nor are others. 

Trump attempts to hinder and block all criticism of his grand ambitions. He employs President Musk and the MuskRats to do his bidding even as they stray off the path of Trump and try to ennoble themselves. They violate laws, denigrate the Constitution, insult the sacrifices of citizens, the very ethos that is America.  

Again, from the overflowing barrels of hate from the past we are rounding up humans. Again, treating them worse than animals. Behaving as beasts of the field, as the ogres of fairy tales. Unfortunately, this is reality, not make-believe. This is of the past and unfortunately, the present. The future - not looking good. So, we round up people. Children. We arrest them as dangerous criminals, daring to believe in the words etched upon the Lady of the Harbor. And so, we confine them in ugly places. The children as well. The elderly as well. Ailing men and pregnant women. It matters not. 

  What is next? Shall we hang children of 10 for daring to steal a loaf of bread? Shall we find a colony upon whose shores we will dump these terrible criminals. Or shall we revert to kidnapping children from the parents as we did to Native Americans, shredding family life and tribal structure? Shall we shout out and praise the registry now created in order to gather the names of all these terrible criminals - names, addresses, private information, making it ever so much easier, so   orderly. as we round them up at some time in the near future. Emulating well the blueprint of Hitler in his campaign of murder and extermination against Jews, Roma, any and all who displeased him? Another Final Solution?

 How far are we from that point?  Have we not learned our lesson yet? Right here in America, between slavery, mistreatment of Native Americans and their children, kidnapping their children, the KKK and the more 'modern' White Power extremists, the Left extremists overflowing with hate for Jews round the world, for daring to continue to exist against all odds? 

Sankofa. 

What have we learned from our past and how can we improve upon it? Avoid the pitfalls, fill in the potholes and make kindness and tolerance the guiding Rule of the day. Remember, we are people, first and foremost. Differences of opinions do not make enemies. It does not make the other person evil. If only we would look, we would see we have more points of convergence rather than divergence. We need to be able to disassemble and find these various points and behave as human beings with and to each other. We must end this conflation of one piece of an opinion with all else of another and opt for friendship rather than enmity. It is not required to walk in lockstep with another before extending a hand in friendship, in aid, or gift with a   smile, help cross a street, carry a package, help a mother with young ones or a father trying to corral his rather rowdy children. Discuss rather than shout. It is possible and certainly preferable and more conducive to better living. Nor does it preclude you from dislike of policy or behavior of a figure of public life. Hell, go for it! It is your right as a human, as an American.

 Do not persist in the use of words of hate, of violence. Hear the sane voices. Let them explain. Who knows, perhaps you might change or modify your own opinion.  Remember, there is good in bad and bad in good. Other than in the beasts of Hamas who bash skulls of children and choke them to death.   t 

Sankofa,

Employ it in the best way possible.

Discover the truth of yourself, where you were and where you need to be.

And do not wait to do so

On the morrow.