W
hy can’t we find him if we searched all of Queens? Where is Archie Bunker when we need him?
Whether you agreed with Archie’s politics, or not, his humanity showed, everything hung out, the charming, the ugly, and the stubborn. He was a loud-mouthed bigot, a caring neighbor, and a confused, ignorant man struggling for connection and understanding – in his being human he was flawed.
We need Archie. We need to appreciate, and feel better about our human interconnectedness and ourselves. Archie’s words could be distasteful, but we understood his feelings, his frustrations, his concerns, and we laughed. We embraced him as a person doing the best he could with the knowledge and understanding he had. We watched him grow as those understandings were challenged, again and again. As his world and understanding grew, so did we.
Archie Bunker has been silenced by the secondary and quiet effect of political correctness. In that void, interchange and dialogue have ceased and in its place fear has risen. Our culture chastises, isolates, and sanctions rather than uncovers misunderstandings, and communication breakdowns. We remember poster boys, Mel Gibson, blackballed after his anti-Semitic rant, Michael Richards, who broke the n-word code (dare I write it here?); and Don Imus, paid to be a shock jockey, who made fun of EVERYONE finished, for crossing the invisible line of good taste, decency and humor. And recently, Kevin Hart, who felt compelled to withdraw from hosting the Academy Awards for shame of gay bashing tweets from some ten years ago. Neither attrition nor acknowledgement has saved funny man Hart. And from the capital, the Covington High Schools students in MAGA swag, the Hebrew Israelites and Native drummer Nathan Phillips are involved in a snowball of media madness. A video may tell all, or at least highlight the differing points of view and experiences. The school has responded publically, assuring us of consequences including threats of possible expulsion. I hope not – expulsion ends all opportunity for discussion, empathy building, and awakening. These young men will simply be left with shame, anger and blame. We don’t listen – we react.
Do not be fooled by those who so quickly distance, criticize or comment, they are suspect. By focusing on others, we avoid examining our own bias and discomfort. In America, we cannot escape the shadow of racism. We are bombarded by stereotypical, segregated, one-dimensional characterizations that neither broaden understanding, shared histories, commonalities, or experiences.
Television has fashioned so many of our observations and lessons about class and color in America. So where is Archie Bunker when we need him? Let’s get over to Houser Street, and begin conversations at the pub over a budinski, at the laundry mat, on the bus, at the water cooler, at the deli, in the elevator, in the waiting room… Let’s talk anywhere we are gathered. Dialogue means sharing – sharing our worldviews, our hopes and our dreams. Here’s to the Archie in me and in each of us, imperfect, and reaching out… I just don’t know what went wrong. THOSE WERE THE DAYS!
Nobody Asked Lara 