Author: gracesmuggler

After incendiary titles and divisive headlines have grabbed our social media newsfeeds for months, fake news has become a topic in the news itself. A number of sites have begun to make a great deal of money “reporting” stories that are completely false, and they continue to spread across social media sites like wildfire. These headlines move beyond traditional political spin; instead, they put wild conspiracy theories and complete falsehoods into the world under the banner of news.

I think we need to call these stories what they really are – propaganda. Behind the people who believe and share these stories are authors and social architects who lie quite purposefully in order to ignite particular forms of action from us. Most frequently, they capture our beliefs in order to gain power for themselves, and often, they do so by turning groups against each other. We need to pay attention, and we need to check facts. These stories can have dangerous results.

We need only look as far as Pizzagate.

As you may know, a man brought a semi-automatic assault rifle into Comet Ping Pong last week, a pizza establishment which is popular with many families in Washington D.C. He said he was there to personally investigate the claims of a story. The conspiracy theory behind this story, wild as it was, had gained a remarkable level of traction and became propaganda through fake news.

Pizzagate does not get its name from the horrific incident last week in the pizza restaurant. Instead, many months before, #Pizzagate became hashtag after community of people on Reddit concluded that Hillary Clinton, staffers from her campaign, and other high profile politicians were involved in a child sex trafficking ring at Comet Ping Pong. They came to these conclusions after combing through the hacked emails of John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign manager, and reading a remarkable amount into the details. The conspiracy theory took on a life of its own and was “reported” through fake news sites. These were shared by a large number of people, and perhaps most concerning, tweeted by Michael Flynn, President Elect Trump’s new appointee for Secretary of Defense.

This story is obviously false. After firing his assault rifle in the restaurant, the man only left with police after he was convinced it was not true. Thankfully, no one was hurt physically, but this was quite frightening for people who were present. It is still troubling for families who frequent the restaurant.

After it happened, my friend and colleague Eric Peltz wrote this comment on Facebook. I share it with his permission:

“Friends, the election of Trump (and most importantly, the validation of his rhetoric) has led to a gunman walking into a restaurant my family and my congregants frequent. If the safety of my children won’t urge you to take the time to diversify your news sources so you’re seeing reports of the hundreds of hate and conspiracy-induced crimes that are happening, it’s hard to believe that you care about me or my children in any real way. How will you stand up against violence and keep my family safe?”

We need to pay attention. We need to check facts. We need to speak out.

We must realize that some social architects will continue to use these kinds of stories as propaganda to solidify power and ignite action from us. We have to see it and name it as what it is.

– Renee Roederer

Last week, Reply All, a podcast hosted by Alex Goldman and P.J. Vogt, released a tremendous episode which reports how Pizzagate moved from rumor, to news, to an entire online community, to action. Check it out the link and give it a listen.

 

 

These days, a mantra has swelled up within me:

There is enough.
There is enough.
There is enough.

In a time of profound anxiety, ignited by tangible threats to wellbeing, I find myself pondering the need for these words. Most of the time, the largest part of me actually believes them. By those words, I mean this:

There are truly enough resources — money, time, passion, compassion, power, skills, drive, ingenuity, creativity, nimbleness, intelligence, relationships, vision, and courage — to look straight at injustices, dismantle their power, and create justice toward lasting forms of change.

There is enough.

But is there will?

As we know, some benefit socially and economically from the very injustices that marginalize, imprison, and kill others. We are up against entrenched systems of power that many will not want to break.

But if the will is there — if there is enough desire to dismantle such systems and build forms of justice — we will have to use every fiber of our being to organize our resources. Journalist Shaun King says it this way: The level of our organization will have to rise to the level of our outrage.

Enough.

– Renee Roederer

 

 

 

That tiny thing you’re great at. . . is a big deal. Really. When shared with others purposefully and resourcefully, it catalyzes change. So what is it?

– Do you have an ability that seems tiny only because it comes so naturally to you?

– Do you engage with it regularly to the point that it doesn’t seem like a real gift?

– Do you forget to marvel at it because it seems so routine or easy?

Well, that’s a gift you need to put into the world. Purposefully.

That’s a gift that seeks greater expression in your community, neighborhood, nation, and world.

These days, when we see the great needs and concerns around us, and when we ponder our fears about needs and concerns to come, we can become absolutely overwhelmed. Our meager work and purposeful sharing can seem. . . well, tiny. It may feel that way, but. . .

That tiny thing? Do not underestimate what it can do.

– When placed strategically with the gifts of others, it can become organized change. It can become organized resistance. What resources can you bring uniquely — money, connections, abilities? Some of which come so naturally to you? Do all you can to make those things fit with the leadership and commitment of others. Look purposefully for where they can be placed alongside the great work that is already happening. Your tiny gift will easily multiply.

That tiny thing? Do not underestimate what it can do.

– When launched into the world with intention, that tiny thing may add a level of care that increases relational safety. Even if only for a moment, it matters. In this current climate, people are reasonably fearful and discouraged. Your tiny thing in a tiny moment may serve as a reminder of human worth and connection. It may provide a needed boost which encourages others to put their gifts into the world too.

So what is it? What is that tiny thing?

In actuality, it might not be so tiny.

–Renee Roederer

 

[Walter Scott]

Yesterday, a Judge in South Carolina declared the case against former police officer Michael Slager to be a mistrial. This development is not entirely surprising, but it is the kind of news that sends a visceral shockwave of fear and rage throughout our nation.

It is an outrageous affront to justice. We all have a responsibility to Walter Scott.

We live in a nation where a police officer can shoot an unarmed, black man multiple times in the back as he is running away, then plant evidence near his body to set up an alternative narrative — all of it caught clearly on camera (take that in) — without a conviction.

There will be a new trial for Michael Slager, as well as a federal trial that was previously scheduled. But it is remarkably disturbing to learn that the jury deliberated 22 hours over 4 days and could not reach a verdict in a case that should be quite clear. On Friday, one juror sent a letter to the court, saying, “I cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict,” and, “I cannot and will not change my mind.”

We cannot know the full story of the deliberation behind this letter, but I note how troubling it is to ponder the words will not consider. Notice that those are different words than cannot conclude. While we cannot know the full thoughts behind this juror’s statement, we do know that they ring true for many white Americans: Some will never consider a guilty verdict, even in the court of public opinion, when it comes to police officers, especially if they are charged with violent offenses against Black Americans.

And that should trouble us greatly.

Walter Scott was a man of great worth with full humanity. Above all, he deserved life. Now that his life has been taken, he and his family deserve justice.

Black Americans deserve safety in a nation that is often unsafe toward them. White folks, are we unwilling to consider a conclusion that our nation is guilty of creating these realities?

We are responsible to Walter Scott. We may not be responsible for pulling the trigger which murdered him, but we are responsible to these realities. We are called to mount a response that permanently changes them.

As activist and journalist Shaun King has noted, police officers killed 102 unarmed, black men, women, boys, and girls in 2015. He says we would have to go all the way back to 1902 to find a year when the number of lynchings were that high.

It is beyond time to hold police officers and all people accountable for their procedures and actions. That means we have to do some learning and personal soul-searching as well.

We are responsible to Walter Scott. Time to act.

–Renee Roederer

[Public Domain Photo]

Keep watch. This day is really important. December 5th is about to have great impact upon human lives and will have historical significance for a long time. Here are four reasons why:

Standing Rock

December 5th was the date marked on the eviction notice as it was presented to thousands of Indigenous Water Protectors at the Oceti Sakowin Camp. Together, they have spent months engaged in nonviolent, direct action to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline, calling attention to the destruction it could bring to drinking water and sacred lands. Camping outside, and at times, enduring rubber bullets, dogs, water cannons, concussion grenades, and tear gas, the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota peoples of the Standing Rock Sioux have successfully resisted these efforts and turned the tide.

Last night, the Army Corps of Engineers announced that it would not grant the easement needed for the project to continue. The Dakota Access Pipeline will not be permitted to cross under Lake Oahe. Instead, the Army Corps of Engineers will begin an environmental impact study to consider other routes.

The day could have moved toward eviction and potential violence. Instead, while there is still a great deal of work to be done, this is a day of victory for the Standing Rock Sioux. It gives us all hope in the power and efficacy of resistance and direct action.

The Murder of Walter Scott

December 5th may involve an announcement about the murder of Walter Scott and the trial of Michael Slager. On April 4, 2015, police officer Michael Slager shot and killed Walter Scott in South Carolina after pulling him over for a broken taillight. I have no qualms about calling this murder: Video footage clearly shows Michael Slager shooting Walter Scott five times in the back as he was running away. And that’s not all. After the shooting, Michael Slager dropped an object near Walter Scott’s body. It appears to be a taser. Prosecutors claim that this is planted evidence caught on video.

On Friday, the jury was in the midst of long deliberations when news broke. One juror is holding out, saying, “I cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict,” in a letter to the court. The jury has requested to return to deliberations today at 9am.

This case is remarkably significant. If it is declared a mistrial, it will be a horrific day for justice. Could a case possibly be more clear? This is why people proclaim, “Black Lives Matter,” and assert it to the rooftops with cries, protests, and demands. So often, our justice system claims otherwise. If Michael Slager goes free, it will be remarkably troubling, striking fear, grief, and rage in the hearts of many.

Injustice Boycott

And this leads us to next significant movement today: December 5th will be launch of the Injustice Boycott, involving major, long-awaited announcements. Initiated and planned by activist and journalist Shaun King and activists of color in local cities, the Injustice Boycott will make demands to increase police accountability and curb police violence.

A few months ago, King spoke and wrote that national protests have been effective in raising concern and awareness about police brutality, but they have not affected tangible changes in many places throughout the U.S. In order to make a greater impact, he realized we need an economic movement.

He announced that the Injustice Boycott will target entire cities and particular businesses in those places that have supported local injustices. People throughout the U.S. are invited to join and make change through economic pressure. It may take months. It may take years. But it is an important commitment toward a crucial set of outcomes.

The first three cities were announced this morning: 1) Standing Rock, 2) San Francisco, and 3) New York City. More details will follow at 12pm. 

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Today is the 61st anniversary of the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott which played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement. Shaun King deliberately chose this date for the Injustice Boycott in order to honor the previous movement and express alignment with its power. Today, we honor activists of that era who paved the way for resistance and direct action.

Keep watch today. Pay attention to all the significance because these events will affect human lives. And get ready to participate with your convictions, your voices, your bodies, and your wallets.

Let’s go.

–Renee Roederer

Hallelujah.

It’s a word from a chorus we all know well, especially at this time of year. I’m grateful that I’ll have the privilege to sing Hallelujah a multitude of times this evening and tomorrow afternoon. Ann Arbor’s UMS Choral Union has the longest annual tradition of singing Handel’s Messiah in the entire world. We’ve done this every year consistently since 1879. We’ll do so again this weekend.

While I haven’t sung this 137 times in a row, I’ve sung the Hallelujah Chorus innumerable times. Yet I’ve learned something new in the opportunity to sing The Messiah in its entirety. Based on where it’s placed in the greater work, the Hallelujah Chorus isn’t some “Rah, Rah!” chorus of utter triumphalism. No, not at all. It’s about liberation.

It’s about human liberation from oppression — deliverance from oppression caused by other humans. This becomes clear when we hear what precedes the famous chorus:

The bass soloist sings,

Why do the nation so furiously rage together?
And why do the people imagine a vain thing?

Then the chorus sings,

Let us break their bonds asunder,
and cast away their yokes from us.

Then the tenor soloist sings,

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn,
The Lord shall have them in derision.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron,
Thou shalt dash them like a potter’s vessel.

That’s when the chorus responds with “Hallelujah!”

It might seem like an odd time to jump in and rejoice. But if we view this less as the powerful (including God) doing destruction for the sake of destruction, and instead, view this as liberation for the oppressed (God standing with them in power) the Hallelujah Chorus has a completely different purpose and tone.

Hallelujah! 

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. . .

Not standing above and dominating as an oppressor,
but standing among the people as a powerful Liberator —
a Liberator who invites the participation of the people in their own liberation.
(“Let us break their bonds asunder”)

King of Kings and Lord of Lords. . .

Not a tyrant kind of King or Lord,
but King and Lord that is revealed as fully human —
a vulnerable child,
a poor carpenter,
a revolutionary,
a healer.

Tonight and tomorrow, I’m going to think about all of these things when I sing that glorious Hallelujah over and over. And I’m going to pray for liberation in our world and commit to the reality that bonds will be broken.

And the audience will stand to sing it along with us.

We will stand!
the stance of Resurrection,
the stance of Liberation.

–Renee Roederer

Yesterday, I was scrolling through my Timehop app, and I discovered the initial post which launched this website and blog one year ago. I smiled with a lot of gratitude.

I love writing at Smuggling Grace. Today I want to share a shout out to subscribers to say thank you, not only for following along, but also for adding your own voices and perspectives. People have done that in blog comments and on Facebook. Folks have sent me emails, and in some cases, we have sat down over coffee and shared wonderful conversations together. Thank you. It means so much to me.

And that also has me thinking: I have personal connections to some of my subscribers, but there are many more of you whom I do not know. I’m wondering if you might send me an email to introduce yourself. You can write me here: revannarbor@gmail.com. That will also give me the opportunity to thank you personally.

It’s been a wonderful adventure of writing. Thank you for your part in that!

– Renee Roederer

I also want to thank the people who have supported Smuggling Grace financially this year. These contributions have helped me maintain the site and pay fees to WordPress. They have also provided support as I work to organize a new community in Southeast Michigan. Thank you!

My written content here will always, always be free of charge. But for those who would like to contribute, you can do so here: Support Smuggling Grace.

Many thanks to. . .

Lindsay Aldrich
Erin Counihan
Jen Haines
Kathleen Henrion
Sarah Linn
Jody Mask
Jill Mills
abby mohaupt
Randa Seifeldin
Tom and Rachael Tan

 

[Public Domain Image]

Our Christmas tree is up.
Normal.

Our President-Elect tweeted that 2 million people voted illegally.
Not Normal.

I’ve been eating a knock-off brand of Honey Bunches of Oats for breakfast.
Normal.

At Ohio State, a person wounded eleven people with a knife and a vehicle.
Not Normal.

I’ve laughed recently with friends during phone calls and texts.
Normal.

Indigenous water protectors have been wounded by water cannons in freezing temperatures.
Not Normal.

These thoughts have been on my mind lately. In the whirlwind of recent events, I am concerned about violence and marginalization in our nation. And amidst it all, I’m concerned for our mental health too.

These challenging events, decisions, and ongoing actions are real and dangerous. They deserve thoughtful reflection and our decisive action. But they are not normal. Even if they become repetitive, God forbid, we cannot afford to normalize them. For the sake of our neighbors, our communities, and our own mental health, we cannot normalize these kinds of experiences.

On Sunday night, I thought about all these and more, and I struggled to sleep. Then, as I lay there wide awake, I had a realization that kind of blew my mind: The leak of the Access Hollywood video – a supposed turning point of the election, marked by braggadocious claims of sexual assault, and followed by the emergence of accusations from twelve real women — took place less than two months ago. This was not the first controversy concerning Donald Trump, but it took over social media for days and reignited emotional pain for people who have endured traumatic abuses. More than a million women shared their stories of sexual assault on Twitter under the hashtag #notokay.

And this took place only seven weeks ago.

Think of everything that has happened since. . . We cannot afford to normalize all of these experiences or let them pile on so large that we forget what has happened previously. We have to de-normalize the not normal.

And in order to resist and work for change, we also have to re-normalize what is normal.

Joys still surprise us.
Relationships still provide love.
Nature still reveals beauty.
Food still nourishes.

We still matter, as do our neighbors.

We ground ourselves in the abundant gifts around us, including each other, so we can mount an abundant response.

Let this be our mantra when we’re overwhelmed:

Re-normalize the normal.
De-normalize the not normal.

–Renee Roederer

See also this tremendous sketch from Saturday Night Live . It shows how challenging news can become increasingly normalized.

My ears reveled in these words yesterday:

They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks; 
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.

and

Keep awake.

These are words of Advent — words I have heard innumerable times. But in the context of the days we are living, I heard them differently. As they were read aloud yesterday, I heard them in an embodied way. I sat taller, leaned in, and smiled an empowered, subversive smile.

These days, we are working for peace. Peace is always life-giving, but it is rarely placid. It involves demands for justice. It invites our work, even as we wait for its fullness.

The season of Advent summons us to wait for the fulfillment of God’s vision. But this is no passive form of waiting. The holy future is before us, yet it turns to include the present. We see it ahead of us, and captured by the vision, we begin to participate in that very vision coming into being.

During the season of Advent, our actions are summoned toward peace. Or to put the scriptures above in conversation with our current context,

True peace is not merely the absence of tension;
it is the presence of justice.
– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

#StayWoke

– Renee Roederer

The scripture texts above are Isaiah 2:4 and Matthew 24:42a.

I took the photo above during a Vigil at the University of Michigan on November 9, the evening after Election Day. More than 1,000 students were present.

A couple days ago, my friend Rosie Wright wrote some beautiful words, paired with an evocative image:

I’m sleepless listening to the winds of change as they sigh and moan outside my window. They would be silent except for the resistance of the branches and trunks of great trees that stand watch, deep-rooted in the earth. I am not alone in the dark. We will all weather this together.

Like so many, I’ve been reflecting a great deal over the last two weeks. And as I’ve been watching and thinking, one theme keeps emerging in my mind: If we’re going to affect lasting change in our nation — change toward equity, health, wholeness, safety, respect, and flourishing on all levels — we need to act locally.

We are deep-rooted right where we live, yet we need to pay greater attention to the injustices that surround us. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that we’ve had 701 hate crimes since the election. That figure is staggering, enraging, and deeply concerning. And when we add economic disadvantage and poverty to our awareness, it is clear that there is a great deal of work to do in our local contexts.

Locally, we can learn, stand watch, and join others as they resist injustices. Like the deep-rooted trees in my friend’s yard, we can create a groundswell of sound. Like those branches and trunks in the wind, we can create grassroots efforts for change.

For this reason, my social media posts are about to become quite local.

I’m not advocating that we ignore work at the national levels. Hardly. We have so much work to do. Instead, I’m advocating that we work intentionally to narrate the ways that national discourse and policies affect the lives of real people on the ground.

I’m still going to post national articles. I imagine most of us will. But I’m wondering if local posting might invite others toward deeper conversations and action.

When we post locally,

• We spotlight the work of activists who are leading change.
• We make connections between national discourse and real, human lives.
• We inspire our neighbors to get involved.
• We provide concrete opportunities to act and donate resources.
• We build alliances with other local areas that are working toward similar concerns.

And perhaps, we will break through the typical Facebook algorithms as well. The national articles we post often split us into red and blue newsfeeds. But when we are telling stories and posting photos, videos, and live experiences, more people will see them.

The Rev. Jan Edmiston, Co-Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) often asks, “What breaks God’s heart in your neighborhood?” Her question inspires us to ask, “What breaks our neighbors’ hearts right where we are?”

Let’s answer those questions, moving our own hearts and feet into local neighborhoods for change.

Then, let’s post about it all over the place.

–Renee Roederer