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Robert Angotti, Chief Instructor, North Wind Aikikai

In the following post, I address concerns I have regarding the future of our country. These thoughts could be summarized as political and therefore controversial. Some may find my thoughts uncomfortable. Nevertheless, I have decided to post this essay on the blog connected to my aikido dojo. Aikido is a martial art inspired by the pursuit of reconciliation in lethal combat and the pursuit of peaceful coexistence. Without thoughtful engagement of its meaning and purpose, aikido will become only calisthenics.

I will also be sharing this post on the blog connected to my medical practice. I believe there are many aspects of the concerns that I address here that have a direct relationship to our ability to live free, healthy, enriching lives. I apologize for entering a space of dialogue that might make you uneasy, frightened, or distant. I simply feel it’s time to speak frankly about the things I address below. I also believe it’s imperative that we can all begin to engage in difficult but transformation conversations. This essay needs revision and it needs the addition of links that will ground it more factually. I will add those with time.

A Meaningful Death

In Japan, there is a martial tradition or code of virtue known as Bushido. Japan is one of our global cultures where honoring one’s family name and reputation has been of primary social significance. Throughout history, many Japanese have taken their own lives in order to preserve this honor code of Bushido. Dedication and self sacrifice are deep values in the Japanese culture and they flow through the culture of aikido as I have learned it.

“A warrior is always engaged in a life-and-death struggle for Peace.” 

~O’Sensei

Among the countless gifts of O’Sensei’s aikido is the gift of an inwardly focused practice. Through his emphasis on internal development, and the introduction of deep martial skills that hone interconnectivity and sacrifice, O’Sensei has provided a path for individuals to willingly cultivate non-violence. The art of ukemi for example provides a tremendous opportunity for letting go into the martial demands of the moment. I thought of aikido’s practice of ukemi recently when listening to Dr. Martin Luther King read his 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

“In any non-violent campaign there are four basic steps. Collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist, negotiation, self purification and direct action.”

~Dr. Martin Luther King

Dr. King’s letter should be mandatory reading in all American Civics classes. In fact, it would probably be a helpful practice for each of us to engage in reading the letter prior to voting. I have listened to this speech several times this summer, consistently learning something new. The Reverend challenges the passivity he sees among white American moderates, and teaches profoundly about the “inescapable network of mutuality”. However, its Dr. King’s call for self purification in the pursuit of non-violent resistance that resonates most deeply with me today.

“Of the people, by the people, and for the people”

Democracy is a principle I believe I am willing to die for. The principle of democracy merges the fundamental inherent value of each individual human being with the an innate willfulness each individual has for self-determination. To believe in democracy one must first believe that each individual deserves a voice in the formation of a collective social order and that their individual voice is as valuable (but only as valuable) as each voice in that collective citizenry. Democracy is the essence of the American experiment. Pursuit of democratic principles is what lead to the American Revolution. The principle of democracy is what has inspired other nations to admire, appreciate, and emulate America. The principle of democracy is what allows me to put words down here without reprisal. The principle of democracy is what gives each of us a vote through which we select representatives that serve our interests and values. However our democratic journey, our experiment in democracy is ongoing.

Democracy hasn’t been a birthright of all people living in America. White, male, Protestant landowners were the first to possess the right to vote for their representative after the signing of the constitution. Consequently, these men were therefore the first to get a head start on the advantages that come with self determination. Since the inception of our nation, the pursuit of democratic principles has been a battleground for equal access to voting and representation through elections.

After the democratic right to vote was originally granted to a select few, it would take some 75 years before all states had finally removed the property ownership requirement from voting rights. Restrictions to voting based upon “race, color, or previous condition of servitude” would only begin to removed 100 years after the original rights were granted to white, male, property owners exclusively. Remarkably, it wasn’t until 1887 that the truly “first” Americans (our native people) were granted citizenship by the constitution. Tragically however, before they were given the right to vote, indigenous American citizens were required to “disassociate themselves from their tribe.” Amazingly, some states maintained that mandate until 1948!

In 1920, female citizens were guaranteed the right to vote by the 19th amendment to the constitution. However, in practice, most women of color would continue be denied access to the vote until after the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. Hurdles and impediments to voting have been consistently placed in front of women, people of color, and the poor. These impediments included poll taxes, literacy requirements, arbitrary registration requirements, voter intimidation and violence. Each of these impediments have acted to further suppress access to voting and engagement of the democratic process. Although democracy has been the ideal, it has yet to become a right realized without the need for great ardor from countless Americans.

The Canary in the Coal Mine

This metaphor is well known. It is a reference to the use of canaries in coal mines as a safety gauge. As levels of toxic gases increased in mines, canaries (which would be brought in the mine by the miners) would begin to suffer and die. Their demise became an indicator of danger for the miners who then abandoned the work for safety. 

The COVID pandemic is providing multiple opportunities for us to see the “canaries” that exist alongside us in American society. The disproportionate levels of illness and death by COVID among people of color and people living in poverty are an indication of this. The privileges built into our social structure are insulators against the virus for some–at least for the time being. This pattern of protection for some but vulnerability for others is a tragic representation of our fundamental social inequities. However, the uneven distribution of COVID is just one example of what the canary is warning us of.

As explained previously voter suppression has been fundamental to our “democracy.” Today many under-represented Americans still face multiple road blocks designed to inhibit their vote. These inhibitions are often legislative impediments aimed fundamentally at maintaining power for a privileged class. Dr. King references this aspect of America in his “Birmingham letter” as well.

“History is the long and tragic story of the fact the privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.” 

“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed. 

~ Dr. Martin Luther King

Threat to Democracy

A calculated effort is again being made to suppress the vote in the 2020 election. Some are suggesting that mail-in ballots are often fraudulent, and that these ballots should not be counted. The risks associated with fraudulent mail-in voting have been thoroughly evaluated and it has been determined that the rare occurrences of fraud in no way threaten the fairness of the election. Nevertheless, the argument against mail-in voting has led to a determined effort to suppress the vote of our citizenry through legal challenges and state directed restrictions, intimidation, and mis-information. 

The President of the United States has not only suggested he will not honor the results of this election (if he fails to win), but he has admitted that he intends to force the Supreme Court to rule on the election instead. Meanwhile he is working to add a another Justice to that court prior to election day. Armed militia organizations have advanced on state capitols, entered legislative chambers with loaded weapons, and have plotted to kidnap the highest elected officials of thier state. Meanwhile, President Trump consistently signals to these “militias” a readiness for action. “I’m urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully this election day” says Trump. Instead of condemning armed white supremacist organizations, in a nationally televised debate, he implored one organization in particular to “stand down and stand by.” Instead of disavowing this group, the president has made a clarion call for readiness as though acting as their Commander in Chief. In a town hall this week, Trump was asked to recognize the QAnon group as a dangerous conspiracy. This group sees President Trump as the future savior of countless enslaved children. According to this conspiracy, these children are trafficked sexually by a supposed “deep state” cabal, whose members are said to at times consume the children in cannibalistic rituals. The QAnon conspiracy alleges that Democrats, Hollywood actors, and famous human rights leaders such as Oprah and the Dali Lama are part of the cabal.

Let’s pause here. If you think I have clearly gone off the rails at this point…well it often feels like it. But frankly many of us may not be paying attention to the enormous threat our democracy is facing. There are millions of Americans convinced that this canablistic, democratic cabal exists. It is why they are voting for Trump! Some believers of this conspiracy are likely to be elected to positions in US House of Representatives.

This signaling to Americans with extreme views, and the catastrophic wave of misinformation behind those views, threaten the essence of democracy. While the national protests for racial justice have sparked division, any threat to disregard the vote count should be a call to action for all Americans dedicated to the fundamental American principle of self-determination. We have allowed ourselves to walk into the deepest and darkest corner of the wilderness, but our path forward will innevitably be guided by the smallest light of truth and justice available to us as members of a collective democracy. 

Self Purification for Non-violent action

“Are you able to accept blows without retaliating? Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?” ~Dr. Martin Luther King

It strikes me as reasonable that we begin asking ourselves these questions. It strikes me as important that we begin to prepare ourselves for resistance to a suppressed democratic process. Throughout our history America has wrangled with itself in pursuit of its ideals. I have been privileged in my lifetime to avoid the imperative to resist while so many of my predecessors and fellow citizens have lacked such a privilege. I have wondered what it might look like to feel a cause one was willing to die for. I have contemplated when enough of my fellow Americans would willingly endure blows in pursuit of justice. I have never known a time when truth has been so distorted. I have never known a time when people have been so divided. And I have never known a time when the need for a shared purpose has been greater.

All of the signs point us towards the existential need for a common path. A pandemic is exploiting our inequalities, confusion and divisions. Climate change is tearing people from their homes and creating social and economic dislocation, forever changing the landscape of possibility. Foreign governments are infiltrating our media to sow disinformation and discord. And the morality of many elected officials is paralyzed by the fear of reprisal, shame, and even the intimidation of armed protestors.

Make your voice heard. Vote early if possible, but vote. When this is over, when the peaceful transfer of power is restored, laugh with me then about how close to the edge we had come. Until then, if you are willing to die in order to preserve your right to self determination, engage in Dr. King’s legacy. As Dr. King calls us to do, begin the “collection of facts” for yourself, seek out opportunities for discussion and negotiation, but maybe most importantly begin self-purification, and prepare for non-violent resistance focused on the preservation of this essential democratic experiment.