Thread by @cvaldary

I’m beginning to think that our obsession with pinpointing which of our identities are marginalized & which arent is a unique feature of being an American — a national identity which has of late been experiencing societal dislocation and is in search of its purpose in the world.

If you’re marginalized, you have a grievance and you can set about overcoming and fighting against that grievance which in turn gives your life meaning and purpose. But in 201& marginalization is becoming not the experience but the raison d’etre.

Can you spot the flaw?

Dr. King knew all humans had worth. His primary identity was religious — not political. His fight was for the law to reflect what he already knew to be true.

Today many have existential angst, don’t know their worth and believe that having grievances makes them worthy.

These are not the same things.

And so the task is actually to start all over and teach communities their self-worth, which is internal and independent of external forces.

Otherwise they will continue to do what Steinbeck described as taking shortcut attempts to be loved. Rejection. It is the greatest terror a child faces because a child does not know his worth.