Francisco "A.J." Camacho
The Daily Times
December 29th, 2021
In Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s 1850 In Memoriam, he included a poem commonly called “Ring Out, Wild Bells.” I found its message just as applicable to the American society of 2021 as it was to England’s in 1850, if not more so. This is that poem with some personal annotations.
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, the elections gone and done. Ring out even more loudly those who fought against those elections: The terrorists of September 2001 and the misled rioters who sought to kill the Vice President and Congresspeople sworn to protect our democracy. Ring out the ground troops of the assaults and ring out those who directed them.
Ring in the new, an equal opportunity in 2024; a chance to make our politics about something so much better than individuals; a chance to define our future elections by kindness toward the opposition and policy plans rather than personal attacks or misinformation. Ring in the new and maximize its potential.
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false: the lies that Donald Trump won the 2020 election, that Antifa or anarchists initiated the January 6th riot, that COVID-19 vaccines are causing mass death, and that Georgia’s new election law restricts voting hours.
Ring in the true: Donald Trump won the 2016 election and Joe Biden won in 2020, Trump supporters are wholly responsible for the destruction and death at the Capitol building, of over 240 million vaccinated Americans only 6 have died from one particular vaccine (Johnson & Johnson’s), and Georgia’s new law did not change Election Day voting hours and expanded the early voting calendar.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind (“Pandemic” — need I say more?)
For those that here we see no more — for the 5 million worldwide who lost their lives to the coronavirus, the 4 students shot dead at Oxford High School in November, and the natural disasters that have claimed 600 Americans this year. May we learn from these events: store supplies for future epidemics, legislate better gun safety laws, and mitigate our greenhouse gas emissions while adapting to the changing climate we’ve made. May we build triumphant resilience to prevent future tragedies.
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring in our shared humanity and vulnerability. We are all God’s children and we should give others — whether astray or on course with our moral convictions — our unconditional love as brothers and sisters. As we would forgive our siblings for transgressions at age 5, let us now forgive our adult neighbors who — like ourselves — sometimes act childishly.
Ring out a slowly dying cause, discrimination by race, sex, or religion. Banish from Knoxville the sentiments that in 1919 led to a “race war riot” and killed 30. Let us reject the idea that misogyny has any place in our world or voting should be withheld from any of-age citizens. For that matter, ring out so much more! Ring out Communism and ring out Fascism!
And ancient forms of party strife; But in trying to cleanse our civilization of these toxic beliefs, let us not cause collateral damage by alienating people who still believe them. We should abandon the demonization of other groups and people. At heart, we are none of us evil and all of us good; In knowledge, we are none of us perfect and all of us naive. Therefore, everyone deserves dignity — yes, that applies to Trump, Biden, and your self-centered coworker.
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood. Turn away from the fearmongering, crying that Muslims are “bringing the Third World to Tennessee.” America was never an ethnic nation but has always been a civic nation. Being an American is about believing all have an inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; Being an American is about seeking unity, justice, domestic tranquility, a common defense, general welfare, and liberty — for ourselves and our posterity.
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
Comments