The eve of the 2008 Democratic National Convention came just about one year ago today. The political gathering marked the culmination of a heated battle between two candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Whoever won the election would make history — it would either be the first time a woman or an African-American would represent a major political party as its nominee for the presidency. The nation set out to battle its perennial demons concerning gender and race, as individuals across the land engaged themselves in soul-searching questions and debate.
Back then, and during the general election that followed after Obama claimed the Democratic nomination, Los Angeles and the rest of the nation hosted endless monologues, dialogues, and commentaries about the choice in front of us. People engaged each other in store aisles, checkout lines, or in bars, parks, or food stands. The traditional media — television, radio, newspapers and magazines — offered us Ivory Tower experts and special interest representatives who provided colorful, if not altogether unbiased, analysis. The new media weighed in by becoming the place for non-stop interactive discussions that lit up the blogosphere, while point-counter-point repartee held center stage in the social networks in cyberspace.
From any vantage point it is clear that the 2008 presidential election reminded everyone we are all members of the American family. Nobody had to say "Don't hold back, tell me what you really feel." Everybody knew what everyone thought. People were curious. People questioned themselves while questioning others.
While getting in tune with each other, everyone got in touch with themselves.
When we first met — back when the 2008 presidential election was in full swing — I was living in the City Center East district of Downtown Los Angeles, also known as Skid Row. I worked my way out of Skid Row and returned to my childhood roots of Leimert Park, a traditional bastion of the African-American middle class in Los Angles, in January of this year. For most of this year, my time has been spent getting reacquainted with my home neighborhood while becoming accustomed to new responsibilities and opportunities.
Lately I have been cruising around the city updating myself on its changes while gauging the mood and attitudes of its citizens. From Venice Beach to Skid Row, I have observed a certain things that were expected. Signs of the economic malaise are endless. For lease signs are prominent in historically low-vacancy retail districts. Sales staffers in many stores just stand around without much to do these days. Few are out there shopping. Even fewer are actually buying.
It also appears that hard-pressed homeowners are giving retail stores some new competition as they struggled to hang on. Yard sales proliferate in various neighborhoods. I've seen some neighborhoods where residents have held collective yard sales, with a huge display of merchandise for sale.
I've taking all this in lately — during trips to the boardwalk, retail tours, and checks on the neighborhoods. And I've noticed something missing. I couldn't put my finger on the missing ingredient of day-to-day life at first, but I soon started hearing the evidence. Actually, I didn't hear it.
It first occurred to me at the yard sales. Folks typically talk to each other at those events, chatting back and forth. They are natural venues for discussion — conversation is a part of the experience.
But it's that conversation — small talk and larger discussions — that is missing these days. There's no conversation at these yard sale events — no free flow exchanges of ideas. I soon noticed that it's awfully quiet elsewhere, too. There's precious little chit-chat at the checkout stands at stores. The heated political debates on Facebook and other social networks have begun to evaporate.
What happened to the noise?
Those loud voices and boisterous debates that bubbled up from the grassroots and led America to make history in the 2008 presidential election have grown quiet. Sure, the cable channels still squawk, and websites dedicated to ideological points of view continues to add their voices to the echo chamber.
But it now looks as though the grassroots engagement reached its peak on election night and has been slowly fading ever since.
Looking back, I believe the fade started during debates over the federal bail-out package for banks under the Bush Administration. Some voices rang out to protest the huge sum of money given to the banks while families were locked out of their houses as foreclosures steadily increased across America. Shortly after that we heard that bankers were receiving bonuses thanks to the bailout. The voice of the people rose up again, leading politician to admonish the bonus-taking bankers and press for a return of the some of the money. Most of the cash was long gone.
Then the economy grew worse, and it seems to have eroded the will of those struggling to survive. Foreclosures continue as wave after wave of job cuts drained everyday folks. A huge stimulus package passed under Obama, and reports have gone up and down since then. The stock markets have generally improved and appear to have at least stabilized. Little of that is felt at street level, though, leaving some folks impatient and others disappointed.
Now we are in the middle of a debate over healthcare reform. The everyday folks who might benefit the most from Obama's plan are busy trying to survive. Misinformation and propaganda has been in full swing, and confusion has blanketed the atmosphere of the proposal. Death squads would decide who lived and died. Obama faked his birth certificate and is a socialist.
Mean conflict has taken center stage in place of the stirring debate during the 2008 election. Sure, discussions got heated back then. But they generally stuck to reality in a bid to determine which path our country would take.
Consider this from Mary Rose Patejak, a single mother who lives in West Los Angeles and has 25 years experience as a healthcare administrator: "I don't know what is in the reform package because I can't find any decent information about it. If I can't find any decent information, then I can't evaluate it. The only thing I see is that the loud voices are lobbying for their own agenda and who want to maintain the status quo. It is all about the money, not about what is right for the American people. No one wants to sacrifice for the good of the country. There is too much meanness in the way we speak to each other. Everyone just wants to survive. No one has the energy to talk. We are too insular at this time and no one knows what each other is thinking."
Russell Cyrus, standing in front of a grocery store in Leimert Park, said he believes that the fix is in when it comes to quashing genuine debate on the Obama's healthcare plan.
"When Obama was elected, there was hope," the man said. "But there are forces that continue to battle against hope. They have a vested interest in maintaining things as they are, and they are outlasting those who have to focus on themselves and their families."
The owner of several social networks headquartered in South Los Angeles, who asked that his name be withheld, had this to say: "It is as though the government is in a different world than those they represent. People believe their representatives are not fighting for them but for companies and entities. So they think 'what is the use in fighting.' They have to put food on the table."
And here's a view from General Jeff, a Skid Row community activist and elected member of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council: "The voices that marshaled support in nickels and dimes to finance the [Obama] campaign are tired. They figured the battle was over. They did not realize the battle had just begun. The companies fighting against change understood the battle had just begun. They are not tired, and are becoming increasing energized as time goes on".
The store aisles, front lawns and social networks are quiet.
Loud voices created America.
Loud voices pushed us through the threshold to a new era less than a year ago.
That was just the first hurdle, though. Each successive hurdle will become increasingly resistant to change.
Now is not the time for our voices to evaporate in the wind. We must keep talking with one another. Loud voices are what tied us together and got us here. By talking we continue learn, and we can ensure that this country is of the people, by the people and for the people.
Bring back the noise.
Walter Melton is a writer for the L.A. Garment & Citizen.
Visit Walter Melton's blog at www.scribeskidrow.blogspot.com.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons
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