The art of the essay is about taking an idea out to play, in order to prove a point. There’s a thesis statement, “Hey, how about this?” and then some argument for and against, and a conclusion. If one is simply arguing for, or against, that’s not really an essay, it’s a rant. Finding a solid space to stand on long enough to even make a statement right now is a challenge. What, where, why?
Huh?
I can’t even count the number of editorial essays I have started in the last few weeks, only to have some equally large and comment-worthy event explode only a few feet away.
I do my best to keep it local – this is a local publication – but there’s been intrusive reach by outside forces that can’t be ignored. From ICE raids to Marine Deployment, the big picture has been painfully ugly. It’s the topic of conversation at any gathering; what happened, what now, what next?
When I heard Charlie Kirk had been shot, I had a vague idea of who he was. I cultivate my social media so that it does not launch a lot of that stuff in my direction. However angry any influencer might strive to be, there’s an excellent chance that I don’t care at all. That sort of stuff is what tends to get traffic on social media, and it’s a game I choose not to play.
I have written about my father being murdered by a gun-wielding stranger; it is truly something you don’t wish on your worst enemy, let alone some random right wing mouthpiece. Kirk was out there cheering for gun rights. All I can hope is that it brings more people into the tent for gun control.
Kimmel gets cancelled over a joke. Half a million people cancel their Disney subscriptions. Kimmel is back. I’m not a Kimmel watcher, but that bombshell opened some space in a good direction. It let many people in on the fact that your personal actions can have a positive effect.
In fact, Sinclair just caved on their boycott; the hyper-conservative owner of many ‘local’ television stations will bring Kimmel back after refusing to do so on Wednesday, when he was back on ABC.
While I’m dancing here, that update just happened. Reinforcing my point that there is barely space to put a toe between framing a perspective and needing to re-frame it. One and two and three and four, and …
But if we look back over the landscape that we just danced across, there’s a bit of choreography to discern.
If people understand that violence does not solve problems, and that voting with your wallet is essential, perhaps we are dancing in a better direction, explosions and all.
Essays can still work; they just need a brisk tempo.
Judith Martin-Straw
