You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught

In 1949, Richard Rogers (composer) and Oscar Hammerstein (lyricist) composed the song, “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” for the musical “South Pacific. It is a disturbing anthem with an ironic juxtaposition of message and melody, sounding like a children’s lullaby, warning of how prejudice and hatred are phenomena of acculturation. It is a simple song. So simple and direct, and so honest and true that only the most sincere and heartfelt of deliveries can make this song believable. Not trite, preachy or kitcsch. If you wish to hear it as it is meant to be sung, view the video below of Mandy Patinkin delivering it in medley with the song “Children Will Listen” by Stephen Sondheim. Careful! It may bring you to tears. As it does me.

The power of these songs came to mind as I listened to a report on the rise of (so-called) ‘Nationalism’ around the globe and, in particular, the rise of Nazi, openly anti-Semitic, and extreme right slander taking place in Poland. The commentator made the point that the exercise of freedoms of speech and personal liberties has never restricted or prevented the free expression of these views. But, the increase of frequency and boldness of these groups today is more due to the failure of leaders to immediately and unequivocably decry and refute the demonstrations, and the bigotry and hatred voiced.

In other words, there has been a complete and utter failure to repudiate these people and their ideas. We teach our children as much by our failures as by our commitments. The failure to promptly and unequivocally disavow hate, prejudice and bigotry is a language base from which our children learn. The failure of action, to not draw clear lines of acceptability and set standards and legal limits, is ‘permission’ to the child...and to fanatics looking for that window of opportunity to erupt and vomit their venom. The ‘in your face’ recklessness, boldness and arrogance of these groups is our societal failure. To ignore the toxic, poisonous invective can only lead to a contagion that will affect and infect the whole of our society.

“The Shoes on the Danube Bank“ is a memorial in Budapest. Conceived by film director Can Tokay, he created it on the east bank of the Danube River with sculptor Gyula Pauer to honor the people who were killed by fascist Arrow Cro… — “The Shoes on the Danube Bank“ is a memorial in Budapest. Conceived by film director Can Tokay, he created it on the east bank of the Danube River with sculptor Gyula Pauer to honor the people who were killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during World War II. They were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. It represents their shoes left behind on the bank.

3,500 people, 800 of which were Jews, were shot and plunged into the river. In all, 600,000 Jews were deported to concentration camps in a six month period - the largest deportation in the shortest time span of any country. The sculptor created… — 3,500 people, 800 of which were Jews, were shot and plunged into the river. In all, 600,000 Jews were deported to concentration camps in a six month period - the largest deportation in the shortest time span of any country. The sculptor created sixty pairs of period-appropriate shoes out of caste iron.

*Liberty Square, a most picturesque square in central Budapest was the cite of turbulence and conflict spanning over centuries.*

*A memorial on “Liberty Square” to those whose lives were lost and those displaced by the Communist occupation.*

*These are actual cases that have weathered over half a century. ..*

...belonging to actual people who were forced to flee... — *...belonging to actual people who were forced to flee..*.

There is nothing innate, primate or natural about hate. Conversely, we should not assume that in the absence of hate there is a presence of goodness. If Freud is even remotely correct, and we enter this world with a clean slate - tabula rosa - the purity of a newborn would best be described as NEUTRAL...NOT GOODNESS. The two should not be confused. That baby may be ‘clean’ at birth. However, the absence of taint is not the presence of ‘goodness’. Good is a choice and newborns have none. We can debate as to whether humans are ‘inherently’ good (an argument best left to philosophers and religious scholars) But, why leave it to chance. What we do know is that the clean slate is waiting to be written upon, to be impressed upon, and to be influenced. It is ‘pure’, but its purity makes it all the more vulnerable to all sorts of influencers which encompass all aspects of the human condition. Do I, personally, sense that our ‘nature’ is positive all else being equal? Yes. I do. But, we should not delude ourselves into thinking that our nature is like that of the Gods. GOODNESS MUST BE TAUGHT. The same goes for PEACE and LOVE. And, we are doing a real shitty job of it.

A Poster I Saw in Budapest

The arm of psychology called “neuro-linguistic programming - NLP” instructs us of the power of words. All life is metaphor. Language is metaphor. Language is at the root of mentality and consciousness. How we use language and words is the basis upon which reference and association is born. Words are the building blocks of our associations...how we know and relate to the world. Then, there is the distinction between freedoms, privileges and rights. And, further, the distinction between “human rights” and “civil rights”. I am not inclined to ’censor’ or limit any kind of speech. However, the “freedom of speech clause cited in our constitution is a “civil right” granted in order to advance society and permit active discourse and debate. Civil rights “arise only by virtue of a legal grant of the right”. As an example, you have no right to something that has been or can be taken from someone else. Hate speech directed at any particular group, to my mind, falls into this category of speech intended to take something away from (or deny) a group or any class of people. I no longer believe we need to be afraid of declaring hate speech illegal. The alternative seems infinitely worse now.

The bottom line is that if ‘you’ve got to be taught’ to hate, then we best be advised to teach what is good, wholesome, healthy, peaceful, creative and worthwhile. You have got to be taught to love, and respect, and to care...before it’s too late.

I have, (as my alternate song-writing friend Lynn Roundtree says - “with apologies to Rogers, Hammerstein”), written lyrics to the latest version of “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught”.

“You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught”

You’ve got to be taught to love and care
To cherish each other from afar or near
It has to be taught everyday, every year
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught to be not afraid
Of people whose skin are not your own shade
Or, those of whose discourse would try to dissuade
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught to regard and be kind
To be conscious of all the distorting of mind
To discover the Truth behind all undefined
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught that it’s harmful to hate
That resentment and loathing are not innate
Even family who scorn, you must repudiate
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught the essence of need
That suffering’s shared, that’s old Buddha’s creed
To help one another so all may be freed
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before you can talk
Before you can hold a spoon and a fork
Before you can stand and before you can walk
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

Thought perhaps you would like to see the three of us together atop Gellert Hill overlooking The Chain Bridge and the Danube River.

We all send much love to home.