Bishop Barron Vs. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demonstrates the issues of the modern culture war
This past weekend, Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles took to his social media pages to respond to social media post made by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In his two minute video, Bishop Barron, one of the most prominent clergymen in the United States “defended” the honor of Saint Damien of Molokai, whose legacy he felt was under attack by Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s criticism of his presence in The National Statuary Hall. This interaction between two of the most prominent American figures, beloved by their own respective fanbases, provides a unique insight into the nature and inefficiency of the present culture war in America.
Before we even start, what even is “The National Statuary Hall?” Well, it is a room in the US Capitol building located in Washington DC. In this hall, there are two statues of figures representing each of the fifty states. The people who are chosen to have statues in the Hall are meant to be extraordinary citizens whose contributions to the world are awe-inspiring not only to the people of their own state, in this case Hawaii, but to all Americans who visit the US Capitol building. Currently the two figures used to represent Hawaii are of former King Kamehameha the First, and the man in question, Saint Damien.
Bishop Barron, upon hearing of the criticism Representative Ocasio-Cortez fielded Saint Damien, went to his social media to “defend the priest’s life story”. He explained how Saint Damien was a Belgian-born missionary to the United States, who devoted his life towards helping the lives of people affected by leprosy. He served those plagued with this horrid affliction in the island of Molokai until he himself eventually caught the disease and died from it. He lived what most earnest and fair people would say is a heroic life. One that quite rightly does deserve praise and is not indicative of the evils we associate with Colonialism.
So is the New York Congresswoman just flat out wrong, or immoral, in her social media post criticizing this beloved and selfless hero of Catholicism? Is she bigoted against Catholics? Does her bias against religion lead her to hate all Christians? Well, let’s look at what she herself specifically said. Here is a copy of her instagram story reposted below:
“When we select figures to tell the stories of colonized places, it is the colonisers and settlers whose stories are told- and virtually no one else. Check out Hawaii's statue.
It's not Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, the only queen regnant of Hawaii, who is immortalized and whose story is told. It is Father Damien. This isn't to litigate each and every individual statue, but to point out the patterns that have emerged among the totality of them in who we are taught to deify in our nation's Capital: virtually all men, all white, and mostly both. This is what patriarchy and white supremicst culture looks like! It is not radical or crazy to understand the influence white supremacist culture has historically had in our overall culture and how it impacts the present day.”
To me, what is important to note in Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s instagram story is her phrasing in the first stanza, “and virtually no one else.” This is worth reflecting on. The Statuary Hall is a place where people are meant to get inspired by the lives of the people who are from their own state. Saint Damien is without a doubt someone whose life is inspirational, but the problem I believe the Congresswoman is trying to point out is that there is not a fair representation of the intersectionality of great Americans in this renowned Hall of statues. Moreover, he’s not even Hawaiian, he’s a European expat to America.
As the media, corporate, and education worlds are starting to note how a lack of representation, especially in places of aspiration (i.e. the Oscars, C-Suite level boards, tenured professorship) has negative impacts on marginalized/underrepresented communities, this is a time to think hard about the system that exists presently. The National Statuary Hall lacking representation of women and non white people, makes it hard for those two groups to be as inspired the way that their white male counterparts are, thus making this federal museum less efficient in its goal of nurturing greatness.
Thus we have the tricky question. Saint Damien, the incumbent, led a meaningful inspirational life, and he deserves to have his legacy honored. That said, there is a strong case for increased intersectionality of the heroes that uphold. As Ocasio-Cortez’s instagram story points out, there is a very worthy candidate to represent female Hawaiian’s in Queen Liliʻuokalani, a beloved native Hawaiian. However, Saint Damien is also beloved by the Catholics of not just Hawaii but the whole world. Considering each state only has two allotted spots for statues means to add intersectionality necessitates taking a statue away.
I am not going to pretend to have a solution for this tough problem, but what I will say is that this already tough situation is totally exasperated by the language and tone of both Bishop Barron and Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez.
By evoking the words “colonizers and settlers” when introducing her argument for increased intersectionality, Representative Ocasio-Cortez immediately uses the language of the “Culture War” that is going on in America. Thus, alienating Catholics, especially white Catholics, who may have a personal connection to this great Saint. As Philosopher Edmund Burke points out, progress only happens with a synthesis of the present system, and by ignoring the reality of working with her political opponents in the system in using strong rhetoric, Representative Ocasio-Cortez makes exiles out of potential Catholic allies in her cause to get more women and non white people in the National Statuary Hall.
Bishop Barron in his response, however, does nothing to help ease the tensions that Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez’s post obviously caused. In fact he does the common tactic of the “Culture War” and responds to bombastic remarks with his own set of bombastic remarks. Instead of limiting his video to pointing out the nobility of Saint Damien, Bishop Barron goes on to disparage Representative Ocasio-Cortez and her brand of “simplistic woke politics.” Moreover, Bishop Barron is a famed traditionalist, known for spending time in creating his content, as evidenced by the high video production quality of his usual videos. The fact he chose to stand in his garden and speak tersely and haughtily in his rebuttal to Representative Ocasio-Cortez shows an arrogant tone, not one of empathy. The tone conveyed is not one of wanting to see complexities of the Congresswoman’s argument or even defend Saint Damien, but rather to focus on the “Culture War” and the attack on Catholic saints.
What is most disheartening about this whole situation is that it seems like both Bishop Barron and Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez are so earnest in their respective battlecries. Sincerity in their beliefs is very important for change. However, by choosing to fight this battle on social media and through utilizing the tools of the “Culture War” both stand to gain nothing but embolden their own followers, and stoke division rather than push for a creative solution to a complex problem. This is the issue with the modern culture war: in Barron and Ocasio-Cortez both seeking to “win,” we all stand to lose.
Resources referenced:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_8nxVBGF-Y&t=28s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn52QgWkNlQ
tags:
Bishop Barron, Black Lives Matter, Leftism, Catholic, Catholicism, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Statuary Hall, Washington DC, Damien, Saint Damien, Father Damien, Racism, Racist, Capitol Hill.
