You've Got to Be Carefully Taught

Today, as I was listening to some of my favorite soundtracks, Roger & Hammerstein's South Pacific soundtrack began playing in the rotation. Being a fan of the big bang sound, this is one of the funniest soundtracks I have. As the song list progressed, one in particular caught my attention and I have it on repeat now to hear it again and again.

In the last two years, although full of historic memories, landmark activism and a general waking up of the American people surrounding the electing of President Barack Obama, our country has been thrown into a "washing machine" of sorts and the shaking and twisting has uncovered the hearts of many Americans.

In my own lifetime I have not been so amply and repeatedly exposed to the raw, uncut emotions of our population as I have been in the last two years. The most prevailing emotion I see in the eyes of people and hear in their speech is embedded hate. People aren't born hating, they are taught it. Growing up, we are all taught things; some good, some bad. It's how we grow, know what to do, how to act. So I look at the social climate of our nation and I know this behavior is a symptom of deeper heart problems, something that was sown and took root, in the hearts of these people. I am interested in seeing how the love in creation will address and cover these hearts. But in the meantime, I am not expecting it to get any better. On the contrary, I expect it to get worse.

To that point, the message of the attached song pierced my heart this afternoon with its truth and I am compelled to share with you it's beautifully bittersweet and sobering message. What's funny is that the song is so short, that you might miss it in the rotation. Kind of life the subtle way hate attaches itself to your heart... As you listen, may your own heart reflect on your "teaching" and cause you to revisit what may need to be un-learned from your life conditioning and psychic imprinting.

Lyrics:

You've got to be taught

To hate and fear,

You've got to be taught

From year to year,

It's got to be drummed

In your dear little ear

You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid

Of people whose eyes are oddly made,

And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,

You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,

Before you are six or seven or eight,

To hate all the people your relatives hate,

You've got to be carefully taught