Harnessing Our Anger

I live in Portland, Oregon. So I've had a number of challenging conversations lately -- in person and via e-mail -- about "the situation" in my hometown. Those who have gotten in touch with me have been angry about the protests and the violence that followed for many nights. I read angry letters to the editor in my local paper. I see the anger of the young White man who flipped me off this afternoon as I stood at our weekly vigil with my "End White Supremacy" sign (and the older White man who also flipped me off a few minutes later). I absorb the anger of those who disagree with my views on White privilege, reparations, policing, and criminal justice reform. There seems to be no end to the anger of those who believe that we should not be protesting.

Then there's the deep anger of the protestors. I feel my own rage at the murder of George Floyd, and at the sight of peaceful people being beaten and teargassed in my city by armed federal troops in camouflage. I hear from those who are angry because our systems are so broken, and because once again it is the most marginalized and most vulnerable who are suffering the most; I share that distress. We are angry when the work of pushing back against state violence and White supremacy is hijacked or derailed.

Wherever we look, it seems as though anger is only on the rise. 

As a mental health professional, here's what I know about anger: in general, anger is what we show when we are overcome by fear and/or sadness. And in this time of ongoing global pandemic, fear and sadness envelop us all. Layer on economic injustice and uncertainty, a dysfunctional government, and a long overdue reckoning on race, and it's no surprise that anger explodes. I suspect that most of those who are angry about calls to end White supremacy, make reparations, or shift from militarized policing to restorative justice are acting out from fear. 

But here's the thing about anger. It is not an end to itself. While it can consume us, we do not have to let it do so. We can choose whether to simply stoke our grievances or to use our anger as fuel for action. It seems to me that President Obama urged us to do just that in his powerful eulogy for John Lewis. He didn't do so directly. But in his own impassioned call to action, I heard anger being channeled into specific directives that can help ensure that all eligible voters have an unimpeded opportunity to vote. It's critical work, for as he pointed out, "few elections have been as urgent, on so many levels, as this one." 

In this fraught time, we are all wrestling with loss, sadness, uncertainty, and fear. It makes sense that we feel angry, too. Regardless of whether you agree with me about the issues I've mentioned here, let's not forget that anger is energy that we can harness. Whatever your goal, if you find yourself becoming angry about it, step back and make the choice not to simply feed your anger but to let it motivate and empower you to act. There is so much that needs to be done.

Love,

Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma


Comments

Pat Crane said…
Thank you for your thoughtful post on "Harnessing Our Anger." My friends who speak out most loudly about their anger towards the protesters are definitely driven by fear. I realize my anger has been sparked most recently by the events of the last 3 nights in Portland after the peaceful protesters have dispersed. The 100 to 200 or so people who have tried to burn down the East Precinct Police are hurting rather than helping the call for racial justice and seem to be hijacking the BLM movement. I fear the Federal troops will be deployed again and only make matters worse. This is my personal example of anger based on fear.
August 7, 2020 at 1:35 PM
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