Call Them by Their True Names: American Crises

This book of essays touches on so many issues currently plaguing our country and the culture we've cultivated in recent years of booming tech companies “disrupting” local communities and welfare, disregarding inexplicable offenses conducted by the leader of our free nation, gun violence, voter suppression, and so much more with a layer of naive cynicism that coats the country like an oily blanket that weighs on every social justice action. The author holds the culprit of each essay accountable, whether it's our own inaction, our systemic racism, our inability to see the value of preaching to the choir rather than our adversaries, our inherent anger and propensity to only see and denounce the actions of others in black or white narratives.

The issues discussed call to the humanity in the reader to further understand what is plaguing our country and open our eyes to what's right in front of us. If you know that this country produces more food and waste, why are there millions of Americans going hungry? When did we start growing accustomed to seeing the homeless panhandle for money? When did we give up on the idea that we could help others? Our privilege has always been around, comforting us in our homes, our safe spaces that we call our own. Our privilege has erected a barrier so tall, slowly growing taller as the rich get richer and we're distracted by the next big celebrity scandal, that we've become blind to the injustices we encounter and are done unto us on a daily basis.

While I agreed with so much of the author's points of reflection and truth, I was also made to feel uncomfortable which is what really made the book shine. Seeking the uncomfortable is nobody's forte but it is what makes us grow, live fuller lives, and understand our own decisions, motivations and emotions. It's hard to read something, do something, experience something that makes you inherently want to pull away and retreat. I loved this book for making arguments I agree with and question and call out what I neglected to see.

I would recommend this book to everyone though I know it's not going to be for everyone. Step out of that bubble of yours and read reality. Take a chance and confront your complacency. I'm not saying this book can do all that but I'm also not saying it can't.

Written and curated brilliantly, Solnit's exposition of what America currently looks like will call to every American's sense of fight for a better future, inclusive culture and social action.