Thinking twice about your love for Hamilton because the intellectuals doubt its relevancy in our lives today?

Read this, and you’ll have something that they don’t have: hope. “I’m not throwing away my shot” to defend Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Hamilton cast.

Ahmad Rashad said it best, “people build you up to tear you down.” We all do it, whether it’s to ourselves to those dearest to us to our celebrities. It’s the very reason “putting someone on a pedestal” became a cliche. And then, it’s a mere law of physics that they must come down.

No one’s perfect, after all.

Art’s no different. Hamilton was the hottest ticket on Broadway, finally available through Disney+ to the masses as a pick-me-up during the pandemic. And critics cast doubt on its worth.

I saw it in basketball. When Dad coached the 76ers, the papers either lauded or buried him. We didn’t pay attention; we just wanted to watch the game, the way the girls couldn’t wait to see Hamilton.

Five years after Hamilton’s debut, us theater buffs finally had the chance to see what’s revolutionized the stage. Like a sports fan who missed a great game and five years later we get to watch the replay.

I remember the big to-do when Dad reached 300 wins faster than any coach (free Miller Light for a year made for very happy garbage men). And the fall from grace when the 76ers lost (still more beer to wallow in).

Turns out the papers that I was oblivious to dubbed the 76ers “chokers” and gave a gruesome analogy of death by choking. Afterward, they called the team “stinking carcasses.” Hard words to forgive.

Less than a week after Hamilton started live streaming, Time republished an online article, “Will Hamilton resonate in 2020’s America?

https://time.com/5858556/hamilton-disney-plus/

The answer? Possibly no. Critics haven’t choked the life out of Hamilton as reporters tried with the 76ers, but it did cast doubt on its future.

One historian says that the US political, economic, and social structures are based on white supremacy and this musical condones slaveowners.

At least that’s what I think she said. I read the argument three times and still couldn’t understand what white supremacy has to do with this musical.

And maybe it’s just me thinking about Dad and human nature again but here’s another case of how we’re doing it again: crushing hard-earned dreams with a few loaded words.

Wednesday morning, the Hamilton cast answered the question mark that Time left dangling in the air with a video of their own, which they distributed to all social media.

https://time.com/5858556/hamilton-disney-plus/

Having been dislodged from his place of honor as the creator of a revolutionary musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda proved his dream’s self-worth. “Not a word has changed, but the world has changed.”

And dear Leslie Odom, Jr. who played Aaron Burr, looked beaten down. All he did was join his fellow castmates to play a role so convincingly we forgot black and white. He said, “We believe in it. We hope that you do, too.”

I was left hoping along with Odom, that Disney+ doesn’t get enough reason to pull the plug and cut Hamilton out of the will.

Only I had my ah-hah moment. Look at how we built it up. It’s transcended itself like a statue that’s too large for life. Now it’s come to represent politics, economics, society, and even history.

We’ve been so awed by it; we forgot what it truly is. It’s art. Our form of self-expression–it’s free to do in this country.

We’ve been so awed by it; we forgot what it truly is. It’s art. Our form of self-expression–it’s free to do in this country.

No matter what stains they had on their souls, what makes us worthy to judge them? We alone aren’t fit to cast the first stone, and neither is our family tree. Somewhere down the line, someone’s brought us shame.

Let’s forget the shame and appreciate the positive, dedicated actions, and even the unjust ones, that got us here today.

They left history as our guideposts. We don’t have to glorify it or erase it, but we have to face it for what it’s worth to see where we’ve been. Fair warning, it annoyingly repeats itself until we can get it right.

And since none of us are perfect, glad we got that out of the way, we have art to explore, dream, and imagine history or the future anyway we like it.

It’s a safe way to discover what we’re not going to do and how we could do better. Now is the day that counts anyway. One day we’ll live up to those ideals.

Enough defense, time to talk offense. That’s when we work together as a team.

After being called “chokers”, the 76ers won and the sports reporters had to resurrect the 76ers “carcasses.” All was great…until the next time the 76ers lost and the media brought the 76ers back down to size again.

But when the reporters, who had been so mean-spirited, were ready to listen, Dad set the record straight. “It’s all history. It’s old news. It’s a new day. Let’s forget about it and move on.” -Wisconsin State Journal, May 26, 1982.

Ah, the fresh air of forgiveness. That’s where we can find hope again—knowing that we’re all human. We all tend to build each other up to tear each other down, even if we don’t do it deliberately.

Before we strike the words from the history books and question whether Hamilton has lost its value, let’s make sure we’ve forgiven, first.

That’s why we’re not perfect in the first place. So we can absolve ourselves and others from the imperfections we share.

Hamilton’s relevant today. Don’t let anyone fool you. And here’s my best shot to defend Hamilton: if you don’t like it, don’t watch, but please, don’t deface it, leave it for the rest of us to enjoy.