We live in a country where a high-school senior can be left out of her yearbook because someone decided she wore the wrong clothes. Where a big-city newspaper fear-mongers about those who are different. Where women are required to endure probes shoved up their vaginas before they’re deemed ready to have abortions. Where harassment is legal–nay, even encouraged–against people who are brown.
And all day, reading about this hate and fear and insanity, I’ve been thinking over the words written by The Beautiful Kind’s webmaster as he explained why this morning her site was abruptly pulled offline:
“But the ultimate question is this: despite whatever information may be unveiled about someone’s personal life, would that suddenly alter their ability to be a quality person to us? Perhaps in a very real way, the only wrongdoing that we might accuse others of lies only within our own imagination.”
This is a lesson I hope my children will all know long before they hit kindergarten. It’s a lesson we as a nation should have learned in 1963: Content of character matters; it is in fact the only thing that matters. Yet nearly 47 years later we still make decision about people based on traits that have nothing to do with character.
Will we ever learn?
I hope, for our sake, that we do learn, but I’m not very optimistic about that happening. I’ll do everything I can to see it does happen, though. I’ve come to think that human nature is likely stupid and selfish by nature, rather than enlightened and lofty, sadly enough. But people do continue to prove me wrong on that every day, so I think there is hope. Thank the gods for people like you, AAG, and of course, friends like you.
If people stopped, more or less, needing to be led… they might find themselves going into beautiful and original directions. But until people (surely including me) stop being fearful…There is no learning. Content of character (sorry, no time to click on the link) means to me that we shape ourselves in a context and with love. Even when we are pissed off. This makes it difficult. But worthwhile.
Seems I read the same articles you did this week and they’ve left me with a pit in the bottom of my stomach. What struck me today, as I read the headlines and shook my head was the lack of compassion and humanity in our governing bodies, from school boards to Houses of Congress. One of the stories is about my home state, which makes me ashamed. All I can do is cast my vote and speak my mind, hoping someone else hears and does the same.
My favorite quote is: “Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes” by Maggie Kuhn. Thank you for speaking yours.
People worry far too much about what other people are doing, thinking and wearing. Perhaps they have too much time on their hands. I would recommend a hobby.
Seriously, I think the only thing we can do is exactly what you are doing: Teach our children what’s important. And live that lesson every day.
Thank you for this, aag. I love the quote distracted mentions, “Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes” by Maggie Kuhn.
Thank you for allowing me to speak my mind on your site. I hope to share more soon.
Sadly, this kind of thing is going to keep happening as long as our society is sexually repressed yet sexually obsessed. Perhaps TBK can find a way to make a legal living in the sex industry to not need to worry who knows about her blog :) That’s the only thing I can think of offhand.
Oh… And I meant to point you here… Where he talks about the way the planets are moving… And how we are headed in something that will even blow the 60s away. You might have to hunt for various articles. But he is engaging, smart, and on top of shit. Enjoy him and his team!
http://planetwaves.net/pagetwo/category/daily-astrology/
All of these situations deeply sadden me. Especially the message shared by TBK’s webmaster. TBK’s site is the primary one that inspired me to share my own experiences. While I do not know her personally, she is my hero. To give voice to the topics she speaks about is necessary and critical in today’s world. We must learn to honor this voice – and others like it. Will we ever learn? Yes, but perhaps not in our lifetime. That often happens to those who are trailblazers. Changing mindsets can take a lifetime or longer. Yet we cannot give up. We must continue to speak out.