Honestly, I've tried to " be good", and act with love towards a sociopolitical situation that turned against everything in which I've been brought up to believe.
As someone born in the mid-1970s, i grew up knowing that my rights as a teen [to play varsity sports in high school} and as an adult woman { agency over my own reproductive life and the rights to open a bank account, vote , and get a job without the need of a husband.
Growing up in Appalachia -- my younger brother and I were the only Jewish { and by Jewish we are half Ashkenazi on Mom's side of the family}---- Neither one of us " looks Jewish" { whatever the hell that means....} , but we did not fit into the Catholic or Presbyterian Christian culture that many of our classmates so easily found community. Our parents raised us with the Golden Rule, which is found in the Hebrew Scriptures. For our childhood, this simple Rule of Life guided our choices.
The Golden Rule, which is found across cultural, religious and language barriers states simply { I'll use the Gospel version since I am a Christian, but there are other versions of this same Rule.
“...do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matt. 7:12)
Be nice. Treat others as you want others to treat you. Be generous. Share. It is better to give to others than to receive from others. Love between two adult persons is beautiful. Skin colors come in many shades, and all are beautiful. Each person has a right to their body's agency.
Over the past few months & years, I've seen every decent tenant with which my parents raised me challenged openly by groups of White Straight, Rich "Christian" People. Frankly, I am sick and tired of this bullshit that entitled people continually pass off as " American Values."
Y'all, I'm scared.
I'm scared that my rights as a womb-bearing person will be stripped away.
Thinking about my beautiful niece and nephew learning to fear the police saddens me.
Looking at every same-gender couple in my life and realizing that my marriage { I am a woman married to a man} will remain protected while theirs will once again face a possibility of inequality angers me.
People only seeing me as a shy little woman, and greatly underestimating my abilities frustrates me. In spite of my perceived meekness, I won't back down from confrontation . Furthermore, I've been blessed with coaching by people in my life with more wisdom in their small toe than many of us will every have-- and I've grown exponentially thanks to them.
I'm speaking because these issues are not mere political talking points. I matter. My LGBTQ loved . ones matter. My Black & Brown friends matter.
In these three years, I've been given opportunities to show by my actions whose proverbial face is on the proverbial coin.
I know who I am and Who I follow. My only regret is that it has taken until now-- seven months into pandemic--- for me to find my voice.
My voice shakes. But I'll speak.
Will you?
Amen.
~Sarah
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