I’ve not been around much these past few weeks, mainly because of well… America’s kind of been bat shit crazy and I went up to Ithaca to visit with Greg Tremblay to celebrate his birthday with his friends and family. I’ve also been hammering at Dim Sum Asylum so that was something I needed to scrape out of my brain. I was immersed in the love of an adopted brother and his family, including his cat and dog. Despite the icy landscape and small planes, I’d do it all over again because that’s kind of what life is, walking through the cold to get to the warm.
I came home with a bit of a head cold or sinus icky and to a cat who really needs love. Like REALLY needs love.
Much like all of us right now.
There’s been several huh moments for me over the last week. I won’t get into the politics of life but I know I need to have less fuckery on my brain and more centering because focusing too much on the crap floating about makes me crazy and I can’t write. By all accounts, I have nothing to lose in the changing environment but that’s just a pissy ass way to look at things. I feel strongly about standing up to injustices. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t write what I write. I am not a gay man or woman, I am not a Muslim, I am not a Jew. I am not Black nor am I Hispanic.
But what I am is resolved. Because we should all have equal rights. I firmly believe in this. And I will always fight for those rights.
Over the past week I’ve been contacted by a couple of people who pretty much spent spewing a lot of anger and vitriol at me because I “didn’t understand their side of things” with regards to how they voted or… in one case, I’m not exactly sure what the problem was but somehow I was evil incarnate. None of these conversations went the way they probably thought they would go. I wouldn’t know because when I asked “How did you think this was going to go? In your head, I mean. How did you think this was going to spool out?”, I got no answer.
First things first, if you’re entering into a conversation to challenge or convert someone to how you think, plan ahead. Or at least begin the discussion knowing what you need to say and what you hope to accomplish in having that discussion. If it’s simply to tell me you’re going to delete my books from your Kindle because of XYZ, then I can’t help you.
Because I sure as fuck am not going to stop speaking up.
If you want to have a talk about how you got to where you are now… in your thinking… then that’s great. We can do that. But be prepared for me to agree with you on certain points and handle that graciously. Yes, I agree we need to have good healthcare and yes, the system needs work. Yes, I agree we should worry about feeding our own, taking care of our own but building a wall makes no damned sense. We agree on a lot of points but we might just disagree on how to get there.
But getting there shouldn’t damage or subjugate others. Making someone else’s piece of America less doesn’t make someone else’s more. Once again, this isn’t pie.
What a lot of people don’t seem to realize is that we’re a symbiotic nation. What happens here spills out into the rest of the world. Like it or not, we’re a part of the world’s nervous system. We cannot adopt a single focus view. We are not Christian. We are not Muslim. We are not Jewish. We are not Buddhist. We are all of these things and yet none of them. We are multi-cultural and multi-racial. To ignore that is to adopt the dumbest, most narrow view of America. And none of us can live in that America.
I will not live in that America. And I will not let that America happen.
So, sure… delete my books, unfriend me, block me, do whatever you need to do to make your life narrower but please know this, I will still speak up for you. Because I believe you need a healthy, safe life, your children need a good education and most of all, that if you have someone in your life who is at the most vulnerable of spots in their souls. I will speak to protect them.
‘Cause that’s what America does. Protect. Thrive. Grow. Expand. Embrace.
I will not go gently into a night of someone else’s crafting. I will light every fucking candle I can and raise my voice to break the stifling silence. I hope you will join me, regardless of how you feel we should solve problems. It is the darkness and silence that is our ultimate enemy, not each other, so I beg you to join me in that fight before we lose our way because we cannot see each other any more.
* Views expressed in this post are those of the author and not of KittehDoodle Tremblay.
Bless you Nuna… you are wiser than you are willing to accept.
I love you. *HUG*
I love and adore you.
And your little dog too.
Smooches, dongsaeng.
Your views and advice are amazing! Thank you for being you. 🙂
Smoooooooooches. And yeah well, I’m kinda stuck with me 😀
Rhys thank you for your words of wisdom, I so needed them. Our country stands at the edge of a scary precipice and it has been difficult to stay positive these past few weeks. It is time to block out the noise and do our best to stay strong and focused on fighting the good fight, for our family, friends, and our country. 🙂
We shall all be here. Fighting and loving 😀
I completely agree and understand, darling. I won’t talk politics, but I am a bisexual woman, so this does affect me in some ways.
I’ve been doing my best to not talk about the political climate, myself, because it’s been such a bone of contention for most people. But there is actually something beautiful I’ve seen in this: all these people, outraged by the variety if not the whole of the legislation, are puling together to stand against. Gay, straight, black, white, Hispanic, gay, straight, Jews, Christians, and Muslims –all of them can stand up and say this is wrong. And you’re right: even if we aren’t affected directly by these things, we are all affected by this. Anyone who sits by and does nothing condones these things, even if they don’t believe in them.
I guess what I want to say is that I am so glad I’m not the only one feeling a little lost and a lot afraid of things that are happening. Thank you for taking a stand for what you believe in, darling: it encourages others to do the same.
Much love,
~Sins~
I never ever want you to be in a place where you feel less than who you are. Or worth less than the person next to you. *HUGS*
Well said. Everyone should get to feel valid and safe <3
Oh yes. <3 <3 <3
Beautifully and well put! Thank you!
<3 <3 <3 hugs
Thank you! You speak so eloquently of what I feel in my heart but just can not communicate. Your message fills me with hope. xoxo.
<3 <3 <3
Nicely expressed – not that I’d expect anything less from you given your way with words 😉 <3
Snorts.
I may be white & cishet but my son is not cishet. And I am not willing to see him & his future husband be denied the civil rights that the rest of my family enjoy. So I am vocal & fighting. When I can. And thanks to all who are joining us in this resistance. I very much love you all.
Agreed. And love you too. <3
This post demonstrates so clearly why YOU are a writer and I am a reader! Thanks for sharing.
Snorts 😀
I seriously needed your words today. Thank you!
Smoooooches
yes. and more yes.
I love you bunches! *snooooooks* and puppy and toddler kisses
Smoooooooooooches 😀
Truthfully I am still reeling how this has all turned out…have run the gamut of emotions(still am!)
As usual you words speak to & for many of us. Thank you for that *Hugs*
It’s corny but your comments on the mistake of silence brought the song to mind,
Sound of Silence…Disturbed did a fabulous remake of it. That dude has an awesome voice!
Soooo off topic! lol anyways thank you for being you😄
*hugs* Love you and smooooooooooooches 😀
Great post, girl. I support and share all you said. Love
<3
You speak my soul’s words. Thank you.
hugs. <3
This is one of the best written pieces I have seen to date. Sorry, not sorry, I will block people who spew hate and call it logical. There is nothing logical about racism, and bigotry, it is pure fear that, that person will not be standing on top of the mountain. Personally, I’d rather stand at the bottom looking up, than on the top where I could fall.
Yeah we have to stop reasoning with hatred. 😀
Morning.
I’m not political for the most part (my politic brain is undeveloped. It’s like people are speaking a different language not of this world), That being said, I live in a rural area where there are a lot of small businesses and farms. What surprises me is how these learned people think that this man and his government is out to help them. History has shown that’s an unlikely scenario. They just can’t see it.
I have always been somewhat a humanist. If it’s for the good of all the people, then I can back it. If it’s hurtful, even to a few people, I can’t get behind that.
I agree with most of what you said. Maybe even all,
I won’t be deleting any books, and I won’t even consider for a moment unfriending you or unfollowing you.
But I’ll be honest. Even if I hated your post, and disagreed with your words, I still won’t delete your books (which I reread and re-listen too over and over).
Because politics are ever changing and some people are just plain annoying.
But a good book? That’s one of the highest joys of life.
Your views don’t change that.
Your writing is proof of it.
I try to be as fair as possible. And I get we all have different world perspectives *grins*
Heh. My views are pretty rational, I think.
And we all need more cake.
I finally learned after a long battle (I like to think of it as growing up) that you really can’t change someone who is desperately, determined and set in a way that may be contrary to what I believe. They even may be so illogical to what I see as reasonable that I cannot understand them But only circumstances and events might change their minds, or seeing things that have to re-examine. But it must come from them. Fighting and raging with them will not help. The only thing we can do is make our own statement, with our own actions and do what we can to show those who have the power to make changes what we feel and believe.
I agree totally with you, Rhys. I am not black, gay, a refugee or any of the other categories that are being discriminated against. And living in Texas, if it weren’t so serious, I would laugh about the wall. Anyone who lives here and is honest or realizing of the plight of most of these immigrants would know that such a thing will not work. To save their families, people will do anything. It saddens me that because of individuals, whole races are condemned. Almost the whole world is participating in an unheard of expression of unity that I hope continues. I am so proud that people are participating and that we can make a difference.
xoxoxox *hugs* I hope so too.