In honor of one of the historical figures I most admire, I want to take a small amount of universal time and space to speak where I am usually silent.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew a thing or two about courage, and speaking for the oppressed in order to create change. As an adult revisiting the legacy he left and seeing the challenges he faced I am overwhelmed by his bravery. I am astonished by his perseverance amidst extreme persecution and humbled by his non-violent solutions--even though he must have been rocked with anger inside.
How did he do that?
I talked to my kids today about him and all the people who have stood up and spoken out against injustice. We talked about speaking for those with little to no voice, like Dr. King did. We talked about the importance of having courage, and really thinking hard about the ideologies we fail to question.
My kids took out their paints and created some images that represented
ways they might use their own voices.
This is what they came up with:
My kids took out their paints and created some images that represented
ways they might use their own voices.
This is what they came up with:
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| Here is Luxie speaking for herself and... candy. I guess candy doesn't have a voice either :) |
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| Here's Luxie speaking for animals that are given no choices. There is a turkey being served and a live turkey watching through the window. |
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| Luxie drew cars polluting the world, speaking for an entity that has no voice. I love how the world looks like a living being who is literally stressed by the pollution. |
As for me, I also want to speak up. I want to use my voice to speak about injustices I see around me. I have a voice where Dr. King's is silent, so I think he'd be happy if I used it. And following his lead, I want to speak about the injustice that directly affects me and the people I love. Here goes:
1. St. George's LGBTQ Community:
This is a picture of my wonderful sister and her partner. As a couple, these two have the most loving relationship you can imagine. They are kind and good. They are thoughtful, sincere, and funny. Their love is real. But when they hold hands in public, in our Southern Utah town, their behavior is frowned upon. They are exhibitionists. Demonstrating their love in public is not an option for them, not to mention having the choice to be married or treated as equals when applying for a job or looking for an apartment. There are no laws protecting them from housing and employment discrimination in the state of Utah. It is sickening.
2. Atheists and Non-Religious People in Utah.
Just because a person is non-religious doesn't mean they are wandering in spiritual darkness. If they declare "I do not believe in God" they do not mean that they don't believe in anything. Belief is relative and personal. "God" and religion are social constructions that we can choose to apply to our lives or not. I respect your right to be religious and see it as a choice you've made. It alienates me from you when I know you're thinking that someday I'll gain awareness of your religion and its "truth." It debases me.
Other subjective topics that alienate me from you are:
Modesty (as in clothing): When I wear spaghetti straps it doesn't mean that I am asking for something, or that I have no self-respect. It probably means it's hot as hell outside because we live in the desert. Or maybe it means that I like how my arms look and am confident in who I am--confident that I've been working out and feel strong and healthy. Same for a mini-skirt.
Social Drinking: This is a big one. Just because someone enjoys a glass of wine with their dinner does not mean they are alcoholics or are in danger of becoming so. While alcoholism is certainly a problem, social drinking is not. People do it all over the world, all the time. If you see me driving into the liquor store parking lot, it does not mean I am a bad parent, my kids are neglected, I am unhappy, or I am irresponsible. (For those of you unfamiliar with Utah's laws, liquor must be sold ONLY in state-approved stores).
Just because a person is non-religious doesn't mean they are wandering in spiritual darkness. If they declare "I do not believe in God" they do not mean that they don't believe in anything. Belief is relative and personal. "God" and religion are social constructions that we can choose to apply to our lives or not. I respect your right to be religious and see it as a choice you've made. It alienates me from you when I know you're thinking that someday I'll gain awareness of your religion and its "truth." It debases me.
Other subjective topics that alienate me from you are:
Modesty (as in clothing): When I wear spaghetti straps it doesn't mean that I am asking for something, or that I have no self-respect. It probably means it's hot as hell outside because we live in the desert. Or maybe it means that I like how my arms look and am confident in who I am--confident that I've been working out and feel strong and healthy. Same for a mini-skirt.
Social Drinking: This is a big one. Just because someone enjoys a glass of wine with their dinner does not mean they are alcoholics or are in danger of becoming so. While alcoholism is certainly a problem, social drinking is not. People do it all over the world, all the time. If you see me driving into the liquor store parking lot, it does not mean I am a bad parent, my kids are neglected, I am unhappy, or I am irresponsible. (For those of you unfamiliar with Utah's laws, liquor must be sold ONLY in state-approved stores).
3. St. George's Illegal Immigrant Population.
Isn't this a hot topic. Here goes. I think that "illegals" often are muddled with our Hispanic neighbors and legal citizens. While the majority of people who complain about illegal immigrants say they make a distinction, I think there is a lot of prejudice and racism in this town. I also think that if people were more willing to consider why a person is in this country illegally, there would be much more talk about creating solutions and much less talk about building fences.
Dr. King asked this country to consider the person and not the color; to question the stereotype.
Isn't this a hot topic. Here goes. I think that "illegals" often are muddled with our Hispanic neighbors and legal citizens. While the majority of people who complain about illegal immigrants say they make a distinction, I think there is a lot of prejudice and racism in this town. I also think that if people were more willing to consider why a person is in this country illegally, there would be much more talk about creating solutions and much less talk about building fences.
Dr. King asked this country to consider the person and not the color; to question the stereotype.
I think we need to do the same thing in St. George.
That's my two cents for today. I want to be more like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and live a life with his kind of courage. Hey, I have to start somewhere.
If you want to speak for someone or something, please share with me here. I'd love to know...
