What would you do if a group of people:
– threatened to divide your family, take your home, and send you “back” to a country you don’t know and may have never been?
– told you that because you don’t practice the “right” religion, you cannot be trusted, do not qualify for public assistance or public service, and anyone else like you cannot enter the country, even if it means they will face death?
– made it illegal for you to enter the public restroom of your gender, presuming your only purpose to enter would be to molest children and victimize others?
– tried to prevent you and citizens like you from voting by systematically reducing the number of polling locations and hours in areas where you are likely to live?
– began openly saying phrases and reintroducing terms used during an era of history where people of your skin color were openly persecuted, segregated, and dehumanized?
I haven’t known anyone in my life who would stand for this to happen to them and not say anything, not do anything, and not fight against it. I see people every day on my timeline that are doing this to others. Many of you have been friends and people who along the way have supported and helped me. I have difficulty understanding how you can distinguish between a person who was in your life personally and a person or group of people who are not.
I keep you on my friends list and timeline, and keep my picture up on my profile as a reminder that you know a human being who is different than you and can be affected by some of these hurtful ideas.
This is why I don’t remove you.
This is why I don’t post snarky or crude things about you.
This is why I separate a single political leader and group’s ramblings for power from their followers as people.
Make no mistake about me, I’m not a “that good one” anymore.
– I will support any effort to shut Trump’s insanity and his movement down.
– I don’t care if the nearest voting location is 100 miles away and only open for 30 minutes at 5am and I have to have a long form birth certificate tattooed on my ass, I’m going to vote, and I’ll support others to do the same.
– I support full LGBTQ equality.
– I support the complete separation of church and state, with it, religious freedom and equality, including the freedom to not practice any religion.
– I support an immigration policy that is open and sensible, recognizing the millions of undocumented immigrants already here who have built lives, homes, and families and are the reason we have affordable food and services. We have used them as the new slavery to build our country, and they have earned a place here.
– I support the end of the “war on drugs” and the mass incarcerations and uncontrolled property seizures resulting from it.
I don’t demand that you agree with me. I don’t demand that you go back where you came from. I don’t demand any change upon your daily life, the freedom of your family, or the safety of your home. Everything I support can be accomplished with no ill impact upon the life and lifestyle of the people who would oppose it. Unless, that is, you just can’t stand for other people to be as free as you believe you are.
You Should Write a Book... 