I consider myself resilient and self reliant, able to do most things on my own without asking for help. Sure, there are some tasks that I hire professionals to take care of and being vertically challenged, when a tall friend was over a few weeks ago, I asked if he could change a lightbulb that was out of my reach. I’m 5’2 1/2″ and he is probably 6’2 or taller, by the way. Even in my professions (social worker/therapist, interfaith minister, workshop facilitator, speaker and journalist) I am in a helping role. I am grateful that I have skills to be of service, honed over several decades of education and experience.
The desire to be there for others comes naturally and the gratification makes it even more worthwhile. Over the years, I have also learned to set boundaries and say no to what I don’t have the energy for. Blessedly, there hasn’t been much pushback. With the exception of a few health blips, my personal life, knock wood, is sailing along smoothly.
Along came the political maelstrom that is swirling around us, as the Big Bad Wolf is huffing and puffing and blowing our collective house down. This is the biggest ‘I told you so,” as those who voted for DT are complicit with whatever he decides to unleash on the country. Those who saw it coming are not making up a bogeyman to fear. He has been clear about his intentions. The irony is that when he lies, his followers believe the lies and when he actually tells the truth about what his plans are, they call it hyperbole or him just being him. Regardless of which way you voted, his choices affect all of us.
And affect us, it has begun to. He is throwing Executive Orders at the wall, hard and fast to see what sticks. Rights are being stripped away at the speed of thought. Lest anyone think it won’t impact them, they would be tragically mistaken. Erasing transgender people, treating immigrants, regardless of status like garbage to be disposed of, shredding the hard work of previous generations to establish equality, making DEI a forbidden alphabet soup letter stew, declaring that he is sovereign and can essentially do what he wants without consequence. It’s obvious that he has intimidation powers that prevent otherwise dedicated public servants from speaking up…and yet, there are some like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, God bless them, who have. Still it is not sufficient to stem the tide at the moment. Our numbers need to be greater and our actions, insistent that as Kamala Harris said, “We’re not going back,” no matter how much he attempts to return to a time when cis-het white Christian men were running the show.
An ICE van was spotted in my town last week. People who are part of the LGBTQ+ community have expressed their fear of having their marriage rights obliterated. Three mid air flight collisions have taken place in the past few days, one blamed by a person who should be the Comforter in Chief, on DEI hires. Various websites have been changed or pages taken off the White House site to reflect the ‘now reality’. I am just optimistic enough to hope that it won’t be the new reality. My own Alma Mater- Rutgers University canceled an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and University) conference in response to the edict from on high.
This is the letter I wrote in response.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
