Sociopolitics Post in Two Halves

[minoanmiss]

I'm on WGBH's mailing list, and Laura Colorusso(sp) recently sent out an email on it titled something like "other news" about news stories that are not the Impeachment Proceedings, because there's never just one thing going on. I want to write a post kind of like that -- I recently read about the Catholic Church coming out against attempts to extend the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases, and I was following Amber Guyger's trial for shooting Botham Jean, where I was pleasantly shocked she was actually convicted and cynically unsurprised that she'll be paroled in five years. Also, Planned Parenthood has built a Secret Abortion Mega Clinic very near Missouri for no particular reason.

And there's a lot more where all of that came from.

But also I was thinking more generally about sociopolitics. For a long time, pretty much since I started being aware of getting older, I keep looking at people younger than me who share demographics with me, or even who don't but who are still in demographic positions that make me worry about them. There is a particular kind of sharp edged worry and fear that goes through my heart as I look at them and hope they don't have to live through some of the awful things I and people my age and older have dealt with.

For example, today at the bus stop a hijabi was following behind her small and bouncy daughter as the little girl ran around and was adorable in the way little children are. And even as I smiled at her, and shared a smile with her mother at her adorability, I worried about this little girl growing up in the US with its upwelling of Islamophobia. So many people took Trump's election as a confirmatory referendum on their bigotry. So many of them would hurt that tiny child if they could.

Wednesday I watched a Black girl climb onto the bus, a tall teenager with beads still in her hair, and read what looked like a textbook, and I thought about all the men who feel entitled to do whatever they want to a girl, and twice over because she's Black, and all the women who will never help her because she's Black, all the dangers of the world that await a Black girl.

And right now I'm watching J play his video game and just hoping so hard he can get through high school without that pressure-cooker atmosphere breaking him, that he can get through life without people hurting him for being autistic. As I often say, if I knew to whom to sacrifice the chicken...

I was going to say more but J just asked me "who is your favorite Star Wars character BESIDES Poe Dameron," and, well, I could use the distraction.

Comments

[misbegotten]

Yay for distractions. ;)

[minoanmiss]

My favorite flyboy. :D

[acelightning]

If I knew that anyone was trying to mess with that little girl, or with the teenager with beaded braids, I'd interfere in any way I could.

[minoanmiss]

I know you would. :)

[acelightning]

When I'm out in public, I quite often see people dressed in characteristic clothing of some culture besides plain USA. Most of the time, their outfits are beautiful, and I go out of my way to tell them how beautiful I think they look. Just so they get a little xenophilia instead of xenophobia in their day.

[cjsmith]

ICON LOVE!!!!!!!!

[acelightning]

When I first heard about the Vulcan philosophy of "IDIC - Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations", I was glad that there was a symbol for it. Because I love diversity, I am truly a xenophile, and I liked seeing the concept celebrated on TV.

So many of the hijabis I see are wearing beautiful, colorful, coordinated outfits - a shalwar kameez with a paisley dress and striped pants, and a checkered scarf that picks up the colors in each pattern. And the other day I saw a young woman in an ankle-length sort of straight "robe", with metallic gold embroidery down the middle of the front and around the hood and the sleeves, and I just had to tell her how gorgeous she looked in it. The two men with her gave me a faintly disapproving *look*, but they were just wearing sportsball-themed t-shirts.

[sabotabby]

I have this constant worry, as there are many young people in my life to be concerned about.

Yesterday I witnessed a little Black girl who was probably a teenager but looked much younger to me getting arrested at a McDonald's. I was too late to do anything. And what can I do?

My not-quite-niece (closer friend's daughter; there ought to be a kinship term for that) is 12, and trans, and autistic, and I feel like the world is so stacked against her that I want to cry. She's got a lot of supports around her, but how much can adults do?

The light at the end of the tunnel is that teenagers have been shocking me lately with their kindness. I came out to them in one of my classes. Not a batted eyelash. We have open discussions about race and class and gender. We've graduated a few trans students who did not get any kind of shit that I ever witnessed, and compared to what a trans kid would have endured when I was growing up, that's really good to see. the younger generation is scared and anxious but I feel better than mine was.

This is a tangent

[amaebi]

It's frustrating when one's greatest impact and greatest leverage for impact is through building with the next generation.

But it beats an indulgent-smiled "Just a few more people need to die, and then...", which makes a sacrifice of today's victims of those people, and lets them wend their infectious way, and is an excuse for one's constant failures to work harder on justice.

Re: This is a tangent

[sabotabby]

In the meantime, we can punch some Nazis. :)

Re: This is a tangent

[amaebi]

Tape, mitts, or both?

Re: This is a tangent

[sabotabby]

Yes.

Also, scathing words. And milkshakes.

[minoanmiss]

I love hearing about your kids, so so much.

[amaebi]

You know, the way you phrased your mention of Planned Parenthood's new facility, I thought it was some kind of Comet Pizza or a parody. I'm glad I clicked through.

And you know, part from the other and obvious necessities and goodnesses of the new facility, Southern Illinois can sooooo use the jobs.

[minoanmiss]

I have to admit the title amused the hell out of me.

[cjsmith]

I sympathize a ton. Some days, it hurts my heart so much just to see girl children that I don’t know how to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Add in skin color and religion and neurodiversity and ... :( :(

I guess we go on being as kind as we know how to be.

[amaebi]

And naming systems.

[cjsmith]

Yes. Every time.

[amaebi]

^5

[tjs_whatnot]

♥

Maybe because of what I do, I just can't let my mind go there because I'd be living every single moment of my life heartbroken and terrified. Instead, I find myself looking at the littles and marveling at all the things they're going to do to make the world better and how any one of them might be our salvation (no pressure littles! ❤) I thunk about the things they're going to be passionate about and how they're going to fight for that. And I make a promise to myself to give them all I can to get them there.

❤❤❤

[minoanmiss]

omg sweetie I needed this reminder. Thank you.

[vettecat]

Understand completely. I worry about H being in danger from some random psycho because he wears a kippa. Never worried about that until recently. Praying things will get better soon.

[minoanmiss]

hugs you gently I am praying with you.