Since the election an epiphany as occurred whether you're home or abroad. We the people have voted and we're completely split in-half. I've read your comments, you who lives in a rural town in the heartland and are sick of being mocked because of your accent. I've read your disbelief, you that lives on the West or East Coast and knows not one person who voted differently than you. I've felt your fear those of you who are from a different cultural background or faith than me. I've read your comments, listened to you and felt your anxiety. You're absolutely right we've got problems. Yet two words will not leave me: Strength and Compassion.
For now is the time we will turn those words into deeds. We have the strength to stand against bigotry, racism, misogyny and intellectual "safe spaces". We have the strength to accept the result of the election and not damage a stranger's property. We have the strength to recognize a protest in the voting booth before the election is far more effective than one in the streets after its conclusion.
We the people have the compassion to accept a great many people are angry and frustrated. Now is the time to listen to someone who has a different accent than you, even if you don't agree with their political views. Now is the time to listen to someone who looks different than you, who is from a different place than you. Now is the time to acknowledge the media doesn't have all the answers.
Now is the time we smile instead of glare.
We the people have acknowledged we don't agree on a lot right now. Yet, there is no better time to begin working our problems, our challenges. We will turn our thoughts to deeds and properly channel our emotions. We will do this in the real world instead of the online bubbles we've created for ourselves. It won't happen overnight but it will require us to do a little everyday. No one climbs a mountain in a single leap instead it happens step by step.
Now is the time we listen instead of yell.
We will use our strength to defend against racism, misogyny, bigotry and intellectual "safe places". We will use our compassion to listen to those we don't agree with, who do not look similar to us. We will do this not because it is easy but because it is hard. We're Americans and we never back down from a challenge.
Our challenge is to acknowledge there is tremendous work to be done. Most importantly, it begins with us. It begins with how we treat our neighbors, our friends, our family. It begins with those that are strangers. We will take the time to trust a stranger for that is how friends are made.
We will meet these challenges head on.
We will start today.
Good morning, how are you?
ReplyDeleteMy name is Emilio, I am a Spanish boy and I live in a town near to Madrid. I am a very interested person in knowing things so different as the culture, the way of life of the inhabitants of our planet, the fauna, the flora, and the landscapes of all the countries of the world etc. in summary, I am a person that enjoys traveling, learning and respecting people's diversity from all over the world.
I would love to travel and meet in person all the aspects above mentioned, but unfortunately as this is very expensive and my purchasing power is quite small, so I devised a way to travel with the imagination in every corner of our planet. A few years ago I started a collection of used stamps because through them, you can see pictures about fauna, flora, monuments, landscapes etc. from all the countries. As every day is more and more difficult to get stamps, some years ago I started a new collection in order to get traditional letters addressed to me in which my goal was to get at least 1 letter from each country in the world. This modest goal is feasible to reach in the most part of countries, but unfortunately, it is impossible to achieve in other various territories for several reasons, either because they are very small countries with very few population, either because they are countries at war, either because they are countries with extreme poverty or because for whatever reason the postal system is not functioning properly.
For all this, I would ask you one small favor:
Would you be so kind as to send me a letter by traditional mail from Macedonia? I understand perfectly that you think that your blog is not the appropriate place to ask this, and even, is very probably that you ignore my letter, but I would call your attention to the difficulty involved in getting a letter from that country, and also I don’t know anyone neither where to write in Macedonia in order to increase my collection. a letter for me is like a little souvenir, like if I have had visited that territory with my imagination and at same time, the arrival of the letters from a country is a sign of peace and normality and an original way to promote a country in the world. My postal address is the following one:
Emilio Fernandez Esteban
Calle Valencia, 39
28903 Getafe (Madrid)
Spain
If you wish, you can visit my blog www.cartasenmibuzon.blogspot.com where you can see the pictures of all the letters that I have received from whole World.
Finally, I would like to thank the attention given to this letter, and whether you can help me or not, I send my best wishes for peace, health and happiness for you, your family and all your dear beings.
Yours Sincerely
Emilio Fernandez
Your most powerful public publication, Logan. Your most powerful piece.
ReplyDeleteThis is Manon, Yunyi's friend from Nashville - she shared your post with me.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your thoughts. I especially like the way you stated, "We the people have acknowledged we don't agree on a lot right now." It's grounding in a simple sense. At the end of the day that's all conflict is, perceived difference in values and opinions. Mutual understanding is needed on both sides, mutual understanding separate from mutual "convincing" if you know what I mean.
I'm curious as to what you mean when you talk about 'Intellectual Safe Spaces'. I went to a Women's Liberal Arts college in California and so understand the liberal side of things pretty well. Safe spaces for Difficult Discussions are often necessary, especially when you get real and vulnerable about what's important to you. While some of us can easily move from our amygdala to our thinking brain, most of us are only too human and cannot always do that. I have grown to be more tempered and centered in my political hot buttons - I do agree that many conservatives are immediately and destructively silenced by political silence. I have myself learned from wise friends to be more comfortable with discussing uncomfortable political disagreements, these conversations need to be had. But I think one of the downfalls of our current time is that we are trying to have difficult conversations over social media when safe spaces in person are truly the best place to develop mutual understanding. When we can see, hear, and be present with each other, we can become cognizant of our emotional and physical triggers and do the work to deconstruct them. This is hard work and being able to really see the Human standing in front of us helps.
Looking forward to your thoughts on this!
All the best,
Manon
silenced by political correctness*
DeleteManon,
DeleteThank you for your thoughts and comments. I'll happily discuss this with you but via email. Your profile doesn't have an email contact so if you would email me at logan.monday@gmail.com and I'll answer your questions.