{"id":5109,"date":"2016-11-21T16:59:50","date_gmt":"2016-11-21T21:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afutureworththinkingabout.com\/?p=5109"},"modified":"2016-11-21T16:59:50","modified_gmt":"2016-11-21T21:59:50","slug":"an-open-letter-to-you-and-you-know-who-you-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afutureworththinkingabout.com\/?p=5109","title":{"rendered":"An Open Letter to You (And You Know Who You Are)"},"content":{"rendered":"

(This was originally posted over at Medium<\/a>, [well parts were originally posted in the newslettter<\/a>, but], but I wanted it somewhere I could more easily manage.)<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Hey.<\/p>\n

I just wanna say (and you know who you are): I get you were scared of losing your way of life\u200a\u2014\u200athe status quo was changing all around you. Suddenly it wasn\u2019t okay anymore to say or do things that the world previously told you were harmless. People who didn\u2019t \u201cfeel\u201d like you were suddenly loudly everywhere, and no one just automatically believed what you or those you believed in had to say, anymore. That must have been utterly terrifying.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing: People are really scared now. Not just of obsolescence, or of being ignored. They\u2019re terrified for their lives. They\u2019re not worried about \u201cthe world they knew.\u201d They\u2019re worried about whether they\u2019ll be rounded up and put in camps or shot or beaten in the street. Because, you see, many of the people who voted for this, and things like it around the world, see many of us\u200a\u2014\u200awomen, minorities, immigrants, LGBTQIA folks, disabled folks, neurodivergent folks\u200a\u2014\u200aas less than \u201creal\u201d people, and want to be able to shut us up using whatever means they deem appropriate, including death.<\/p>\n

The vice president elect thinks gay people can be \u201cretrained<\/a>,\u201d and that we should attempt it via the same methods that make us side-eye dog owners. The man tapped to be a key advisor displays and has cultivated an environment of white supremacist hatred. The president-elect is said to be \u201cmulling over<\/a>\u201d a registry for Muslim people in the country. A registry. Based on your religion<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

My own cousin had food thrown at her in a diner, right before the election. And things haven\u2019t exactly gotten better, since<\/a> then.<\/p>\n

Certain hateful elements want many of us dead or silent and \u201cin our place,\u201d now, just as much as ever. And all we want and ask for is equal respect, life, and justice.<\/p>\n

I said it on election night and I\u2019ll say it again: there\u2019s no take-backsies, here. I\u2019m speaking to those who actively voted for this, or didn\u2019t actively plant yourselves against it (and you know who you are): You did this. You cultivated<\/em><\/strong> it. And I know you did what you thought you had to, but people you love are scared, because their lives are literally in danger<\/em><\/strong>, so it\u2019s time to wake up now. It\u2019s time to say \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

We\u2019re all worried about jobs and money and \u201cenough,\u201d because that\u2019s what this system was designed to make us worry about. Your Muslim neighbour, your gay neighbour, your trans neighbour, your immigrant neighbour, your NEIGHBOUR IS NOT YOUR ENEMY<\/em><\/strong>. The system that tells you to hate and fear them is. And if you bought into that system because you couldn\u2019t help being afraid then I\u2019m sorry, but it\u2019s time to put it down and Wake Up<\/em><\/strong>. Find it in yourself to ask forgiveness of yourself and of those you\u2019ve caused mortal terror. If you call yourself Christian, that should ring really familiar. But other faiths (and nonfaiths) know it too.<\/p>\n

We do better together. So it\u2019s time to gather up, together, work, together, and say \u201cNo,\u201d together.<\/p>\n

So snap yourself out of it, and help us. If you\u2019re in the US, please call your representatives, federal and local. Tell them what you want, tell them why you\u2019re scared. Tell them that these people don\u2019t represent our values and the world we wish to see:
\nhttp:\/\/www.house.gov\/representatives\/find\/<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/www.senate.gov\/senators\/contact\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Because this, right here, is the fundamental difference between fearing the loss of your way of life, and the fear of losing your literal life<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Be with the people you love. Be by their side and raise their voices if they can\u2019t do it for themselves, for whatever reason. Listen to them, and create a space where they feel heard and loved, and where others will listen to them as well.<\/p>\n

And when you come around, don\u2019t let your pendulum swing so far that you fault those who can\u2019t move forward, yet. Please remember that there is a large contingent of people who, for many various reasons, cannot<\/em><\/strong> be out there protesting. Shaming people who have anxiety, depression, crippling fear of their LIVES<\/em><\/strong>, or are trying to not get arrested so their kids can, y\u2019know, EAT FOOD<\/em><\/strong>? Doesn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n

So show some fucking compassion. Don\u2019t shame those who are tired and scared and just need time to collect themselves. Urge and offer assistance where you can, and try to understand their needs. Just do what you can to help us all believe that we can get through this. We may need to lean extra hard on each other for a while, but we can do this.<\/p>\n

You know who you are. We know you didn\u2019t mean to. But this is where we are, now. Shake it off. Start again. We can do this.<\/p>\n

\n
If you liked this article, consider dropping something into the\u00a0A Future Worth Thinking About Tip Jar<\/a><\/em><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(This was originally posted over at Medium, [well parts were originally posted in the newslettter, but], but I wanted it somewhere I could more easily manage.) Hey. I just wanna say (and you know who you are): I get you were scared of losing your way of life\u200a\u2014\u200athe status quo was changing all around you. 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