unwilling to be silent
I've discovered as I've gotten older that one thing that causes extreme stress for me is acting as if things are normal and sane when they are not. I'm not filled with courage when it comes to speaking my mind and usually choose a safe route to hedge and hem and haw. I'm not good at conflict and I'm especially not good at arguing with people regarding subjects about which I have strong feelings. My emotions get in the way.
But.
I hear I was called a baby killer from the pulpit of the local Catholic church this past Sunday. The priest called all women who marched in the Women's March baby killers. Did he mean all people who marched, because there were men, lots of men. If he did mean the men, too, it would be the first time I have heard the role of men mentioned in public debates about reproduction. If he means all of us at the March believe in each woman having the right to make her own reproductive decisions, then he is right about me. I do believe that is my right and the right of other women.
I would bet there were many people there who are not in favor of abortion. Hell, I'm not in favor of it but I think I can make that decision for myself. The picture I saw was the potus and seven white men standing around the Oval Office making this very personal decision the business of the government. What the hell.
A couple things about that. It seems to me that the folks so outraged about the right to life don't give a damn about the life of the child once it exits the womb. Housing, education, health care are not their worries. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, kid. The potus says he did.
I think it is the height of hypocrisy to proclaim outrage about children in the womb here but to not care a fig about children dying in refugee camps or in small rubber rafts as their parents try to flee war, torture, and starvation. I call bullshit.
The Catholic Church has a huge-hearted and compassionate Pope right now. I doubt he would condone this kind of name calling and hateful rhetoric being spouted in his churches. I'm writing a letter to him and to the Bishop of this diocese because I can't sit here silently anymore...about any of this.
My silence gives consent.
But.
I hear I was called a baby killer from the pulpit of the local Catholic church this past Sunday. The priest called all women who marched in the Women's March baby killers. Did he mean all people who marched, because there were men, lots of men. If he did mean the men, too, it would be the first time I have heard the role of men mentioned in public debates about reproduction. If he means all of us at the March believe in each woman having the right to make her own reproductive decisions, then he is right about me. I do believe that is my right and the right of other women.
I would bet there were many people there who are not in favor of abortion. Hell, I'm not in favor of it but I think I can make that decision for myself. The picture I saw was the potus and seven white men standing around the Oval Office making this very personal decision the business of the government. What the hell.
A couple things about that. It seems to me that the folks so outraged about the right to life don't give a damn about the life of the child once it exits the womb. Housing, education, health care are not their worries. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, kid. The potus says he did.
I think it is the height of hypocrisy to proclaim outrage about children in the womb here but to not care a fig about children dying in refugee camps or in small rubber rafts as their parents try to flee war, torture, and starvation. I call bullshit.
The Catholic Church has a huge-hearted and compassionate Pope right now. I doubt he would condone this kind of name calling and hateful rhetoric being spouted in his churches. I'm writing a letter to him and to the Bishop of this diocese because I can't sit here silently anymore...about any of this.
My silence gives consent.
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