We cannot become the thing we profess to hate
Every moment is a moment for choosing
Within minutes of each other, I saw images from the Texas University protests and then read this line in a separate post, “I would spit on the hands of Trump voters before I held them.”
Within the last 24 hours, I have read Trump influencers speak of subjecting Democrats to “speedy trials and shallow graves,” and I have read the term Nazi directed at anyone who voted for Trump so many times I’ve lost count (and who have we decided deserves a violent silencing more than Nazis?).
One influencer calls for malice toward none, and I know exactly what I will find in the comments, “No, they deserve my malice.”
The rage and hatred are spreading quickly and I can already feel myself being caught up in the fray. I can channel righteous anger at the drop of a hat on a normal Wednesday. This Wednesday, it was bubbling so close to the surface of my skin that I’m surprised you couldn’t see it with the naked eye. I’m assuming that will be true for many of you as well.
And yet…I cannot give in.
I want to join the chorus that says some are so monstrous they stop being human and, therefore, stop being deserving of basic human dignity. I would not be alone. History is full of those who met oppression with violent resistance. Our current planet is full of those who meet oppression with violent resistance. The illiberal solution to silence and dehumanize our opponents is as old as humanity itself.
And yet…I will not become what I hate. I will not embrace cynicism and contempt. I will not espouse violence. I will not choose to dehumanize.
A parasite feasts on blood but dies in the light.
We will all have to decide who we want to be.
Do we want to follow the hate and the rage?
Because some will say that rage and hate are the only moral choices. They will say good people stand against hate by marking their enemies clearly and calling them the monsters they are. They are already saying it, and it can feel like a balm.
But the question is not: who are they? The question is: who are we?
I cannot let my values be defined by my opponents - or even “enemies.” I believe in nonviolence. I believe in democratic action. I am opposed to dehumanization in all forms - even against those with power both real or perceived. I believe progress is never foreclosed.
The hate that so many of us see and experience is real. I want to fight it. I just don’t want to become it.
The one thing we want you to know this week…
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We’re excited to be with you all here in our new space - and to process the election results together. Thanks for being here, being part of our community, and trying new things with us.
-Sarah & Beth
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The one thing we can’t stop thinking about…
On Wednesday morning, our listeners on Instagram crowdsourced this playlist that is eclectic, cathartic, and has lots of cussing. You can also listen on Apple Music. (we’re going to work on getting it onto the other music platforms next week!)
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I'm having a hard time reconciling people I know (and once loved) voting for a party that wants to strip my children of protections (my oldest is a trans man) and posts things like “We can afford eggs 🇺🇸” I'm really really struggling with this 💔
Thank you Sarah. I saw that line as well, and my stomach dropped. I totally relate to the anger, the need to rage and grieve, the need for processing and self-protection. I also know that living in that place for too long burns everything up. Ask me how I know! I have lingering health problems to prove it. To me, refusing to hate is not the same as "making nice." It's not pretending we're not horrified, disgusted and terrified for the safety of so much and so many. It's not refusing to speak up or refusing to fight. To me, it's protecting a flame inside and holding onto what I'm fighting for. On a basic level, it's self-preservation.