We Don't Stop Asking 'Til We Get!
Never, ever doubt that what you have to say is important when you are speaking up for justice.
Clear communication is key to getting our needs met.
Dear friends,
How many times have you found yourself disappointed because your expectations weren't met, but then you realized that maybe you didn't actually communicate your needs/wants very clearly? I've found myself both disappointed in others and disappointing others on many occasions, and usually it's all been down to murky or even non-existent communication (still working on my mind reading skills, but not showing much progress). These days, I'm trying extra hard to be clear about what I want and need, both in my personal relationships as well as in my frequent communications with those who hold power.
My lovely Scottish mother-in-law was brought up in the Church of Scotland and, even after years of separation from the church, she was still wont to proclaim confusing Calvinist nonsense like "Children who ask don't get" (a bizarro twist on Gandhi's advice on getting what you want). As a California-raised secular Jew, this just blew my mind. I mean, how could I possibly know what my kids needed or wanted if they didn't ask? Fun fact - my kids always told me exactly what they wanted for Christmas (yeah - I'm that kind of Jew), and I still always managed to get it completely wrong, every single year (I'm just not that into Christmas). My MIL also used to say, "A mother's place is in the wrong." (ie - we're blamed for everything) and I suspect she wasn't altogether wrong about that. I sure felt this with my annual Christmas gift failures. My point, of course, is that we should be able to ask for what we want and what we need. In fact, if we don't ask, we don't get.
Would anything ever change if we weren't making our demands heard?
Last month, one of our smaller neighbouring municipalities voted against opening an emergency weather shelter for unhoused folk in their community, because a handful of noisy NIMBYs insisted it is better to allow our vulnerable neighbours to freeze out in the cold than risk having their street 'sullied' with shopping carts and other signs of homelessness. The local mayor wrung his hands and cried crocodile tears over how difficult a decision this was. Then along came Reverend Kelly Duncan and her parishioners from St. Andrews Anglican Church, members of GVAT and Homes for Living who out-noisied the NIMBYs, and now it looks like Sidney Town Council is having second thoughts about their earlier coldhearted cold-weather decision. You can bet your bottom dollar that if these more compassionate neighbours hadn't made a mighty ruckus in favour of bringing unhoused folk in from the cold, Mayor and Council wouldn't have given the matter a second thought.
"The more pressure we put on our elected people, the more likely it is that they're going to do what we say." Heather Cox Richardson
After a relentless email campaign voicing my opinions on everything from Palestine to protecting the planet, I was recently granted a meeting with my Member of Parliament. We mainly spoke about last week's MOU debacle in which Prime Minister Carney seemed to be promising Alberta a big ol' bitumen pipeline (while possibly crossing his fingers behind his back). My MP had some interesting takes on the situation, but when I asked what we concerned citizens can do to mitigate (or maybe even stop) this climate nightmare scenario from materializing, he assured me that our job is to keep calling and keep writing. I have heard this advice from lots of politicians and friends who've worked for politicians. It may seem like they aren't listening, but every call and every letter is noted. They are paying attention. And what we absolutely know to be true, is that if we weren't constantly telling them what we expect from them, they would just continue to do whateverthefuck they want. Moral of the story - don't stop calling, writing, protesting, and making your voice heard in whatever ways you can. Your voice matters. Make it heard.
Imposter or important?
My well-educated, very bright, socially engaged, astute daughter called me the other day to say she was suffering from imposter syndrome. Oh honey! Me too, darling. Me too. In fact, pretty much all the smart, capable, competent women I know suffer from this feeling on the regular. I am forever asking myself if what I have to say is actually of any importance or makes any sense. And then I take a look at who is running the US of A and I feel infinitely more confident that my voice needs to be heard. Remember last year when the fabulous AOC was encouraging us to call and email Republicans to let them know that we are watching them and expect them to behave? She told us how right-wingers are always calling her to give her a piece of their mind, and even though they are MAGA nut jobs, she pays attention to every call, every email. My guess is that those callers harassing AOC aren't demanding peace and justice for all, so those of us who are fighting for a better world really need to be more visible and a whole lot noisier.
Everywhere we look, we see examples of wholly unqualified individuals blustering on one subject or another. Always in the comments section, sometimes in letters to the editor, frequently on radio call-in shows - there's an entire demographic who don't bother to let a lack of education or expertise deter them from pontificating. Bearing in mind just how incredibly stupid so many ruckus-makers are, and even stupider the current US administration is, it is really important to remember that we don't need to be brilliant experts on all the issues we are raising with our political leaders. I try to pick out the main facts from the smart people I follow and use those as talking points in my arguments for whatever topic I'm tackling in my emails. It's so important not to let perfectionism hold you back from speaking up for justice. Never, ever doubt that what you have to say is important when you are speaking up for justice.
Can't stop. Won't stop.
This week really felt like we've been in free fall, sliding backwards on any gains we've made for the planet, for humanity, for our fight against fascism. Weeks like this feel so disappointing, so discouraging. Weeks like this make even me question what's the point in taking action. Weeks like this is when, despite any sense of despair creeping in, we find the strength to keep going, because we can't afford to stop standing up for all we believe in.
Some of us write letters. Some make phone calls. Some hang banners over freeways. Some are making art. Some are marching in the streets. Some are standing up to ICE. Some are speaking out against the lies and gaslighting. Some are spreading care in their community.
Whatever it is you're doing in these truly bonkers and dangerous times, we can't stop voicing our clear and constant demands for a kinder, fairer, safer world until we get the results we want. That's not to say that we can't take time to rest (in fact, we must take time to rest!), but we keep making noises until we drown out the nut jobs, and those who hold power start to listen to us.
Take good care of yourself,
Jessica (she/her)
p.s. In the brief period that I've been writing this, I have received over a dozen email responses to my political emails. Lots of them are utter bullshit, but they are proof that my emails are being seen, my voice is being heard.
