An open letter to my family...
I am fortunate:
I am one of the lucky ones in this country who is unlikely to feel much impact from the outcome of our recent election.
Or am I?
By mere coincidence, I was born the year the U.S. Supreme Court decided Loving v Virginia.
See where this is heading?
The day I was born, interracial marriage was illegal in some states. Couples were imprisoned for the "crime" of loving one another.
The same arguments used against interracial marriage back then have been recycled and are used as arguments today.
Take a look at the trajectory of the policies espoused by our president-elect. The choice that some of you made November 8th has the very real possibility of affecting me, your flesh and blood.
I know that you cannot change your vote now. Nor can I change the fact that I was far too passive about expressing my political beliefs before November 8th.
November 9th was a wake up call for me - it is painfully obvious to me now that it's not enough to not discriminate. I now know that I need to rethink my choices for the future.
The choices that you make from here onward affect me.
Love,
Brian
(Your loving son, step-son, brother, nephew, cousin, aka Silly Uncle Brian)
P.S. My apologies to everyone (e.g. people of color, religious minorities, LGBTQ, immigrants, women, etc.) whose lives are more immediately and more severely impacted by recent events. My intention is not to equate my circumstances with yours. Rather, my intention is to illustrate the personal stake that I have in the direction our country is heading. I cannot make my family see your faces, but they know mine.
I am fortunate:
- I am white
- I am a male
- I have excellent health insurance
- I have a great job
- I am financially comfortable
I am one of the lucky ones in this country who is unlikely to feel much impact from the outcome of our recent election.
Or am I?
- I am white
- My wife is not
By mere coincidence, I was born the year the U.S. Supreme Court decided Loving v Virginia.See where this is heading?
The day I was born, interracial marriage was illegal in some states. Couples were imprisoned for the "crime" of loving one another.
The same arguments used against interracial marriage back then have been recycled and are used as arguments today.
Take a look at the trajectory of the policies espoused by our president-elect. The choice that some of you made November 8th has the very real possibility of affecting me, your flesh and blood.
I know that you cannot change your vote now. Nor can I change the fact that I was far too passive about expressing my political beliefs before November 8th.
November 9th was a wake up call for me - it is painfully obvious to me now that it's not enough to not discriminate. I now know that I need to rethink my choices for the future.
The choices that you make from here onward affect me.
Love,
Brian
(Your loving son, step-son, brother, nephew, cousin, aka Silly Uncle Brian)
P.S. My apologies to everyone (e.g. people of color, religious minorities, LGBTQ, immigrants, women, etc.) whose lives are more immediately and more severely impacted by recent events. My intention is not to equate my circumstances with yours. Rather, my intention is to illustrate the personal stake that I have in the direction our country is heading. I cannot make my family see your faces, but they know mine.
No comments:
Post a Comment