3
There is a group of people, in my city, who stand on a bridge holding signs promoting peace/protesting war for the past 11 years. Today we were learning about social justice and then were going to join them after making signs. I said I didn’t want to. For a lot of reasons.
1. I don’t like not being able to explain myself and talk to people. If I’m saying I believe something I want to say why. Holding a sign to passing cars doesn’t allow that. I want to look at someone and hear what they have to say on a subject and address it.
2. I don’t like protests. I think they reduce a lot of complicated issues into sound bite formate. They often have the impression of us verses them.
3. I didn’t feel like I had a choice. If I’m going to protest something I’m going to think about it, make the choice, own it, not do it on a whim as this was presented to me. I am not going to put myself out there saying I believe something I haven’t a strong conviction/belief in.
4. Have had bad experience on both sides of protests. I’ve been to a few protests when I was a young teen, I’ve been protested at. Just have seen them do a lot of harm and not a lot of good. I’m not going to stop others, but I’m not going to join.
I was told it wasn’t a protest it was a vigil when I briefly explained I was uncomfortable with protests. I said I was still uncomfortable. I’m going to have a talk about it soon. I asked my personal leader if I could opt out, she said it was fine. It is another one I have clearly displeased.
This program says it is about giving women a voice, empowering them, and stressing they live life intentionally. However I still get dirty looks when I don’t say what they want me to say, when they want me to say it. This year will be special in ways I wasn’t expecting.
Also they pulled “silence is consent” in their talks. As if I’m not protesting I’m consenting to it happening. Funny how that only works when I’m not saying what they want me to say. If they push that I’ll call bullshit as point out many situations that doesn’t fly. Like sex. A small part of me is wondering if I need a back up plan for this year.
“This program says it is about giving women a voice, empowering them, and stressing they live life intentionally”…I guess this only applies to *American* women, certainly not to Afghan women, whose voice and empowerment would be pretty nonexistent if we abandoned the country to the tender mercies of the Taliban…which is apparently what these nuns want.
I wonder how many of the people in this group have ever seriously studied history, international politics, and military affairs?
They say they want peace, and it was also said that peace never comes from war. I think they are over simplifying every thing. My room mates who did hold signs admit we can’t pull out now. But they still vilify America for being there. I think South Park got this situation right.
I know I haven’t studied much on international politics and military affairs. I know some but not enough to hold a strong opinion. I’m inclined to trust those who have studied it.
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