“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” -Ida B. Wells

I am a walking dichotomy. I have strong feelings and opinions about things yet, at the same time, I can be battered by the strong feelings and opinions of others. That is not to say I am easily influenced. It simply means that I am sensitive to the emotions of others. It's a product of growing up in an environment where being able to sense the mindset of those around me was perceived as paramount to my survival. And while I'll stand my ground when it comes to voicing my viewpoint, I remain fearful of the potential danger inherent in the uncontrolled, rabid execution of threats by those who would destroy my right to my opinion. I feel their rage as a threat to my person, as well I should.

What we saw a year ago was exactly that: a deadly threat to my rights, to your rights, to the constitution which has governed us and given us those rights for over two hundred years. When a mob mentality rules, it does not speak for all. The insurrection of January 6, 2021 certainly did not speak for me. It was bullying at its most lethal and a violent attempt to force the ideologies of some on the nation as a whole through the inciting of terror and the demanding of our unequivocal submission. And in this case, it was condoned by someone who had sworn to uphold the constitution and the good of the nation, and who did so for his own personal gain. Not for any true ideology other than his own megalomania. What he committed, my friends, was nothing less than treason and had anyone else have done the same thing they would already be in Leavenworth at the very least. There would be no free passes or get out of jail cards.

Unlike those who stormed the Capital, I am open to listening to the views of others. I believe it is their right to have those views. Perhaps they can even give me a just reason to alter my own, but there can be no guarantee of that just as there is no guarantee I can change their minds. I am an individual and I am secure in my own autonomy of thought. I will not be led but I will listen and try to understand where they are coming from. It's called discourse and it is a hallmark of democracy. Where there is no discourse there can be no democracy. At all.

As I watch all the maneuverings of those who would protect a treasonous former president I am angered that, through their misguidance, or greed ,or even fear, they should attempt to infect my life with their poison. Those who condone their antics are no less treasonous than he who condoned the insurrection. Just as those who fought and died for my rights as an American, I will not bow to a mob of thugs. I will not sacrifice all that America stands for because our Constitution does not read specifically for them. I stand resolute because it stands for us all.

c. 2022