We Are the Someone

In a recent newsletter, best-selling author Jodi Picoult took a brave political stance against what’s happening in our country. Picoult wrote, “Being part of  'the resistance’ doesn’t mean being ‘the enemy of the state.’ It means drawing a moral line between what is right and what is wrong. It means recognizing that sometimes, the people in power can’t see that line clearly because they’ve been corrupted by the very power they hold.” I agree. 

Until recently, I’ve never feared for the safety of my brown (half East Indian) granddaughters. I do now. I have taken for granted that my lesbian granddaughter will have the option to marry someday and live in a world of acceptance. Until now. 

Will my Colombian masseuse, who is a citizen, be profiled? What’s the fate of my friend’s brilliant, transgender, adult child? 

In an essay, multi-award winner Toni Morrison once wrote, “I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence.” In case you’re wondering, the definition of malevolence is “the quality of causing or wanting to cause harm or evil.” 

I’ve never had to pray for the political safety of my friends or relatives before. I do now. As an educated, privileged, white woman living in one of the most affluent cities in the United States, I’ve never wondered if exercising my right to free speech will set me up for retribution. Until now. Do you think this is all hyperbole? Perhaps you haven’t been paying attention. 

Instead of wringing our hands and saying, “They can’t do that, it’s illegal!” and wondering why someone isn’t doing something, I’ve come to realize that we’re the “someones” and we need to ask ourselves, “What can I do?” Whether it’s marching for the rights of others, attending vigils, making monetary donations, running for a local office, helping marginalized people know their legal rights, or voting, it’s time to step up and step out. 

“Because,” Picoult writes, “all good stories deserve a sequel. And that includes the story of America.” Indeed!