We Are Activists

We Are Activists

by Deb

The Handmaids of MN have a message for the folks who tell "the white women" to "put down the handmaids' uniforms" and "stop cosplaying":

We are not cosplayers.

We are activists.

We are community members.

We are your friends and colleagues and neighbors.

We sit in your congregations or your temples or your mosques, or we don't.

We are not your white saviors.

We are not even all white, though certainly many of us are.

You know why?

It's not because we're Wine Moms with nothing better to do with our time. Many of us are nurses and educators and other types of professionals. We might have kids. We might have cats.

We are badass women -- or brave folks of ANY gender -- with jobs or without jobs, with families or without families, with cats or without cats.

And we might like wine.

Many of us would prefer a well-mixed cocktail...but I digress.

It's not because we *suddenly* became aware that our government has the capacity to hurt people, to oppress people, to take away -- or never grant -- the fundamental rights due to every human being.

It's not because we don't know the history of this country, of this world. We do. Many of us are teachers. Even civics teachers. History teachers. Teaching students, to the best of our ability, that every human being deserves due process, equal protection under the law, and the assurance of adherence to the rule of law.

It's not because we think we're uniquely qualified to take on this task where others would fail. It's not because we think we're especially experienced with this sort of thing.

No -- we recognize a few really important things:

●  Despite our country's abysmal record on human rights in so many forms against so many people, it's never wrong to *start* standing up for people. (To be clear, it's *wayyyy too fucking late*, but better late than never.)

●  Right now, we need as many voices as possible to speak up, to say that this isn't just legally wrong -- it's morally wrong -- and it is JUST NOT SAFE for *everybody* to be out there fighting for their own rights. It's apparently not even safe for white women anymore, but it's a helluva lot safer for us than it is for a person of color or any immigrant to get out there and be loud -- and we know, it's about damned time we do.

●  We know that it is only a matter of time before this embarrassingly imperialist, fascist, authoritarian government comes looking for ALL of us who oppose it. Bullies don't stop because they're satiated with the spoils of their victories; they only stop once they've *been* stopped. They're picking us off, peeling away groups of the most vulnerable first, leaving the rest of us in (potentially ignorant) complacency, thinking we're "safe."

We are not safe.  Not one of us.

But we are going to do WHAT we can WHILE we can. And we hope you'll support us and our communities as we do.

When you see us, give us a nod. Let us know you're with us. Because whether you do or do not, we ARE with you.

Blessed be the fight.

-The Handmaids of MN