{"id":533,"date":"2017-07-06T11:38:45","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T15:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/?p=533"},"modified":"2017-07-06T11:38:45","modified_gmt":"2017-07-06T15:38:45","slug":"put-on-your-big-girl-panties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/put-on-your-big-girl-panties\/","title":{"rendered":"Put On Your Big Girl Panties"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We have not lived up to the ideals of our democracy. Ever.\u00a0But there is a beacon that leads us in the direction of justice.\u00a0Principles that inform our path through history and by which we find our bearings when we get off course.<\/p>\n

America is built on the idea of inclusion in a just society. We thrive as new people and cultures add their colors, design, warp and weft, to our tapestry. The Americans with Disabilities act aided citizens with disabilities to more fully participate in families, in the workplace, and in the political arena. The expansion of women\u2019s rights and LGBT rights have all grown our understanding of human worth and dignity<\/p>\n

Now our elected officials want to build walls, to isolate us – not only from the world but also from one another. The rights of the most vulnerable are being eroded one law, one amendment, on step at a time. Those who gained protections are losing them. When I was little I was taught that the United States was a melting pot. Later I loved an essay by Norah Roberts who imagined us as a tossed salad. Republicans play into our fears and construct the myth of \u2018the other\u2019. They persuade us to distrust immigrants, to disrespect a woman\u2019s right to make reproductive decisions, to openly and sometimes viciously discriminate against the LGBT community, and encourage racism as usual and acceptable, disregarding \u00a0the sanctity of black lives and brown lives and native American lives. They fan the flames of distrust and fear. So much so that I cringe when I hear a crowd chanting \u201cUSA! USA!\u201d What I hear is: \u201cUs not them! Us not them!\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time \u00a0to change the conversation. We don\u2019t need to be in dialogue with those who would destroy our values and vision of a nation whose arc is \u2018bent toward justice\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>It\u2019s time to stop compromising about the lives and deaths of our fellow citizens.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to get up, gird up, and put on our big girl panties.<\/p>\n

We cannot afford to wait and see how things ‘play out’.<\/p>\n

We are the majority<\/em> and we need to assert our power. Even if it is for the first time.<\/p>\n

Vote now. Get involved now. Be the change now.<\/p>\n

This is not the time to make nice. \u00a0It’s time to make policy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 We have not lived up to the ideals of our democracy. Ever.\u00a0But there is a beacon that leads us in the direction of justice.\u00a0Principles that inform our path through history and by which we find our bearings when we get off course. America is built on the idea of inclusion in a just … Continue reading Put On Your Big Girl Panties<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[28,23,25,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=533"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":542,"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533\/revisions\/542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/connietuttle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}