I should have an interesting post early next week. My 9-year-old daughter Emi was supposed to join a Girl Scout Roundup, to recruit new members, at one of our local parks Saturday morning. I received an email yesterday saying that it was cancelled due to the “demonstration” that was taking place in our Small Smug Town. What demonstration I thought? I read our small local paper and didn’t remember seeing anything about it, so I sent a reply asking. This was the response:
“A white supremacy demonstration is taking place at the courthouse on Saturday..It is in the afternoon but we are worried that ppl might be trickling into town earlier in the day.”What? A white supremacy demonstration? I asked for more details.
“Apparently there is a woman in (Small Sister Town) that is organizing this event. It is to take place in front of the county courthouse from 2:00 p.m.-4:00p.m. followed by a BBQ at a park beginning at 4:30 p.m. They have called in every available officer from the City, County and even some State officers to be prepared for this event. Can't believe the stupidity and ignorance that is still out there.”I immediately emailed
Bombadee…what should I do? Do I take the girls downtown for some “see how much hatred and stupidity and ignorance exists” education? Do we leave town for the day? She suggested calling the news or writing a letter to the editor. Of course, great idea; have Mimi write a letter saying how she feels about it, and note that her Girl Scout event was cancelled. Stand up for what we believe. I wish I new more about it, like who the woman is that is organizing it and if it is in response to something specific or just your general everyday bigotry or a recruitment effort of their own.
I began to wonder how to broach the subject with my girls (Emi, 9 and Abi, 11). Did the Girl Scouts HAVE to cancel? No. Was it the right decision that they did? Absolutely. Emi’s BFF since preschool, Mags, is on her troop and is bi-racial; they most likely want to avoid a potential and scary conflict. I don’t think Girl Scouts can earn a "Beating Bigotry" badge for taking on a white supremacy group in the park. And, while I want my girls to arrive at their own conclusion (that these people are idiots), I also want them to realize and appreciate that this group has every right to demonstrate even if we passionately disagree with what they pronounce. We must hold sacred our
freedom of speech, even if we have to
“acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours” (
The American President, 1995).
Then my parental instinct kicked in. Do I really want my daughter’s name (or my family’s name) in the paper or splashed on the TV news denouncing these people? Is this a bigger, more dangerous group than I realize? I could handle some eggs on my house or whispers in the grocery store, but could there be more substantial consequences for my family? I can’t begin to fathom the courage such people as
Martin Luther King Jr. had to have, striving to make the world a better place for his children all the while trying to keep them safe from radicals who would harm them without thought or remorse. I’ve found that becoming a parent puts a new perspective and greater appreciation on many, many things.
What will I do? I don’t know, I haven’t decided yet. All I know is that my children are being raised in a loving, educational, accepting, and committed home that is full of laughter and silliness, where they can choose to have a BFF with curly hair and gorgeous brown eyes.
