Thoughts About the "Unite the Right Rally" from a Mom

Happy child 

"Remembering the purple shadows of the lawn, the majesty of

the colonnades, and the dream of your youth, you may say

in your reverence and thankfulness:

“I have worn the honors of Honors.

I graduated from Virginia.”

This past weekend was busier than most. I was in Memphis, Tennessee attending a conference and didn’t return home until Saturday evening. When my husband picked me up from the airport he declared that he had some place to be. So, he dropped me and kids off and left, leaving me to get them ready for bed.

Because they missed me so much, they were absolute gems. So, getting ready for bed wasn’t much trouble.

Having fun!

On Sunday, we made it to church, which is a feat for us, and visited The Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. The Museum is one of our favorite places. Sunday was an interesting day given what occurred in Charlottesville, Va. on Saturday.

You see, I attended The University of Virginia. So, the "Unite the Right" rally and resulting violence felt personal. It felt like there was an attack of the lifestyle that my family and I have been pursuing, for generations. It also drove home that the effort to attack that lifestyle has been gaining both momentum and potency. People might reduce the issue to an academic one concerning the First Amendment, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. However, the issue is really one of inclusion.

Enjoying a great exhibit

There has been an exclusionist proposal asserted into the national conversation. In its simplest form that proposal is, "Exclude all non-white people from the American dream." As a person of color and a mom, I reject that proposal. I hope you reject it too. If you do, you should act. One way to take action is to inform your congressman how you feel about what happened in Charlottesville. Let them know that you denounce bigotry and racism and want them to take action as well.

You can contact your congressman's office and let him/her know that you want them to take legislative action to preserve equality by clicking here.  

Despite what happened, I have hope. While this country has a checkered history, historically, even with flawed leaders, we have been able to overcome our challenges and come closer to living out our creed with each generation. Nearly every forward movement we have seen as a country was preceded by bloodshed. For that reason, I hope that what happened is a pivotal moment for our country.

My hope causes me to believe in America's promise. I believe in our ability to overcome and choose to raise my children to have hope. I want them to believe that each day is here to enjoy. I want to believe that they have the power to make their dreams come true. I want them to believe that while love and hate both walk the earth, love wins.

While I figure out how to teach these lessons with confidence, I shall enjoy outings like this and I hope that you enjoy the photos...