On Civility
She walked toward the Planned Parenthood building, as she did, all she heard were the shouts that she was a “SINNER”, that she was committing “MURDER” , that her adultery was not a reason for an abortion.
A man stands and shouts “I’m a CHILD not a CHOICE.” And of course, there are other zealots there shouting, “Whore”.
What they don’t know is this woman isn’t at Planned Parenthood for an abortion, she is there for her regular HRT check-up with her endocrinologist. What they don’t know is another woman is there for a free physical, and another for a PAP Smear.
Even more, tens of thousands of people stand and clap at a Trump rally. He shouts in his fervent fashion
“You have to stand proudly for the national anthem, or you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there, maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.”
Or maybe he is harassing a former Presidential nominee by yelling -
“He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
Thousands wear shirts, that state how much they couldn’t care about your feelings. Because you see this political correctness has ruined the country. Now they can’t call people names, but Trump can, and they love it. They call people online snowflakes, and say they are triggered because their safe space was taken away. They support rescinding transgender people rights, separating children from their parents at the border, they want more cages, prisons, concentration camps, and the ability to “lock us up.” These same people roared when Trump mocked a handicapped reporter, and encouraged others to beat up a protester.
Now we have heard Republicans decry the actions of the left, when those who support separating families are shouted down at a Mexican restaurant, or have to listen to audio of the children crying during a press conference. Even more, a restaurant that is staffed by LGBT and immigrant workers asks Sarah Sanders to leave because the employees feel threatened.
Now is when feelings matter though right? Not when they are the ones shouting. Not when they are the ones intimidating the women entering a medical building, or threatening a protester, or the handicap and immigrant. Not when their President remarks on raping women, and assaulting them. Feelings matter when their elected officials have to face the population they have harmed.
Unfortunately civility has been lost in this country. But the lack of civility shows that those who have been harmed will not be silent. From a group of people that have made a name for themselves by ruining lives, shouting, and demeaning millions now they have to account for their words and actions. If you support not baking a cake, then why should a Mexican restaurant serve someone destroying Mexican families? If you have spent time humiliating and intimidating women going to the doctor, now you understand what it feels like.
As a trans woman when I go out in public and see you staring, refusing me service, or at a Pride Event and you are attacking me and my family, or yelling at adopted children now you know how intimidating public life can be! You didn’t and don’t care about my feelings, you ignore my voice in public opinion, and try to make my body illegal. Now, for the first time you have seen high level officials confronted, and that’s your line. It hasn’t even been an everyday occurrence for you yet! But now you want a restoration of safe spaces, now you want the right to refuse service overturned. But you made this bed, now we all have to sleep in it.
Civility will return when you implore the leaders of this country that treating others as less than human is wrong, and that feelings and emotions do matter. We all deserve to be served, and we all deserved the ability to have our family intact, and to make a better life. But the last eight years your party has called the FLOTUS less than human names, questioned the POTUS citizenship, attacked the LGBT community and elected a man because you said civility is dead.
