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Curious to know more about the author of an essay that I particularly liked, I flipped to the contributors page of a highly respected national environmental news publication. The description of the author ended with the following sentence: “She lives in Stehekin, Washington, with her wife, Laurie Thompson.”
My brain hiccuped, Wait, isn’t she . . . oh, yes, she is! Just like that, without fanfare or fuss, a nationally recognized environmental publication authenticates the new face of America — a face that includes changes in the fabric of America.
All too often I am beset by frustration and dismay at the hysteria that grabs media attention — hysteria about:
- faith – to believe or not to believe
- faith – who to believe, who to follow, who is right, who is wrong
- family and what it looks like – adopted, surrogate, biracial, homosexual, trans, this color, that color, this ethic group or that ethnic group
- food – what to eat, what to fear, what to buy, where to buy, from whom to buy
- politics – who is right, who is wrong, who is the devil, who is the angel of mercy
- systems – the war of isms — isms that the general population would stutter to define, if pushed.
- nationalities and ethnicities – who is superior, who has the best interests of humankind in mind?
- science – who controls it, fabricates it, studies it, and most of all, who can we believe?
In an age of black and white, right or wrong, shades of gray relegated to pulp fiction, it is refreshing to realize that some elements of change are being effected quietly and without finger-pointing or acrimony.
Keith said:
Linda, you are so right. If it were not for the sensationalists and headline grabbers,many changes keep moving forward naturally. It is like the Loving v VA decision that was ahead of the nation, in this case, to permit interracial marriages. Now, 13% of all marriages in the US are interracial and it quite common for a biracial actor to represent everyone on commercials. On the flip side, LGBT issues were ahead of the court, but this has moved very fast in the last seven years, that the Supreme Court could not keep up. Individual freedoms are more naturally appreciated, so that train will eventually win, provided someone’s freedoms are not infringing on another’s. Great post, Keith
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rangewriter said:
Yes, sometimes when I get really depressed at what feels like a community of Neanderthals, I remember that America elected a (gasp) black President. Ha. Some people also think America elected a Muslim president. Wouldn’t that be a marked evolution?
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Lynz Real Cooking said:
Nice post!! Allot to think about
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Doreen Pendgracs said:
Society is indeed making baby steps forward. Lord knows, it would be nice if they were bigger and faster. But at least we are seeing progress in our lifetime.
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rangewriter said:
The old cliche, Rome wasn’t built in a day, still stands, I guess.
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