Letter: This Thanksgiving, spread love with safety pins
In this tremulous time in our country many groups of people are deeply fearful of losing their rights and safety due to the proposed policies of Donald Trump and the normalization of hateful rhetoric and actions stemming from this election. Increased reports of hate crimes, disturbing videos like those of school children chanting “build a wall” at their fellow classmates, and talks of Muslim registries and mass deportation have many of the most vulnerable in our society terrified of what’s to come in the following years.
This Thanksgiving, we want to offer a small show of support to those who are feeling unwelcome and unsafe in Indiana, which voted overwhelmingly for Trump. We will be handing out safety pins, which have become a symbol of safety and allyship in recent weeks. Wearing the safety pin means that one is a safe and supportive space for anyone regardless of how they identify, where they were born, what documentation they have, what their body looks like, or how they pray.
We hope that seeing these pins will help to shine a light on the love and acceptance that exists in our community, when some might be feeling completely alone.
We also want to insist, however, that allies who want to wear the pin don’t stop there! There is much work to be done to makes sure that we protect all our fellow citizens. Consider donating or volunteering for organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, Lambda Legal, Campaign Zero, and/or the Council on American-Islamic relations. Call your legislators to make sure they know you won’t stand for appointments or policies that don’t respect the dignity and safety of all people. Educate yourself and have difficult conversations with loved ones about how this political climate affects you or ones you love. Find peaceful protests and marches near you and send an even stronger message to the vulnerable around you that you will stand up for their freedom and equality, publicly and without shame.
Unfortunately, progress doesn’t go in a straight line. Rest assured, however, that we will never stop fighting for love. Because in the end, love will trump hate.
Sarah Barry and Tommy Craven
Jasper, Ind.
Details on the Safety Pin Handout:
From Wednesday, November 23rd – Friday, November 25th, we will be handing out free safety pins attached to a message of equality at the Dubois County Courthouse in Jasper during the following times:
- Wednesday, November 23rd from 4 to 5 p.m.
- Thursdsay, November 24th from 9 to 10 a.m.
- Friday, November 25th from 10 to 11 a.m.
We will also be providing resources for those who would like to take further steps as activists and allies.
If you’d like to make a donation, all proceeds will go to the Jasper High School GSA.
Visit our Facebook event by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/631143580400952/?active_tab=about
OK…….I give up. Why would anyone feel UNsafe here in southern Indiana? What type of “political climate” are we in that makes anyone feel unsafe?
What types of marches or protests do you think we should march in? What are we protesting? Who amongst us is feeling “vulnerable”? How will your safety pin make us feel safer?
Have you been watching the Clinton News Network (CNN) too much? The political climate HERE in Indiana is MUCH different than California, where you live now.
Do you honestly believe that our newly elected officials will NOT stand up for everyone’s freedom and equality, publicly? Once again, you’ve been watching CNN too much. They lie.
Good luck & best wishes on your Safety Pin drive.
Silent Majority, Jasper and Dubois County has much to be thankful for. The LBGTQ community has kept many people employed in Dubois County. LBGTQ interior designers, architect, specifiers have been sourcing and selling the many commercial wood products made in Dubois County for decades. In my 30 year career, I have met so many of them. Good people who love the products we make here in Southern Indiana. They love the many customer support people who answer the phones here in Dubois County and provide great service before and after the sale.
If Sarah and Tommy want to pass out safety pins, then let them do it. They have much to be thankful for. They live in a country that affords them that right. Over time they will come to realize that Indiana didn’t vote to silence their rights, Indiana voted to end unfair trade agreements that have outsourced the middle class manufacturing jobs to Mexico, China and Canada. Dubois County is not anti-LGBTQ, it is pro jobs.
Thank for your comment, “Silent Majority”. Unfortunately it’s the very vocal majority (actually, not quite the majority, as Clinton won the popular vote) coupled with Trump’s own promises and statements that are making people feel unsafe and unwelcome. Trump has promised mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, bragged about sexually assaulting women, said that women should be punished for having abortions, mocked a differently abled reporter, proposed a registry for Muslims, proposed stopping all immigration of Muslims into the US, called hispanic people “rapists”, said he would “strongly consider” appointing judges to overturn same sex marriage, and proposed building a wall along our border, just to name a few. (And this is just Trump–to say nothing of Mike Pence who believes in conversion camps that try to turn LGBTQ people straight, which have been shown to result in severe mental distress, self harm, and suicide.) So no, I don’t believe our elected officials will stand up for everyone’s freedom and equality, publicly. They have very, very clearly done the opposite.
Hearing these things from the mouth of our now president elect is scary enough–but to see people so enthusiastically supporting him–knowing that so many of those around you supported a man who thinks it’s ok to assault you, punish you, mock you, deport you, or ban you from this country can be incredibly isolating even if one doesn’t experience a hate crime/hate speech personally. However, there have been actual reports of hate crimes as well. (See this link: https://duboiscountyfreepresscom.wpcomstaging.com/jasper-police-seeking-battery-suspect/. The victim posted about her experience of being targeted for being Hispanic.) This is why people–hispanic people, immigrants, women, people of different body types and sizes, Muslim people, queer people, and others– are feeling vulnerable.)
The safety pins are meant to be a symbol that people are not alone and that they are wanted. They are meant to show those who might feel like everyone around them supported a man who doesn’t value them as a person, that there are those who value their equality. But that only goes so far–which is why we asked allies to take further action steps. There are many marches and protests happening–for instance–the Millions Womens’ March in Washington DC on January 20th for those who have the ability to travel. We are marching against the policies that I outlined above and marching to show that we stand in solidarity with those groups that are targeted.
I don’t live in California, I live in New York City. Tommy lives in California. But as I said earlier, the isolation of the small towns in states that overwhelmingly supported Trump can lead those who feel like outsiders to incredibly dark, lonely, and vulnerable places. It’s not difficult to imagine, and if you’re having trouble empathizing you must have some serious privilege on your side.
PS – Everything I detailed here can be verified through primary sources, so CNN’s validity is irrelevant.
PSS – I’d be happy to talk further with you about these topics if you wish to reveal your identity.
Sarah, I do agree with you that some people are feeling vulnerable. The media, (News, Facebook, Twitter) followers are inundated with far left and far right political positions on this election. I know your just in town for the holiday so I don’t want to cause you to spend too much time on this issue but I did want to challenge you on one primary source, since it involves a Hoosier.
Since your posts implied that Hoosiers and those in Dubois County are discriminatory because they overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump. “show of support to those who are feeling unwelcome and unsafe in Indiana, which voted overwhelmingly for Trump” “but to see people so enthusiastically supporting him” What or who is your primary source for the following statement?
“Mike Pence who believes in conversion camps that try to turn LGBTQ people straight, which have been shown to result in severe mental distress, self harm, and suicide.)”
Please provide any link, document or video in which Mike Pence, writes or speaks his support for Gay Conversion Therapy or Conversion Camps.
Sarah, you mentioned one hate crime of a Hispanic woman who was spit on. Any hate crime should be punished to the full extent of the law. I hope they catch that guy. One statistic I have is that Indiana and Dubois County have fewer hate crimes per capita than LA County or NYC. If you are LBGTQ, or a person of color or a Muslim, you have a greater chance of having a hate crime committed against you in Los Angeles or New York City than in Indiana.
10.2 Million people live in Los Angeles County CA and they had 483 reported hate crimes in 2015
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-hate-crimes-la-county-20160929-snap-story.html
8.5 Million people live in the 5 Boroughs of New York City and they had 307 reported hate crimes in 2015 http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/crimnet/ojsa/hate-crime-in-nys-2015-annual-report.pdf
Indiana’s total population is 6.597 Million and the total hate crimes reported for the entire state in 2015 were 67 https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2015/resource-pages/download-files
You can download all FBI hate crime statistics at the last link I provided.
Wouldn’t you agree that it is much safer to live in Indiana and Dubois County than to live in LA County or the five boroughs of New York City, where per capita, the hate crimes perpetrated against LBGTQ, people of ethnicity, or those of religion are much higher?
I mention this so that you and Tommy and others in Dubois County can feel safe, while visiting for the holidays. Enjoy your visit and best wishes to you and Tommy on your careers in NYC and LA. Make the hometown proud.
Sarah,
What you are doing in your response is unfairly and inaccurately changing Trump’s policy ideas and views. Especially facts that have been said since he has become President Elect.
The first that you point out is Trump has “promised mass deportation of undocumented immigrants”. To that I say, what is wrong with expecting people to enter this country legally? Is that really such a horrendous thought? I’m sure what you are talking about is the idea that Trump is going to have this Task Force go around the country, round up every single illegal immigrant, and take them back over the border. That is untrue. Trump and the other leaders in the Republican Party have already dismissed that. Trump has said in the recent weeks that all illegal immigrants that have criminal records should be out. That’s a pretty fair thought. Illegal immigration takes jobs away from legal citizens, drives down wages, and raises the cost of healthcare. I don’t think it’s necessarily “evil” for people to think illegal immigration is unfair to those trying to enter legally.
Which brings me to my next point of how you, along with about all other liberal media outlets distorted his comments on “Hispanic Rapists”. If you’d read the whole statement, you’d see it was completely taken out of context. His quote was “When Mexico (meaning the Mexican Government) sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you (pointing to the audience). They’re not sending you (pointing again). They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us.”
He is clearly references Mexico sending less than honorable citizens here. He is not saying all Mexicans are rapists, like you, CNN, MSNBC, etc. tried to spin it to be.
In reference to his abortion stance, he clearly says he is Pro Life. I, like tens of millions of people in this country, believe that abortion is essentially murdering a child. Hillary Clinton strongly supports 36 week abortions. It’s unfathomable. I haven’t seen anything about “punishing” women for it, but if Roe V Wade is overturned, an abortion is essentially illegal, and any abortion would be breaking the law. If Donald Trump is outlandish for being Pro-Life, so are tens of millions of people in this country, and hundreds of millions around the world.
And in regards of your accusations that he is proposing a “Muslim registry”, this is another generic misconstruing of the far left media. What Trump is proposing is a registry similar to NSEERS. This registry was in existence for people coming from areas that were from hotbeds of terrorism. These people would go through a more “in depth” vetting system, would have to report in every so often, etc. It is not a “Muslim” registry. Is it really so bad to expect this country to have their guard up when people when to come in to this country, when they are coming from areas that train and harbor terrorists? The registry doesn’t put you on the list based upon your religion. You are put there based upon the country you come from.
I’d also like to call out your reference to “Hate Crimes”. See the attached link. http://patch.com/illinois/chicago/trump-supporter-beaten-chicago-street-recorded-video
I’m not saying there are not Hate Crimes. There absolutely are. But what about all the references to Trump Supporters being pulled out of cars, beat, threatened? As Trump Supporters, I’m sure they are feeling threatened as well. President Elect Trump on 60 minutes denounced these actions. Where is Hillary and Obama’s denouncement of these actions?
What I love the most is how you denounce people for supporting our President-Elect. Shame on us for not supporting a complete crook in Hillary Clinton, right? Should we do a run through of the scandals/flip flops of Hillary Clinton?
-In the 2008 Election, Hillary Clinton did not support same-sex marriage.
-The Benghazi situation
-The horrific email scandal. I don’t think I need to go into detail on this one, or the efforts she went through to cover it up.
-Mrs. Clinton’s spokesman mocked Catholics and evangelicals as “severely backwards.”
-Whitewater Scandal
-Her Cattle-Futures Miracle
-Her and Bill’s stealing of White House Furniture, which they were forced to return
-The Clinton Foundation. The most crooked “Foundation” around
-Just about every news media outlet colluded with the Clinton campaign throughout the election. That’s pretty “fair”.
-Called half of Trump supporters “deplorables”.
The list goes on. Maybe those of us that voted for Trump felt a little “scared”. Maybe us Catholics felt a little threatened by the words and actions of Clinton’s team. Maybe we felt a little scared of where our country could have headed with Hillary Clinton. Maybe we were tired of every news media outlet spinning Trump’s words, hiding Hillary’s lies, and trying to determine the outcome of the election. Don’t blame us for sticking up for our freedoms and values.
Just like you don’t understand how people could support Trump, many of us who voted Trump can’t understand why people would vote Clinton.
Trump is no Saint. Agreed 100%. He has said things in the past that are vulgar and ridiculous. To act like Hillary was a perfect alternative is naive. Many of us who voted Trump didn’t vote for him because of his hard talk on immigration. We voted for him because we gasp at hearing Hillary Clinton mutter “Free College”. We are scared to think about who she is going to appoint to Supreme Court Justice. We are terrified at the thought of losing more jobs to foreign countries. We no longer wanted a “public servant” that made tens of millions of dollars to become our next president.
The media has worked so hard to pump Hillary up on the pedestal (I wonder why), and to cut Trump down. Throughout the election, every media outlet targeted Trump, spun his words, etc. We grew tired of the complete bias. We felt OUR freedoms and Rights that our Country was founded on were being threatened.
We see things differently, but I respect your opinion. But you are painting Trump supporters with a very broad stroke, and insinuating that because we support him, we support all that he has said, done, etc. That goes both ways. Both candidates had baggage. But we voted for the person that we thought would best stick up for our freedoms and rights. Don’t let the media fool you into thinking we are complete monsters. Don’t let them tell you that because we voted for Trump, we voted for inequality, racism, and hatred. Because that’s what they are trying to do. And it’s simply not true. We simply didn’t like the direction that Hillary Clinton would take us.
I really hope your Pin Drive is a success. No one should feel threatened and scared. It’s great that you are being proactive and doing what you can to help those that need it. Best Wishes
Wow. Just–wow. Just returned from early Thanksgiving vaca. w/ family in So. Carolina island region. Toured Charleston, Beaufort, & then Savannah GA. My adult offspring wore (and explained) their large pins, acquired in college towns (Bloomington & Evansville). And we sat near folks of all kinds, talked of shared human experience, political and simply topical points. I’m glad to continue being part of anything that offers support for genuinely struggling people.
Some kind hearted folks, learning we hail from Indiana, gave us quick looks of sympathy. “Pence,” they said, sighing. We nodded. In reply, words around holding true to our beliefs and guarding our light eased awkwardness.
Nothing wrong with being positive, Indiana. In all weather.