Women Marching or Dancing?

I was reading remarks about the Women’s march on Washington today.  I understand all about the divide in women and the offense taken by both sides around many issues, but especially abortion.

Something that struck me is that I see the same old pattern in conversations, remarks and attitudes.  Both sides are trying to shame, blame and are hate filled toward one another – thinking that belittling and beating the other up with their “brand” of right should automatically fix the situation or somehow persuade the other side that they are wrong and to fall in line with them.  As it was in 2014, when I wrote my blog post “Invitation to Dance With Love” about men and women in this type of battle, the same thing is true here and in so many other of our society’s issues – we need a re-framing of this whole conversation. 

First, let’s take a look at a big part of what’s happening.  FEAR!  It’s the biggest part of the entire situation on both sides.  Fears on one side that women are devalued, unheard, victims, abused, without rights, pawns, marginalized, locked down, unfairly compensated, held back and legally prevented from making their own personal decisions – their personhood removed.  Fears on the other side of millions of voiceless and helpless Human lives being ended as women embrace removing personhood from humans in the womb and legalizing their disposal as a way to keep from losing their personhood. Only one thing takes care of fear and that is love.

These fears are not baseless and you can see that it is an epic struggle.  The fears on both sides are valid.  Women have undergone real discrimination and been abused in the world since ancient days  - they have been de-humanized all over the world and we’ve seen the horrible results as they are used as animals, killed as property and victims of war, hurt, scorned, abused, dismissed and I, as a woman, can tell you that we still endure it and it is real and it is wrong .  To say that women, even in the US, are free of it – that is a lie.  Pointing to it being less than in other parts of the world, does not mean it is absent.  It should not happen and by no account is it right that it does.   The estimates of Human life ended by induced abortion number into the millions. Wikipedia sites the CDC as noting ~51 million reported induced abortions in the U.S. from the years 1970 thru 2013. Real lives lost by someone else’s choice.  The insidiousness of these lives being taken by de-humanizing is chilling.  It is wrong – by no account could it be right. 

So, what I say to women and men too is this – we are better than this – on both sides, we are.  Take a deep breath and exhale a long time.   To refute, dismiss or take the Personhood of any human is wrong.  There have been many actions that were wrong actions taken in the name of a good cause on both sides of the women’s issues.  Two wrongs do not make right.  No one has clean hands.  None of us are perfect or blameless.  And, we need each other.  Let me say it again – WE NEED EACH OTHER!  No one is dismissible or disposable or a non-person in this.  Isn’t it ironic that when we treat someone on the other side of an argument from us as though they do not matter it ultimately results in us taking sides with the very thing that we are fighting against?  We don’t want to be marginalized and if we marginalize others we buy in to the very thing we hate and fight.  We can learn to walk much better in this together – we CAN!  We do not have to buy in to shaming, blaming, devaluing or de-humanizing each other or anyone else.  It takes guts, it takes courage, and it takes badass vulnerability. It takes love.  It takes wanting to remain connected over being right.  Do we have it? I believe that we do!  Is it overnight? Maybe not, but maybe it could move even faster than we think!  

And, so, while I am not condoning the wrong choices of any person on any side of this, I’m taking action right now:

I give thanks for all those in the world (both women and men) who cared deeply enough about women being valued and respected and wanting the de-humanizing of them to stop in the world that they stood up and took life giving action to do something about it.  I want to thank them for making a difference for me and my generation and generations to come. I want to connect in good ways to embrace the spirit of anyone who has that true heart desire to bring value and respect to women everywhere and I honor those who take action in ways that lift up, give life and honor all those around them in the process – you are my hero.

I give thanks for all those in the world (both women and men) who cared deeply enough about voiceless helpless people in the womb being valued and respected and wanting the de-humanizing of them to stop in the world that they stood up and took life giving action to do something about it.  I want to thank them for making a difference for me and my generation and generations to come.  I want to connect in good ways to embrace the spirit of anyone who has that true heart desire to bring value and respect to humans in the womb and I honor those who take action in ways that lift up, give life and honor all those around them in the process – you are my hero.

Is it heartbreaking that women and humans in the womb are still devalued and disrespected?  It is heartbreaking and wrong. I hate that both happen. I will not hate people on either side of the argument.  I will continue to stand for both having dignity and honor, and, I'm choosing to do it in love. You can march with hate or dance with love.  Me, I'm dancing and still inviting others to Dance with Love.  Love does exponentially so much more in ways that are unexpectedly wonderful.