I don’t know if most of us also follow your Instagram account but may I just say that your “game” with the trolls that resulted in so many donations to Everytown for gun safety was pure genius. PURE GENIUS! I hope it gave you much satisfaction to wring something so good out of what was undoubtedly meant to be ugly and reinforced for you that you made the right decision to keep on fighting the good fight.
Sharon, I know you didn’t write this piece to get flowers thrown at your feet. With that acknowledgment out of the way, i just want to say your talents are anything but average.
And truly - I admire your grit. I know you have no interest in it, but I think it would be extraordinary for our country for you to follow John Lewis’ path into lawmaking.
I was born in the fifty’s and was a child of the sixty’s. I was raised in N Alabama. I remember the separate water fountains in liberty grocery store and in the city parks. I lived in a middle class neighborhood with lots of friends where we safely roamed the neighborhood in the summers till time for dinner. We had a new school that was well staffed. It was a good life for me and my friends. However it wasn’t for everyone I almost never saw anyone of color except occasionally a woman at friends house doing the ironing. I had no idea how many people of color lived in my community. They were not visible to me. The restaurants were segregated. The school was segregated. The churches were segregated. The hospital was segregated. My school was not desegregated until high school. I don’t say this because I feel it was a good thing. Even though I was a child I feel guilt that this is part of my history. When people say slavery was a long time ago and no one is alive that was a slave they forget the oppression caused by Jim Crow laws. We NEVER need to go back to this kind of oppression and ignorance. So please. Don’t delete your account. Rational voices who don’t preach hate but calmly remind us of the history of this country how far we have come, and the implications of policies today are needed, and you do it so well. Besides. I would miss you.
Anne, we are in the same age group. I was born in the 1950’s, also. I relate 100% to everything you said except for one thing. My mama actually worked back then in civil service at the Navy military base where we lived in SC. So we had a Black woman who cooked and cleaned for my family. She was the one we came home to after school. I loved her. We also had a Black man who cut our grass and raked the yard in the fall. I remember our family doctor’s office had separate rooms for “colored” people (which was what the sign said). I was too young to understand what was going on. My high school was desegregated when I was in the 10th grade. Thank you for sharing. I agree completely with your point of view.
Many children in the south had the same experience as you, including friends of mine. It just wasn’t mine. My mother didn’t work and wasn’t from the south so she did her own housework
I thank God for your persistence and your stubbornness. Especially for your passion to share your love for this country and HOPE in the midst of a dark time right now. Your reminders of the countless "ordinary" people who have stood up for what's right and have given a voice of courage to the weary and unseen in this country is a gift of hope on days when I feel so hopeless and helpless. Thank you for your sacrifices that you make everyday to be a light to so many of us.
... (A week up in the serene wilderness of the Boundary Waters might be a balm for your weary soul right now.)
My ordinary self will join you in shared values, stubbornness, and persistence. I will go to my proverbial Northwoods to rest when I need it, but then I will return and keep on. One next right step at a time.
Thank you, Sharon, for giving me the words to explain why I persist in a losing political battle in MO. No matter what I do, MO Governor Kehoe, and MO lawmakers do whatever President tells them. Right now, it’s find him one more congressional seat.
Yet, I go to my Capitol and protest in every way I can. Just like you said, we cannot stay silent.
You, John Lewis , and every ordinary person that follows you are my role models. Our persistence makes us all extraordinary.
My thoughts exactly. I live in Idaho Gina and it’s grueling every day knowing our rights have been taken away in pursuit of “religious freedoms”. As a Christian white woman, I will not stand aside. I will keep pressing in. It’s role models around us that keep me going.
I sadly pressed delete for FB and Insta.It is too much for me right now. Especially when people I cherish so much treat Charlie Kirk like a religious martyr. I am so sad at his murder, but even as much or more about the children gunned down, the mother and father shot in their beds in front of their children. And Charlie Kirk, himself said THESE shootings were WORTH it! No flags at half mast for these people. No empathy from so many of our leaders…. In fact Charlie Kirk thinks EMPATHY is a bad thing and was trying to influence others NOT to have it! A followers of Jesus Christ? The one who was the greatest example of EMPATHY! Charlie Kirk said Martin Luther King, Jr. was bad, inclusion of people of color is bad. He dressed up as a follower of Christ to influence people not to follow Christ! And so many people I love bought it! I can’t watch this right now. It is breaking my heart. Thank you, Sharon for your courage and “stubbornness !” I am not deleting Substack!
Thank you for sharing in this space Grateful for preamble. I’ve deleted other socials, as well. And this paragraph was verbatim what I am experiencing.
Grateful to know I’m not alone or crazy. And, grateful to be able to step back and see the bigger picture of violence in all.
I was considering it this morning for the same reason. My local high school was the newest school shooting that happened the same day as Kirks. Driving around and seeing the flags at half mast and knowing it’s for someone who would be saying un empathetic troupe about it is salt in the wound.
Bravo Sharon!!! Thank you for YOUR persistence and encouraging us to be persistent too!!! One of the best and most timely articles you have written I will pray for you daily when I read your articles
I appreciate your fire in donating every time a white Christian sends you a shitty, cruel reply. I did this when someone kept tearing up my political signs; I put up a sign saying I'd donate to Planned Parenthood for every bit of damage. Then I put glitter and Vaseline all over the signs. They finally gave up because one thing we have in common is that I am stubborn.
Honestly, valid. I don’t agree with you on everything, but I see the goodwill and the love for your country and your fellow Americans. And I appreciate you. Thank you, for all that you do.
I don’t know if most of us also follow your Instagram account but may I just say that your “game” with the trolls that resulted in so many donations to Everytown for gun safety was pure genius. PURE GENIUS! I hope it gave you much satisfaction to wring something so good out of what was undoubtedly meant to be ugly and reinforced for you that you made the right decision to keep on fighting the good fight.
And it gave us all a small thing to DO this week.
P.S. Could I please have the vegetable dip recipe?😋
It’s STELLAR. Governerds in the private bookclub jokingly refer to it as Democracy Dip. Carly has a link to a magnet (I keep one on my fridge):
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1676800365/?ref=share_ios_native_control
Democracy Dip! I love it already. Thanks!
Me too please 🙏😂
I can certainly understand the temptation to press delete. I thank you for pushing on! We need your voice. I pray for your safety
!!!! You ARE mighty!
Sharon deserves regular vacations (just like the rest of us without armed guards) button ↙️
😆
Sharon, I know you didn’t write this piece to get flowers thrown at your feet. With that acknowledgment out of the way, i just want to say your talents are anything but average.
And truly - I admire your grit. I know you have no interest in it, but I think it would be extraordinary for our country for you to follow John Lewis’ path into lawmaking.
I hear you and appreciate your penning this. So much despair right now, and we appreciate the reminder to keep showing up.
I was born in the fifty’s and was a child of the sixty’s. I was raised in N Alabama. I remember the separate water fountains in liberty grocery store and in the city parks. I lived in a middle class neighborhood with lots of friends where we safely roamed the neighborhood in the summers till time for dinner. We had a new school that was well staffed. It was a good life for me and my friends. However it wasn’t for everyone I almost never saw anyone of color except occasionally a woman at friends house doing the ironing. I had no idea how many people of color lived in my community. They were not visible to me. The restaurants were segregated. The school was segregated. The churches were segregated. The hospital was segregated. My school was not desegregated until high school. I don’t say this because I feel it was a good thing. Even though I was a child I feel guilt that this is part of my history. When people say slavery was a long time ago and no one is alive that was a slave they forget the oppression caused by Jim Crow laws. We NEVER need to go back to this kind of oppression and ignorance. So please. Don’t delete your account. Rational voices who don’t preach hate but calmly remind us of the history of this country how far we have come, and the implications of policies today are needed, and you do it so well. Besides. I would miss you.
Anne, we are in the same age group. I was born in the 1950’s, also. I relate 100% to everything you said except for one thing. My mama actually worked back then in civil service at the Navy military base where we lived in SC. So we had a Black woman who cooked and cleaned for my family. She was the one we came home to after school. I loved her. We also had a Black man who cut our grass and raked the yard in the fall. I remember our family doctor’s office had separate rooms for “colored” people (which was what the sign said). I was too young to understand what was going on. My high school was desegregated when I was in the 10th grade. Thank you for sharing. I agree completely with your point of view.
Many children in the south had the same experience as you, including friends of mine. It just wasn’t mine. My mother didn’t work and wasn’t from the south so she did her own housework
I thank God for your persistence and your stubbornness. Especially for your passion to share your love for this country and HOPE in the midst of a dark time right now. Your reminders of the countless "ordinary" people who have stood up for what's right and have given a voice of courage to the weary and unseen in this country is a gift of hope on days when I feel so hopeless and helpless. Thank you for your sacrifices that you make everyday to be a light to so many of us.
... (A week up in the serene wilderness of the Boundary Waters might be a balm for your weary soul right now.)
You showing up inspires me to show up. Every time. You are a wonderful leader and inspire so many.
My ordinary self will join you in shared values, stubbornness, and persistence. I will go to my proverbial Northwoods to rest when I need it, but then I will return and keep on. One next right step at a time.
We may be small, but we are Mighty. Heartening words this morning as I begin my day, thank you for sticking around and showing us the way. 💕
Thank you, Sharon, for giving me the words to explain why I persist in a losing political battle in MO. No matter what I do, MO Governor Kehoe, and MO lawmakers do whatever President tells them. Right now, it’s find him one more congressional seat.
Yet, I go to my Capitol and protest in every way I can. Just like you said, we cannot stay silent.
You, John Lewis , and every ordinary person that follows you are my role models. Our persistence makes us all extraordinary.
My thoughts exactly. I live in Idaho Gina and it’s grueling every day knowing our rights have been taken away in pursuit of “religious freedoms”. As a Christian white woman, I will not stand aside. I will keep pressing in. It’s role models around us that keep me going.
I sadly pressed delete for FB and Insta.It is too much for me right now. Especially when people I cherish so much treat Charlie Kirk like a religious martyr. I am so sad at his murder, but even as much or more about the children gunned down, the mother and father shot in their beds in front of their children. And Charlie Kirk, himself said THESE shootings were WORTH it! No flags at half mast for these people. No empathy from so many of our leaders…. In fact Charlie Kirk thinks EMPATHY is a bad thing and was trying to influence others NOT to have it! A followers of Jesus Christ? The one who was the greatest example of EMPATHY! Charlie Kirk said Martin Luther King, Jr. was bad, inclusion of people of color is bad. He dressed up as a follower of Christ to influence people not to follow Christ! And so many people I love bought it! I can’t watch this right now. It is breaking my heart. Thank you, Sharon for your courage and “stubbornness !” I am not deleting Substack!
I did donate to your wonderful cause before pressing delete!
Thank you for sharing in this space Grateful for preamble. I’ve deleted other socials, as well. And this paragraph was verbatim what I am experiencing.
Grateful to know I’m not alone or crazy. And, grateful to be able to step back and see the bigger picture of violence in all.
I was considering it this morning for the same reason. My local high school was the newest school shooting that happened the same day as Kirks. Driving around and seeing the flags at half mast and knowing it’s for someone who would be saying un empathetic troupe about it is salt in the wound.
I am so sorry for your pain….🥲
Thank you.
I’m inspired by your courage and stubbornness.
I’m glad you didn’t press delete. Your voice is appreciated and needed.
Bravo Sharon!!! Thank you for YOUR persistence and encouraging us to be persistent too!!! One of the best and most timely articles you have written I will pray for you daily when I read your articles
I appreciate your fire in donating every time a white Christian sends you a shitty, cruel reply. I did this when someone kept tearing up my political signs; I put up a sign saying I'd donate to Planned Parenthood for every bit of damage. Then I put glitter and Vaseline all over the signs. They finally gave up because one thing we have in common is that I am stubborn.
Honestly, valid. I don’t agree with you on everything, but I see the goodwill and the love for your country and your fellow Americans. And I appreciate you. Thank you, for all that you do.