Guided by non-violence.....

We are called upon by our times and our circumstances.
We know the issues of Martin Luther King Junior's times, and we know the issues of our times.

King understood that if people saw the hate, that if they then non violently stood in the face of racism, racism would be seen and fall one day-a day we have yet to fully realize. He had faith in God to strengthen that resolve of his, and see us to that promised land.

I was talking today with my child. 
I recalled to her Jackie Kennedy wearing the dress she had on when her husband was killed. Kept on so that other's could see what she'd faced in the violent killing of her husband. It seemed that this strange line of thought would coincide with the inauguration, but it has for me, and I apologize. I was telling my daughter something and that came to my mind. Sylvia was speaking of working on writing about how King effectively worked for change (though I could tell her if I took the time how he felt stymied-that there were hard challenging times for him) and I wanted to share with her my memory of how the images in the media in those years were so powerful and affecting.  King- and the few networks- helped us see the violence and hate -so that we could "feel" it as happening to each of us. I remembered to her how the sit ins, protests provoked more action in others as a clarion call. I always call it being in another's shoes-a moment in time. Then we had few channels, a national audience, responsible real journalists, expectations of leadership, desire to obtain our creeds, and American's facing hard things, leadership enough to be united in change. And I told her many did not want this and were very voraciously vocal-this was not growth easily won- fought for by those very brave to try and lead. It is also very hard to relate to her because I was young and trying to convey to her these times depends on my lens. Impossible totally as it sits within a child's memory.
Then I suddenly was back in our times.
What will be the world for my children, now reaching their adulthood?
Our issues of the day?  My child then talked about gun control. Violence.


If my child, Sylvia, Sophia or Luca were tiny again, and killed in their public school in a mass shooting with 6 inch bullets, shot dead and their tiny bodies ripped from this life, the one thing I'd ask is to see and sit with them on the stone cold floor of the school until they could be released to me. No matter what I return to that and I don't know why but it seems important to me to see exactly what was.
And my husband noted he'd have been arrested, as he could not stand to do otherwise. Boy the identification we both had with these families-it has been so intense after this recent tragic shooting.
How much we feel.
The one thing I think that could be served is having our nation of gun lovers look at what has been done. I related that to Sylvia for some reason.
It made me go look up a quote that I recalled from Jackie Kennedy. How she handled the time directly after his death so that nationally we understood.

• Do you know what I think of history? ... For a while I thought history was something that bitter old men wrote. But Jack loved history so... No one'll ever know everything about Jack. But ... history made Jack what he was ... this lonely, little sick boy ... scarlet fever ... this little boy sick so much of the time, reading in bed, reading history ... reading the Knights of the Round Table ... and he just liked that last song.
  Then I thought, for Jack history was full of heroes. And if it made him this way, if it made him see the heroes, maybe other little boys will see. Men are such a combination of good and bad ... He was such a simple man. But he was so complex, too. Jack had this hero idea of history, the idealistic view, but then he had that other side, the pragmatic side... his friends were all his old friends; he loved his Irish Mafia.

• History!... Everybody kept saying to me to put a cold towel around my head and wipe the blood off... later, I saw myself in the mirror; my whole face spattered with blood and hair... I wiped it off with Kleenex... History! ... I thought, no one really wants me there. Then one second later I thought, why did I wash the blood off? I should have left it there, let them see what they've done... If I'd just had the blood and caked hair when they took the picture ... Then later I said to Bobby — what's the line between history and drama? I should have kept the blood on.
  • A variant reading of White's notes exists: Then later I said to Bobby — what's the line between histrionics and drama. I should have kept the blood on. but in White's own published memoir In Search of History: A Personal Adventure (1978) this is rendered "what's the line between history and drama?"
  
  Jackie Kennedy-Wikipedia
  

Perhaps the violence has to be seen. Doubting Thomas was there, wasn't he.
Named for Sarah perhaps I seek my truths often in the Bible.
An instructive lesson.
I read a piece by one of the momma's of a child lost to our nation. 
I don't know. It was so real then for me and my priorities shifted as I considered this. I was thinking that those insisting on the right to very dangerous military state weapons should face something like she has. I don't know. I do know that it seems the worst kind of destructive selfishness to oppose a conversation and an attempt to stop senseless violence.
What kind of statement is it that regulation is met with buying more weapons and noon rallies?
Or suggestion of arming teachers. Good grief I can't think what I might do. At any rate we are in times with questions, challenges and a need to look to the past as we consider the things we will do.

Or that we must do.
I hope that we can move forward in a positive way. For all our children.