You’ve probably seen the hype for the Safety Pin campaign on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I am wearing a safety pin today, just as I did yesterday, and I will continue to do for as long as it feels necessary. It is not a political statement. It is a way to show hurting people that they are safe and supported by me.
This tweet really sums it up:
The #safetypin is NOT a political statement! It’s a humanitarian statement that shows you stand against bigotry and hate. #safetypinusa
— Lara Arikan (@lararikan) November 11, 2016
For me, it comes down to this: People are genuinely scared right now. Not cry baby scared, but actually scared because of what the new President-elect Donald Trump has said, encouraged, and condoned. Not only that, but now some people on BOTH sides are being downright stupid in their responses to the election.
When I wear this safety pin, it tells someone in a room that this white, conservative (looking) lady in a southern state stands for LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, HUMAN DECENCY, HUMAN DIGNITY, and that I do *not* stand for hate.
Someone who is scared can spot me in a room and KNOW that there is an ally there, that they are not surrounded by secret (or not so secret) racists, bigots, sexists, and on and on. Even if it is only a PERCEIVED threat by that person, KNOWING that someone is there that is supportive of them is HUGE.
I want to be that person.
I wish that I had known about the Safety Pin Project on Wednesday when I got my oil changed. There was a huge loudmouth there and a lady ended up being like his wing man – all because President Obama came on the screen to discuss our newly elected President. It was interesting how their attitudes changed and how quiet they got when an intimidatingly large (like football player-sized lol) black gentleman showed up and sat down. Suddenly they didn’t make a peep! Besides the 2 loud-mouthed folks, there were 4 of us in the room that didn’t respond when they spoke previously and we were left knowing what they had said right before this other man walked in.
I wish that I had had on a safety pin so that if any of those others in the room had felt threatened by the new America, or if even the man that walked in the door did, they would have known that I was not part of that nonsense at all.
I am not a Republican and I am not a Democrat. I am about as middle of the road as one can be when it comes down to the issues. I get so sad feeling that people might clump me in with the stereotypes that are out there. I am me, and this is MY way of showing others who *I* am and what *I* stand for.
I have discussed the safety pin on my Facebook page, and even changed my profile picture to reflect this, but I wanted to write it out on this blog post so that I could share it with more people. Maybe you can share it, too. Hopefully we can REALLY make America great again. Let’s make it a beautiful day to be an American.
What do you think?
I think you’re explanation is really spot on… I found your blog looking at homeschool resources but as another “white, conservative (looking)” woman in the N.Texas metroplex, I feel that same bewilderment – that what I believed to be a fringe minority of racist, misogynists, or those that excuse them, is in fact a much larger group. Big enough to elect a president. I love the idea of having a way to signal to one another that we aren’t the only sane ones in the room.
I’m very much afraid however that it may be too late to really make America great again. There are maybe too many of them, and not enough of us.
Thank you for writing this.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Hopefully it isn’t too late! I am a realist, but I’m putting my optimist face on. 🙂
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