Lights in the Dark
1. At church today, the sermon was about "Not Giving Up" and how we could no longer afford to remain neutral. The woman speaking, the religious education director and a life-time activist/agitator, told a story about a Rabbi and a Grand Dragon of the KKK. When a Rabbi moved into a new town, he received hate mail, anti-semtic pamplets and death threats from the Klan. He contacted the authorities who advised him to inform his children to take alternate routes to school. The rabbi decided to figure out who was sending him these death threats. It was the Grand Dragon of the local chapter of the KKK, a man named Raymond Trapp. So the Rabbi began to send him little love notes, although he wouldn't call them love notes. Or leave love messages on the Grand Dragon's phone. Such as "You sound like you need more love? And are bereft of it?" or "Why do you love the nazi's so much, considering they would kill you first?" The Grand Dragon was disabled, both his legs had been amputated due to diabetes. He kept up with these messages and notes, until one day, the Grand Dragon answered his phone and asked the Rabbi to stop, he was driving him crazy, then he invited him and his wife over for dinner. The Rabbi's son was a bit alarmed, and told his father, "Are you sure about this? After all, you know with Nazi's you may be the main course?" Kids these days. Anyhow, the Rabbi and his wife went to the Grand Dragon, Mr. Trapp's house for dinner. And the man greeted him in a wheelchair, with three guns, one strapped to the chair. So they were a bit wary, as you can imagine. But they entered, and the first words out of the Grand Dragon's mouth were : "I don't want to do this anymore. I need to get out of this. I want out. But I don't know how to get out. How to stop." The Rabbi, his wife, and Trapp talked for over three hours. The Rabbi discovered that Mr. Trapp had no friends, no real support system. No one in his life. So they moved Mr. Trapp in with them and set up a hospice center. The Rabbi and Mr. Trapp became the best of friends, the Rabbi's wife, Julia, gave up her job to be Mr. Trapp's caregiver. And within three years, Mr. Trapp converted to Judaism. He'd long since left the Klan behind, denounced its practices, and stood against it.
The story is inspiring on so many levels. Showing how people can change. And not to give up. She ended the sermon, with the statement that the time for being "neutral" is over. We have to speak out against hate and stand up to it.
2. Today, I took a Step-Up - Bystander Intervention Training", which originated out of the University of Arizona. This is a course that provides you with tools on how to step-up or defuse hate crimes before they happen, or help someone who is being targeted.
The steps are:
*. Notice something is happening. Or be mindful of your surroundings.
*. It is a problem that should not be happening - see it as a problem that requires solution
*. Assume Responsibility
*. Know How to Help
- Indirect action
-Direct action
*. Step up.
They provided stories on how people have stepped up and defused situations.
*. On a subway, a man was harrassing and bullying another, a guy with chips walked and stood between them calmly eating his chips. Others joined the guy eating chips, intervening, stopping what was happening.
*. A muslim woman was harrassed on a subway, a woman called out to her pretending that she knew her, the muslim woman played along, then others joined in, also pretending that they knew the woman and hadn't seen her in a while, until the man had to stop and leave.
*. Boys were harrassing a muslim man at a bodgea, a customer who saw this happen, went home and made up signs, called and contacted all the stores on the street and they choose to hang up signs with the bodega permission stating that only kind customers would be served.
Also always pratice self-care and ensure that you are safe.
The class was packed. 60 people were taking the class, all ages, genders, races. Also church that day, was packed as well.
3. On the way home, I was struck by a sign on a blackboard outside a restaurant, which stated that hospitality was about kindness, inclusion and warmth. Providing a safe creative space for all who wished to enter. And at home, at my local health food store, there's a sign in the window - All Refugees are Welcome Here.
I find these things comforting. They give me hope.
The story is inspiring on so many levels. Showing how people can change. And not to give up. She ended the sermon, with the statement that the time for being "neutral" is over. We have to speak out against hate and stand up to it.
2. Today, I took a Step-Up - Bystander Intervention Training", which originated out of the University of Arizona. This is a course that provides you with tools on how to step-up or defuse hate crimes before they happen, or help someone who is being targeted.
The steps are:
*. Notice something is happening. Or be mindful of your surroundings.
*. It is a problem that should not be happening - see it as a problem that requires solution
*. Assume Responsibility
*. Know How to Help
- Indirect action
-Direct action
*. Step up.
They provided stories on how people have stepped up and defused situations.
*. On a subway, a man was harrassing and bullying another, a guy with chips walked and stood between them calmly eating his chips. Others joined the guy eating chips, intervening, stopping what was happening.
*. A muslim woman was harrassed on a subway, a woman called out to her pretending that she knew her, the muslim woman played along, then others joined in, also pretending that they knew the woman and hadn't seen her in a while, until the man had to stop and leave.
*. Boys were harrassing a muslim man at a bodgea, a customer who saw this happen, went home and made up signs, called and contacted all the stores on the street and they choose to hang up signs with the bodega permission stating that only kind customers would be served.
Also always pratice self-care and ensure that you are safe.
The class was packed. 60 people were taking the class, all ages, genders, races. Also church that day, was packed as well.
3. On the way home, I was struck by a sign on a blackboard outside a restaurant, which stated that hospitality was about kindness, inclusion and warmth. Providing a safe creative space for all who wished to enter. And at home, at my local health food store, there's a sign in the window - All Refugees are Welcome Here.
I find these things comforting. They give me hope.