In the wake of a senseless Friday in North
America, a phrase repeats over and over in my head: The Personal is
Political. A phrase used decades ago to
describe the beliefs guiding the women’s movement that “…personal problems are
political problems”, that “there are no personal solutions at this time; there
is only collective action for a collective solution.” (The Personal is
Political, Carol Hanisch)
This is a powerful sentiment. Freshly traumatized by the massacre of vulnerable
children, still we try to tuck discussions of rights under a rug of
“politicizing”. We prefer to dismiss the
event as “the actions of one person”, to push to uphold rationality. Need I say
this so-called rationality is the ultimate in irrationality.
This event wasn’t about one person; it didn’t happen to just
one person and it wasn’t the cause of just one person. But it is deeply personal.
What happened on December 14, 2012 in the now permanently
wounded Newtown, Connecticut, is emotional. It is appalling, horrific and
painful, for families, for communities, for a nation, for many all over the
world.
It is deeply
personal.
And, yes, it is deeply political.
We humans, we bleed with humanity. And all that sadness and passion and love
MUST now be poured into discussions about the ways we care for each individual
and our collective of individuals, the terms under which our society is
governed, the values that we determine reign supreme. Every day we must keep
our horror and our passion alive. Every
day we must remember. We must discuss. And we must act.
