Lost In The Middle Of Somewhere ... Else

I have heard an argument that goes something like this:

"Stop complaining that women are under attack just because a bunch of clinics are being shut down in Texas. The women in Texas still have CHOICES to get their care elsewhere, or even out of state. I have been through hell and have made lots of excruciatingly hard CHOICES, you have nothing to complain about!"

There are SO many problems with the argument above, and especially in this context, that it actually woke my brain up 2 hours early this morning because I couldn't just let it go, so y'all get me ranting on (hopefully artfully) for many paragraphs just to shut my damned brain up about it. Lucky you!

( First of all, Misery Poker is a problem in its own right )

Now a few notes about the problems in this context:

( The context being reproductive rights and healthcare for women, especially poor women, in Texas and elsewhere )

I could go on for pages about this, but other people have already done so in far better detail than I ever could, so I'll stop there. The real point of this particular rant was all up in the first section: The fact that one person's life has been very hard does not excuse other people's lives being made unnecessarily harder, it does not render their arguments invalid, and it definitely doesn't make silencing their protests appropriate.

Whew! Now maybe my brain can shut up for a while!

-E-

To Whom It May Concern,

I am Vanatru. I am Clergy. I run the Vanic Conspiracy. I love and care for my congregation as dear friends and family. I love and honor the Vanir as dear friends and family. I love and respect the Landwights and Ancstors as dear friends and family. That is the nature of my way.

I am Heathen. I'm in Hrafnar. I work with and love Diana Paxson as my Gythia, and her folk as my folk.

I am a Seidhkona. I am in Seidhjallr, and have recently hived off a new group for my own area to explore Seidh and Galdr and whatever other forms of Northern magic call to us on our own terms.

I'm a spirit worker. I happily associate with Raven Kaldera and many of his friends, including quite a few Lokeans and other Rokkatruar. I get along just fine with Loki. Tricksters respect people who don't run away from Them.

I'm also a headwashed and necklaced Loa child in the American Magic Umbanda House, where I am the Lead Singer, and Little Mother (In Training).*

In all these things, I honor my ancestors. Honoring my Ancestors includes honoring the Celtic powers.

The more I walk my path, the more I find everything falls into place, leading me ever onward. My path is singular and clear. If you find my religion confusing, you should see what it does to my love life sometime - but that's none of your business.

I have friends from many different traditions and I respect and honor their ways, whether I join in their practice or not, in the moment or in the long run. I would be a fool to deny their truths, for it is readily evident that their ways work just as well as mine, and the messages they bring me confirm and support the messages my own ways bring me.

Being a scholar of religion means studying every kind of religion I can find, at least a little. Being a counselor of humans means understanding the many forms of human experience, finding both what unifies us and what makes each of us unique. Being a priestess to the gods means listening to what They ask of me regardless of bullshit human politics.

This IS my path, and I AM sticking to it. And you know what? If you don't LIKE all that about me, you can FUCK RIGHT OFF.

I am Ember

If you are good to me
I will glow for you
I will warm you
I will light your way

If you fuck with me
I will burn you

--Ember--

* As of August 2012 I've stepped up to Alumni in AMUH, and am thus no longer Little Mother (in training), or the primary Lead Singer. As of March 2013 I am released from AMUH and am thus no longer a member.

( Judgement as performed on March 18th )

--Ember--