Fumbling Towards Justice
Dear friends,
It's now one week out from my sentencing. I have come to learn that folks are having the full scope of emotions and reactions in response to my sentencing. And that's OK... really!
Grief, joy, anger, hope, sadness, love... are all part of the human experience and it is natural and necessary for that to play out in movement spaces as well. I am not surprised to see our movement grappling with differences of tactics and biases because that too is natural and played out across all struggles for justice and liberation.
But! I also must impress that it is vital to organize beyond our discomfort and that means finding common ground with a broad spectrum of people. We need a diverse and intergenerational movement "large enough to combat the forces that are set out to destroy us." We are not each others enemies. Those who protect, facilitate and fund the murder of preborn people deserve that energy.
A well-meaning person once called me a "pragmatic hippie" and after laughing I gave that label serious thought. We have to be pragmatic in working "despite and through our differences." How do we do this?
In chapter 9 of the book Let This Radicalize You, MK explores this by asking, "When people delve into activism, they often grapple with questions like, 'Am I willing to get arrested?' When often a more pressing question for a new activist is, 'Am I willing to listen, even when it's hard?"
Meeting people where they are at with empathy, even with people who do not fully understand your identity or experiences, is how we can create movements instead of clubhouses. Allowing room for imperfections and questions can help build trust even when we don't understand each other's actions.
Yes, this is hard. But as MK asserts when people grapple with their differences long enough we can develop mutual respect and understanding. That is my hope for the future of our movement as we fumble our way towards justice.
Our Liberation is Bound Together,
Lauren Handy
Written one week after being sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for non-violent pro-life protest