These are interesting times: about 2 emails received today

I've received another couple of emails. One from a member of the military who said he'd been given a direct order and wasn't allowed to attend our peaceful event which is fundamental to our Constitution. He wrote,

This is something I can not protest or even be near. The reason is I am in the military and it is a conflict to want Americans fight for. Actually I was given a direct order that no one in the military is to be in the vicinity of the rally held by the neo-nazi party. Although you should realize that the more one gives them notice is publicity for them and that helps boost their ego.

I don't want to say he doesn't get it, but, he doesn't get it. We're not in the vicinity of the neo-Nazis rally; we're at the other end of the Park. It's big park. Can he not assert his Constitutional rights of assembly and free speech, so long as he's not in uniform, doesn't assert to represent the military, and doesn't espouse hatred? Perhaps we boost their egos by acknowledging their presence, but that is the least of my concerns. As an editorial in today's Virginian Pilot noted, Evil flourishes only when good people do nothing. Do nothing, friends, and see what happens. But I don't plan on doing nothing, because I know what will happen. Evil will flourish.

Of course, I'm wondering how any military member can be against diversity, tolerance, and social justice.

And then, I received a note from the spouse of a mid-grade officer. She gets it.

My husband is an officer in the military. He was just transferred to the west coast; we have 2 kids, and we are staying on this coast for the 2 years of his assignment. Maybe more.

My husband is Samoan. He grew up in Samoa. His parents died when he was 17. He came to the states not knowing how to speak English or use a fork. He thought he could afford college. He tried, but realized that couldn't and enlisted in the military - for the history of it (haha). I was working in Philadelphia when we met and married in 1989. We had two kids and ended up here in Hampton Roads. The reason I'm elaborating is that both he and I have had to deal with all sorts of bigotry. I'm blonde, blue eyes, whiter than white. He has brown eyes, black hair and has the dark Polynesian skin as do both of our kids. We get stared at because we are different colors.

Kids are innocent, but they have no problem asking 'what is your daddy' or 'what is your husband.' Sometimes, I just want to say that he's just a human – like you are. Our kids get categorized as being black, most of the time. Many of their friends are surprised when they see me and ask my kids 'is THAT your mother?" My husband has been called “the brother with the good hair" because is great in sports. He is very dark, but his hair is straight - because he is Polynesian.

I never thought I'd ever had to deal with such an ignorant sort of hatred. My husband has run into a KKK rally and had to run the other way. Because of his advancement in the military, it's automatically assumed and even commented on (even by very good 'friends') that he advanced because of his race - not his merit, which REALLY makes me sick, as he is a hard charger and always has been. He was raised in a poor family in Samoa and grew up with nothing. He's worked for his rank.

We moved to Hampton Roads when our daughter was not even a year old. I remember going to the laundromat with her in her baby carrier. Another old woman was in there and noticed that my daughter was 'dark'. She said 'what is your husband?" I said that he was Polynesian. Her reply was "I feel bad for your daughter because she's not going to be accepted by either race and will be confused when she gets older." Boy was I caught off guard and VERY angry, as I had never had to deal with such prejudice before. I was hurt. I cried and cried. I told her that I was glad that her generation was dying out because there was no room in this world for people with her kind of thinking. I've never forgotten that comment.

Another time, when my daughter was going to preschool, I noticed that another one of the moms was staring at me, then my daughter. Back and forth, back and forth. She finally got up the nerve to ask me what company I had adopted my kids through! I was flabbergasted. I told her that they were MINE and that I had the scars and gray hair to prove it. She was embarrassed, but I still think it was rude to assume they weren't mine because they looked a little different than I do...

ANYWAY, my husband is away right now. He may be home by the 25th. I'd LOVE to come to the rally. Our daughter will be in Australia and New Zealand at the time, but I think it would be a good learning experience for our son.

When I speak to my husband, I will run it buy him. If he'd like to volunteer, I'll let you know...

Thank you so much for your labor. It is appreciated and necessary.

Friends, I hope you get it. And I hope you join us in supporting diversity, tolerance, social justice, and non-violence. Stand and be counted. Show everyone that our community will not do nothing.