Friday Free Form

ROAR!

I needed to say that right off. Let me repeat it too,… ROAR!

Yes I’m fulfilling my promise to you. 

As the now previous month dawned, in “Lion or Lamb?”, I shared as the old saying goes, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”. I had been sharing about a rough February personally and my efforts to march forward from the “Depths of Dormancy”. 

“So for me I’m admittedly a bit more sheepish as this month begins, however I plan to be roaring when we next flip the calendar page.”

And I am. No foolin’, I am roaring into this cycle of our shared path.

Promise kept and better for it, the question remains

‘Now, what will she say?’

On this Free Form Friday,

edition of “Becoming Today”…

As we just wrapped up Women’s History Month, I’d like to submit this for your consideration:

Did you know? The 15 states that never ratified the Equal Rights Amendment are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia.

Did you also know? Today those same states have been busy seeking to pass apparently preemptive laws even before the proposed Equality Act has been heard. 

Plus the number of states considering legislation to prohibit legal protections for specific groups of individuals has grown also including Idaho, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

As of mid-March just two and a half months into this year, more than 150 laws have been formally proposed to impose restrictions upon persons based upon their gender or sexual orientation. 

I guess the following words are to be relegated to the annals of history, just something old, no longer relevant, no sense in even teaching them anymore because observing the intentions of these new laws, the implicit meaning of an oft quoted paragraph apparently is now counter to the beliefs of the nation?

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

It’s also interesting that those proposing the new restrictive measures that do not seek to promote the general welfare of all individuals, nor do they foster an atmosphere of domestic tranquility are also violating their oaths of office.

In the solemn vow they swear to those they seek to represent every state requires the elected representatives to affirm, the following with some minor grammatical variations:

“I, _____, do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the State of _______, and all local ordinances, and that I will faithfully and impartially perform and discharge the duties of the office of _____, according to the law and the best of my ability.”

Those 52 words beginning with “We the People”, quoted above are the “Preamble”, the opening paragraph, the foundation of the United States Constitution. 

If in fact today’s elected officials can not even honor the first paragraph, as they attest to,““I, _____, do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will support the Constitution of the United States…”; then how can we believe they will support the rest or even have knowledge of what it means?  

Perhaps we also need to consider rewriting the following partially quoted line:

“one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

The us-them mentality of government is certainly divisive and the rush to restrict individual rights coupled with a support for unequal justice certainly disprove it. 

So for all those who break their promise and violate the laws of the land in proposing such measures perhaps the pledge should be altered as such:

“One nation under God divided, segregated into micro-minorities, with liberty for a limited few and justice? Well it is just a word, something you say, not something that is meant to be.”

I have tears in my eyes as I type this, as I continue to pray we can awaken and see the losses, a lack of leadership is creating for us all. 

If it’s okay to do this to “them”, what about when “they” decide, this other “them” is equally egregious?

Then they’ll be yet another “them” after that and when you become one of the “them” who will be left to stand up for you?

As for those seeking religious exemptions to allow discrimination and those who believe restrictions should be imposed on others who do not share their beliefs, please remember these words:

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

If you don’t know who said them, then that may be the first issue you need to address for yourself.

This month we’ll celebrate another concept of importance. Beginning today and continuing throughout all of April we will be “Celebrating Resurrection Month”

As far as I know I am the only one declaring this, but I truly feel we need more than just Easter or even Easter week to focus on the truth. The story of love, sacrifice, redemption and our Salvation.

As we did with “Women’s History Month” and continue to do with our year long goal to “Resurrect Positivity”, each day you’ll find a reference to “Celebrating Resurrection Month”

Each of these will be a relevant scripture for your consideration, contemplation, meditation, reflection and sharing. Beginning with this one:

April showers bring May flowers. That’s the old adage Grandma used to repeat. While I’ve already sowed my seeds, literally (new plants and flowers started inside and outside) and continue to figuratively, cultivate blossoming where I am planted, I offer for you a “Ronotation” version of the timeless wisdom:

I pray April showers you with Abundance, Beauty, Inspiration, Knowledge and Wisdom. May it bring you Calm, Joy, Love, Peace and yes even flowers too.

It’s been another busy week here, so when you decide to stop by tomorrow we’ll look back at the week that was here, on our next edition of “Becoming Today”.