Speak out!

It Makes a Difference

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

                                                   Jane Goodall

We had a letter-writing party at my house on Saturday. It was a church Social Action sort of thing, but with food, because that's how you get people to show up. We wrote letters to our elected representatives, state and national, to tell them how we feel about things. Since we fall into that blighted category of “liberal,” or as we like to say, “progressive,” no one in either delegation will likely receive our suggestions kindly. After all, Alabama is probably the least progressive state in the lower forty-eight, except of course for South Carolina and Mississippi. It's hard to take a position when you know it's going nowhere, and even harder to sit by and watch the things you care about go down the drain. So we write letters.

Most people, who do not consider themselves corporations, feel what they think or do makes no difference at all in the great scheme of things unless it's backed up by money to grease the wheels of change. We need to do it anyway. We need to write letters and call switchboards and leave messages until we feel satisfied that we have done what we can. Not for the edification of an elected leader, but to feel within ourselves that what we do makes a difference. I know it's cliché, but I do believe in being the difference you want to see. Don't give up—just do it.

This week, for instance, the Boy Scouts will make the decision as to whether to allow gay and lesbian leaders—that's important. When my sons were scouts, there were boys in their troops who later came out of the closet. No one cared. Those boys did everything other scouts did, no more no less. Now there is a whole generation of children growing up with gay and lesbian parents. Are we going to shut them out of organizations they want to be part of just because of their parents' orientation? How is that different from racial prejudice? If you care about such things, let the leaders of the Boy Scouts know.

Everyone who is frustrated to death with inactivity on the part of leaders, instead of throwing up your hands and quitting, let them know how you feel. They may not listen, but at least you will have done what you can. You'll feel better about yourself. We need to speak up and speak out, people. Being the silent majority—or minority—is not growing corn for us.

Now, I feel purged! See how that works! You can do it too. Ms. Goodall is right: “It makes a difference what you do, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

                                           In the spirit,

                                              Jane