Depleted

Anyone else feeling depleted this election year? I know even some of my more politically-astute friends are ready to keel over with exhaustion, and who can blame them? Tribalism, especially for people trying to avert it, is exhausting. It's all too easy to fall into a camp, pelting the "other" with abuses. Walking a middle way, now that's tough.  And because it isn't easy, sometimes I am guilty too of "othering" people I don't agree with on certain things. Election year, I am so very very over you.  For the first time in a long time I'm contemplating "unplugging" from social media for a while.  I could really do without another oh-so-original political meme. What about you?

Also, it's been a time since I've visited my theme of the year: celebrate. It's true I haven't blogged about it much lately, but it has very much been working its way into my consciousness over the summer.  And, dare I say it? I actually feel I am getting better at becoming the celebrating me. And with elections coming up, and the accompanying opinion fatigue, I might just celebrate the upcoming months by unplugging and focusing on things that bring me joy. I am learning that my favorite way of celebrating is becoming more plugged in and engaged in the area I am living.

"Turn off the TV. Live your life."

This is a magnet at a friend's house. Lovely, no?

 



Plugged into the beach. When you're camping, engaging with an area is unavoidable.

 

Celebrating scenes from our hometown:

Why I'm embarrassed to be an Arizonan

In Two Cheers for Democracy English novelist E.M. Forster wrote, "I hate the idea of causes, and if I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country." Madeleine L'Engle, in A Circle of Quiet, wrote this of Forster's statement, "This is a statement no good Communist should accept; a Communist will--or should-betray any friend, parent, child, for the party. When we choose a generality, an idea, a cause, instead of a person, when this becomes the accepted, the required thing to do, then it doesn't matter if villages are destroyed by bombs; traffic deaths become statistics; starving babies can be forgotten when the television is turned off..."

I usually reserve my political musings/rantings for my other blog, Weighed in the Balance, but this issue is more than political for me. This is a family issue and so it has won a place on our blog. Because I served my mission in Southern California and taught mostly Mexicans and many illegal immigrants about the gospel of Jesus Christ, they won an honorary place as members of my very own family. In short, I'm embarrassed by SB 1070. While I recognize that it is a reactionary, yet erroneous, gesture expressing frustration to the Feds (who constitutionally possess the right to determine immigration laws, unlike states), I am angry at the implication for racial profiling that will undoubtedly be a result of this bill. I've seen and heard a lot of racism against Mexicans, or people who" look" Mexican, this bill only promises to exacerbate that racism.

This is us in April with one of our honorary family members, Guillermo*. I taught him before and after his baptism, and we've been in steady contact since that time (3 years). He is an illegal immigrant. Despite the assumption many have that this makes him a depraved criminal, Guillermo is a hard worker and an extremely dedicated church member. He wants more than anything to be a U.S. citizen and wishes he could pay taxes.
Guillermo recently visited us, much to our delight, when he traveled to Salt Lake for General Conference. We took him out to dinner,where we were able to chat. Guillermo is struggling to learn English, though it is difficult due to his demanding work and church schedule, and so we spoke mostly in Spanish. Occasionally he would break off and try to ask Derrick questions in English. Afterwards, we drove him to his friends' house where he was staying. We were almost to the house when our daughter started getting fussy in the backseat. Guillermo held her hand, trying to comfort her and kept whispering "Shh...shhh", which I thought was so sweet and adorable.

What I want more than anything is immigration reform that gives Guillermo a chance to achieve his dreams. Coming from a poor family living in a rural area of Mexico, Guillermo never had a fair chance to immigrate to the U.S. legally, our current immigration system being elitist and aristocratic. I wish this could change. In the meantime, I strongly oppose SB 1070 as a racist piece of legislation that treats everyone in Arizona with brown skin as a potential criminal and threat.

*name has been changed to protect Guillermo's identity/privacy.