Let’s Be Better
I live near Highway 2 in Leavenworth, a trans-Cascade highway that connects the greater Seattle area with rural Eastern Washington.
On Monday afternoon, I started hearing a lot of honking going on near the highway. It went on for hours. It didn’t sound serious or traffic-related; it was the friendly kind of honking, the short little “bee-beep!” kind. Assuming it was a Memorial Day-related inspirational display, I walked over to see what the hubbub was about.
Decked out head-to-toe in red, white, blue, sequins (yes, sequins), and Make America Great Again baseball caps, a white-haired couple stood waving at cars, holding two signs:
#FREEDOM
TRUMP PENCE 2020
I shuffled back home, considering the implication of their message.
Freedom for who? Freedom from what?
Look, I think about freedom a lot. I talk about it. I write about it. I teach about it.
I teach about fighting for freedom with food and your body, and about taking advantage of the beautiful, wild public lands in our free country.
But if you’re anything like me, recent events in this country around human rights have made you question your beliefs and assumptions about freedom more than ever before.
I want to be a better human. Here are some resources I’ve found helpful.
Food and Body Image
Christy Harrison’s book Anti-Diet and podcast Food Psych calls out the white supremacy and oppression that are intimately woven into diet culture.
“[Diet culture] is sexist, racist, and classist, yet this way of thinking about food and bodies is so embedded in the fabric of our society that it can be hard to recognize.”
Hiking and Outdoor Recreation
Danielle Williams’ article How to Be An Ally in the Outdoors points out that, “There’s no way to individually opt out [from a racist system of power] without dismantling the entire system.”
On Instagram, Bam Mendiola and Jenny Bruso’s Unlikely Hikers give voices and representation to everyone who belongs in the wilderness, not just those living what Jenny calls the “outdoor fantasy.”
Also, #57 and #61 in the article below offer important reminders about our public lands.
Community Involvement and Personal Growth
“How can I help?” Corrine Shutack’s article 75 Things White People Can Do… provides a plethora of answers to the question so many of us are asking.
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Let’s be loving. Let’s be better.
Caroline