I’m pretty used to protestors of all shapes and sizes all over DC, and usually I think it’s a good thing, even when I don’t agree. But for some reason today really got to me. Maybe it’s because I just read a chapter in my Civil War book about lingering prejudices in the south and how negative attitudes are passed down from generation to generation. I got so sad on the metro seeing parents use their children to push their own opinions.
A little girl was sitting in front of me with a gigantic sign that read “I ♥ MY MOTHER, I ♥ MY FATHER.”
I wanted to engage the little girl in a conversation and make sure she was throughly processing what she was doing. I wanted to say “It is good that you love your mom and dad. So if you had two moms or two dads, wouldn’t you love them just as much?” I wanted to say “So why are you carrying a sign in DC today?” I wanted to say “Do you know what the Supreme Court is, or how it works?” I wanted to say “So there is something other people do that you do not like. Is it hurting you in any way? Is your dislike hurting them in any way?”