---John F. Kennedy
Sometimes it is difficult to believe that I am living in the 21st century. When I think of the protests of the fifties and sixties, it is hard to imagine that we have come so far only to fall so far behind. John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. all followed the example of Abraham Lincoln and fought for a country that saw every person as equal. Like Lincoln, they all died so we could enjoy this equality. WHAT HAPPENED? I realize that not everyone will think like I do, but how can the governor of Mississippi be representing an entire state of people who believe they can deny services to people because of their partner choice? I refuse to believe that the majority of people in that state agree with him, so how did they let this happen?
How did the people of North Carolina pass HB2...a homophobic, transphobic law that somehow gets around the ruling that a conservative leaning Supreme Court saw the importance of making. I am well aware that there will always be people who are bigoted and fearful of anyone who is different than they are, but where are the Abrahams, Martins and Johns who will speak up even if it is against the conventional wisdom of their party or against the wishes of the lobbyists who support them?
JFK's explanation of tolerance explains that you don't have to give up your beliefs in order to respect others' beliefs. Our country was founded on the belief that everyone should have the freedom to worship how they want, to live how they want and to love how they want. It is hypocritical to be "cafeteria" or situational followers of our forefathers' ideas. We shouldn't reinterpret what they so eloquently presented to us. We need to be represented by leaders who will stand up for our rights.
I am thrilled to see the youth of today getting on the bandwagon for their candidates. Both Sanders and Trump seemingly represent a change from politics as usual, and the young people are telling us that they are tired of the usual. Great! Go for it! Do all you can to get your candidate the nomination! However, if he is not the person who becomes your parties choice, DO NOT take your ball and run home. You need to carefully research the two people who will eventually be running for the highest office in the land and then vote your conscience. Understand that deciding not to vote to prove a point only proves that you don't understand the possible repercussions. We can't always have exactly what we want, but we live in a country that allows us to vote against things that go against our moral code. There are two sides to every issue...pick the person that is as close to your agenda as possible and help him/her get elected. Then make sure your voices are heard and do all you can to keep that person honest.
Since the news this week was far from entertaining for me, I want to thank two of my favorite authors for stepping in and making my week. Harlan Coben's latest thriller, Fool Me Once, left me breathless as I tried to understand that which made no sense. His ability to grab his readers' attention on page one and never let up makes it clear why he is one of the best authors of our time.
Allison Leotta's newest book, The Last Good Girl, is not a book to take lightly. While her books are generally easy to read, her subject matter can often cause sleepless nights. This book delves into the way colleges handle rape cases and is guaranteed to cause any parent of a daughter sleepless nights. I am already looking forward to the next book in her series featuring Anna Curtis as a prosecutor who never gives up her fight for justice.
As always, complete reviews of these books follow this blog.
Happy reading,
- Beverly