XXI - Much Better - I Have Freedom of Speech

 

I HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, but DOES SHE HAVE the RIGHT to BREATHE?!

The laws give me a lot of rights, but

-        The impacts of how I use those rights

Can vary greatly

I can speak out for someone else

“You know, I think you hurt her feelings,

Though

You might have meant well in what you said”

and/or

“I think you girls really did a great job tonite!”

Spoken by a woman among other women

Might be totally fine

But

If I, a Man said those same words,

One or more of my friends

Might say:

“You have some nerve,

Calling us ‘girls’!”

(whether to my face,

Or -

Once I left the room)

I have a perfect right

To put some of my feelings out,

Even my truths

“He showed how deep

His heart is,

His empathy,

His Caring

Was Very Clear to me”

When - Am I Curious

and Concerned

Listening,

Really Listening?

When I do that,

and

I do, a few times, err

You,

Or a Friend

Or Ally

Can bridge the gap

Bringing us Together

When I listen

Really Listen

I can learn - a lot

Whether it’s “knowledge”

or

a piece of your spirit

The wonder

That You Really are Deeply In

Freedom of Speech

Can Provide

A Lot of Growth

for Me

It can Also

Help Me

Love Myself

and/or - You

-

A Diversion:

Two Young Men

Entered the Train to the Airport

One - accompanied the Other

The Other -

in Loud Voice

Spat Out

A Litany of Profane Language

-        It was

Amongst (near) - Us Men

But

In Was Clearly - Too Close

Literally and Figuratively

to

Two or More - Women

Who are not Dogs,

Nor Farm/Yard Implements

Used to gather hay - or similar

The Aggressiveness

The Words

Were

an Example

of - “Freedom of Speech”

I can not know

The Impact -

This Micro-Aggression

Strongly Gender Based

Stressing - How Victimized

Our Aggressor

Was

(in his mind)

Not

By the Individual Women

in the Train Car

But By ALL - “of them”

(in his apparent pain)

I have been - “assaulted”

at Gunpoint

Twice

Though Never

Physically Touched - (then)

I Do NOT

However

Face

The Life Experience

of Repeated

Extreme Expression

Of Words  - Very Strong

Words

That Feel Threatening

Unkind to my Soul

But - aren’t threats “really”

to My Body

There aren’t

Figurative

Gut Punches

That Don’t Attack

My Actual Gut

I Am white

I Am male

I Am upper-middle class

I Am in Relatively Good Health

I Am Cis - Straightish

Who is “SHE”?

Has She Faced

“freedom of speech”

That belittles Her

In multiple ways

Frequently

“Y’er Cute”

“Would You like to Come Home With Me?!”

Is she whistled at, frequently?

and

That May be Besides

All

The Unwanted Touches

Can She Breathe?

Is She Able

to Live

a Life

of a Normalcy

That Isn’t - with an “*”

*“Yes, but…”

-

I Can’t Know

More Than Snippets

Of What It is like to be:

Female

Black

Gay/Lesbian/Queer

Gender-Fluid/Trans

Differently Able

In Constant - Physical or Emotional Pain

A Survivor of Abuse

-

Is My Freedom of Speech

A Freedom to

Be Silent

To Oppressions?

To “Not Know”

or

to Not - Choose to See

or Not - Get Involved????

What is Freedom of Speech?

Does it Matter - Who it refers to?

Does the Impact Matter -

Upon the Other or Others?

Is “Responsibility” the Key Word?

or

Is a “sorry” - ok - then or Later?

I Have Freedom of Speech!

Or Do I?

Can you or they - Breathe?

-

I Can’t Say for Sure-

but

I Have to

Make Choices

and

I choose -

My Actively

or Passively

Being -

Or seeming to Be

Who I am

Or

Who I really Want to be!

I Don’t Know,

But I do Try

And

I hope you do - Also!