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Why I Wear the Pin


The safety pin has come to stand for opposition to the election of Donald Trump to the office of president. I have come across more than one compelling, well-written piece arguing why I should not--or that I should do so only if I meet a certain set of conditions.

Some say that how dare I, a white male, assume to be the safe haven for the oppressed--particularly now when Trump was elevated through an unprecedented surge in white male voters. These writers would posit that guilty white liberals just want some way to feel better, want a way to wave at the other and say, "it wasn't me; I'm with her!" Others would argue, fine, wear it, but know that it is a very specific symbol meant to inform marginalized people that you are there to be a shield in the event of public harassment, harassment that has sharply spiked in the days since the election. These folks would say that I need training in de-escalation techniques, that I should be ready for violence, and that I may bring public abuse on myself simply for wearing the pin.

I'm going to wear it anyway, and here's why:

This is my America, too. The diminution of any one person's--or group's--rights is an attack on my rights. The Constitution applies equally to all or it applies to none. The right I hold most sacred is the right to free speech. This pin is my speech act, my act of proclaiming loudly and clearly for all to see that I do not stand for oppression, hate, discrimination, obfuscation, or bullying.

Yes, I do want to feel better, and I do feel guilty. If all I did was wear a pin and nothing else changed in my life, I would be a hypocrite. I wear the pin to remind myself of a commitment I am making towards the seemingly incompatible goals of loving kindness and righteous defiance. The great agents of change I admire always used the path of non-violent resistance. This pin shall be for me a symbol of just that. This election has been a jolting wake-up call for me, for my values, and for my nation.

Non-violent resistance involves quite specialized training to be successful, and we should all get this training so that when we protest, when we write on the internet, when we talk to relatives and friends, and God forbid, if we find ourselves in the middle of a public act of aggressive hate, either as witness or victim, we will know what to do. We will know how to calmly say and do what, looking back, we wished we had done. We will use self-control, discipline, and the courage that comes from solidly held beliefs that have been hard-earned through open and honest debate, intense introspection, and a humility to the great scholars, sages, and artists past and present.

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