Ying

“And this is a small point by comparison, but why do Republicans persist in substituting "Democrat," with its "rat" ending, when "Democratic" would be correct? Because they want us to know, in every word they speak, how much they hold us in contempt. In my lifetime, the Republicans have never accepted a Democratic president as legitimate, no matter how many people vote for him [or her.])”
― Karen Joy Fowler, Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times

“The other day, I told you our family motto was "Be kind, be curious, be helpful." Kindness and helpfulness you understood right away. Then you asked, "Why is curious in there?" Because being curious is admitting that you don't know, but also that you want to know. That what you don't know, is worth knowing. That people you don't know are worth knowing, that they have something to teach you. That learning about them - that encountering new ideas - doesn't threaten you, it enriches you. That what you haven't experienced is worth experiencing. That you approach the world as a trove of things to take in, rather than things you frantically, fearfully wall out. "Be kind, be curious, be helpful:" what that really means is, "stay open.”
― Celeste Ng, Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times

“You who came of age in the past decade have had eight years of a Black U.S. president, and that gloss looked good, and there were even a few inches gained on some issues such as health care, and maybe that can cause a person to relax a bit. But think of how exponentially drone attacks increased under Obama, how many Black people were shot by police under Obama, because the violence is systemic. How many of the people now hearteningly pledging to sign up for a Muslim registry signed up for a Black Lives Matter or protested the discriminatory immigration program NSEERS? The National Security Entry-Exit Registration System subjected my students from the Middle East to hours of interrogation and intimidation every time they reentered after going home to visit their families, arbitrarily barred tons of innocent people from entry, and was ineffective against terrorism anyway. It's systemic injustice we are after changing, and we should not ever be lulled.”
― Mohja Kahf, Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times

“And here's one reminder: avoid filling your life with "nice" people who find racism invisible or who second-guess your every instinct on it while indulging in liberal hand-wringing, because eventually, this will drain your inner resources. Seek out people who are "woke" - tel me if I just used a hip word correctly?”
― Mohja Kahf, Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times