“Feminist Peace and Conflict Theory reflects on the
need of visibility of
women in conflicts and has led to a broader
understanding of security
issues. FPCT introduced the interconnectedness
of all forms of violence:
domestic, societal, state based and inter-state
and its gendered
dimension. It critically discussed the collaboration of the
‘Beautiful Soul’”
(Jean Bethke Elshtain, 1987) in the machinery of viol
ence.
It is one thing to stand in the center of your conviction, and to be clear, I always will. It is quite another to allow the actions of others to lure me into the center of pure absurdity. I did that this week. Stepped right into the center of someones personal drama and someone’s fear. Stuck my hand in the burning ring of fire-lit from the match of those conducting the witch hunt. Only I did not see it this way first. For years, I have been dogged by someone who finds what I do “offensive”, threatening and not in line with his own religious and extremist beliefs. Granted he has never confronted me- he does this all from the dark of his basement and his lap top. On a Monday. After giving the Eucharist, on a Sunday. Understandably, his own fear and insecurities are at play. I can accept this. I did well to ignore the hate mongering and personal attacks, even when those attacks came at the worst possible time in my life: the day after my husband committed suicide. This individual even gloated a bit. I said nothing. I did nothing. However, when the very nature of what I do and why I do it, when the attacks on those I work with and the attack on creative and artistic expression started, adnauseum I might add, from a base of ignorance, it pushed me into the vortex of vengeance- “THYSHALLBEMINE!!!” I received threats.
BIGWHITEMEN throwing man-poo. BIGWHITEMEN say BOO!
I got really angry.
Something really interesting happened. Pathetic, actually. I stopped listening to my own voice and starting focusing on the voice of those throwing the poo. Their quiet little voices became louder than the strength of my own voice of reason, the calm of my own wisdom, and the very nature of who I am. In the midst of my wasted time and energy on something and someone that will never evolve, I sat back,rang the bell and left the ring. I wiped off the man-poo, applied a fresh coat of lip gloss, raised my middle finger, and a glass of Chardonnay to surviving the storm of sanctimonious bull shit.