I know better.
I should have turned on the news that morning, but I was too busy (probably) sipping coffee and dancing around in my underwear loving life at an abnormal hour for a person that didn't have to go to work that day.
By the time we got to the National Mall just after lunch, I was absolutely perplexed by the number of people that were on the lawn for a Friday afternoon. It just didn't make any sense... until it did. I squinted to see a sign that one of the men was holding.
"Defund. Planned. Parenthood."
Yep. That's what his sign said. And his, and his, and hers, and hers, too. And oh look, a baby's head on a stick. I had blindly walked into a pro-life rally. If someone held a gun to my head and asked me to describe my worst nightmare; this exact scenario would make the top three list.
I know what you guys are thinking--this must be a joke. Unfortunately, it is not. There are witnesses.
There were so many high school aged kids holding baby loving signs. Perhaps, it's how they felt. But, perhaps they were required to take a field trip with their private school and got handed signs as the exited the bus. I don't care to take the time to figure out why they were there. Honestly, I think that I could have handled the entire situation had I not witnessed what I am about to describe to you.
Two 18-year-old white boys in boot cut jeans whom April would later describe as "couldn't pay someone to take their virginity," stopped and asked a middle-aged woman on a solo walk if she would take their photo. She obliged, and then they busted out their signs from behind their backs.
"Defund. Planned. Parenthood."
"Oh?" The woman said, taken aback by their signs.
"Well, I have to tell you," she started. "I am pro-choice and it has always confused me that men could have such strong feelings about a woman's reproductive system. But, at least you guys are out here standing up for what you believe in." She said as she took the photo.
What a lady, I thought. If that teen had asked me to take his photo that day, I wouldn't have posted this blog today. I would have probably been arrested for a public adult tantrum on the mall/ would have been charged with whatever is associated with shoving someone's iphone up their own ass.
I came home, hours later, still irate about the entire situation. I wrote a very very angry blog post, saved it as a draft and then called my dad to tell him about it. "Nicole," he said. "You have to be more tolerant."
After a lot of thought, I decided that my dad (and the photographer of the two teens) were right. Good for those kids for standing up for what they believed in-- even if it was the polar opposite of what I believe. I deleted the angry blog post and created this one instead.
However, I still believe that there is a lesson to be had here.
How completely out of touch must those two boot cut wearing teens have been to ask a WOMAN to take a photo of them with their signs with such strong opinions about lady parts that they don't even possess? About a place that they will likely never have to go to? About taxes that they don't even pay? About something that they likely do not even fully comprehend?
But then, I started thinking--things like this happen every day. Things like this happen all around us, constantly. People committing acts or saying things not only with a complete disregard for others, but even worse, with not a single ounce of self awareness.
We've all seen these people, heard these people, are forced to interact with them on a daily basis. Those head-in-the-clouds let me tell you all about my life and not ask about yours. Those people that make racially charged comments and assume that everyone around them feels the same. Those people that have (what appears to be) a blatant disregard for everyone around them. You know, those people.
In an effort to not lose your interest based on length of this post, more to come on this topic next Monday. Stay tuned.
Here's to being more tolerant (thanks dad!)
Xoxo,
Nicole <3
