When Seated At The Table; Speak Up or Get Up!

What susan collins did in her endorsement of kavanaugh is what is expected when persons otherwise disenfranchised are seated in positions of prominence, no matter how they got there. Be they seated in the halls of Congress, at the helm of human resource or police departments, on judicial benches or around board room tables across America, to keep these coveted seats, there is an expectation that persons in these positions will tow the majority line, behind the scenes and publicly when is necessary. sue collins spent the whole of Sunday doing the network news circuit hopelessly trying to save face or incredibly trying to justify the unjustifiable...

Members of the majority group parade, as the face of or justification for their malfeasance, that sole token person in their organization from the adversely affected group, for the world to see that there is endorsement of their bad act by at least some members of the disenfranchised or ill affected group. sue collins allowed that she be that lame person...

She became the woman to give the repugs cover for their blatant disrespect of Dr. Ford, herself and all other women. She became the woman to endorse reversal of hard won civil and reproductive rights for all women and minorities alike. She became the pin intended to deflate the ballooning advancement of the #MeToo movement. Hers became the female voice to silence victims of sexual assault or abuse. Her face became the signal that the bad act(s) of the old white men's club to which she belongs, was not that bad because even their "little woman" stands with them. She allowed that hers is the face and voice of other women who agrees with them. There is not enough money... IJS...

At what point do we, the disenfranchised seated at these tables, be they legislative tables, board room tables, tables in human resource or EEO/AA departments, tables of police or judicial appointment or any of the like, at what point do we become complicit in our own oppression when we allow that ours be used as the face to justify the harmful deed or that we become the keeper of the dreadful secret that disenfranchises or otherwise harms the group to which we belong (i.e. disparate pay, discriminatory hiring practices, appointment of bad judges, unjustified arrests or senseless murders of our people)?

What is our level of responsibility when we are seated at these varied tables? Do we sit at the table for ourselves and our personal interests or are we seated at the table in the interest of the group to which we belong? Whatever might be your thinking as to how you arrived to be seated at the table or why you are seated at this table where sometimes damning and often times far reaching decisions are made, is your thinking of your purpose for being seated at that table in line with those who invited you to the table or those with whom you sit at the table? Is your voice welcome and heard at the table? Will your colleagues at least taste the collard greens or try the burrito? Or must you go along to get along and eat the meal as prepared? If so, at what price? Is it worth it?

These are just some of the questions that clog my mind of late. Shame on susan collins and all others who allow themselves to be used in this way...

Do not allow that you are invited to the party but never asked to dance. Demand that when you get to the party that you are asked to dance or conversely be bold and confident enough to ask your peers to dance with you and then dance your ass off!!! Show them some new steps. You are not there to be reserved in your presence, to endorse baby steps on the road of progress or to rubber stamp the same ole' two-step. And if you are, then please get up! Kindly excuse yourself from the dance floor, push your plate away and get up from the table. You do the group to which you belong greater harm and a bigger disservice than those who invited you to the party or who offered you a seat at the table. I understand that it ain't always easy and that we all have different approaches but at some point it is required that one speaks up or gets up! IJS...

What are your critical thoughts? Let's talk about it...