Its why I added my 4 points of clarity. I'm 36, my view poibt is about 20 years old but frankly its still valid. I had a safe school where we COULD discuss things like bisexuality, homosexuality, gender identity and religion and NOT have a closed one mind worldview.

At one point I discussed the duality of life and dewth, of being a weapon and defender, of happiness mirroring depression, that all are as capable of great love and great hate in equal depths and all it took was the mirror we call our Soul to reflect that. I wasn't laughed at. I shocked my class speechless because it mirrored my depression. My view skewed by it and body shame I felt for years. Rage at being bullied and having to fight for myself because the school was rendered impotent to protect me. Finally, they saw suffering. And they cared. I didnt have to hide when in high school, because we just wanted to be ourselves, maybe find some illegal booze, and drink in the woods and occasionally bang while fibbing at being with someone else. We had fun and learned to grow up on our terms.

Hell, my valedictorian got a full ride to Harvard. I played soccer with him. Genuinely one of the most driven kids I knew. Another guy two years my senior in my language class (Japanese) got a full athletic to Michigan as a linebacker. Another dude I got into shit with my freshman year with was my friend by sophmore year and cried because he worked his ass off and finally found out he graduated, being just shy of failing. We celebrated our victories...we mourned our losses...and that feeling was we all gave a fuck about everyones viewpoint. Those views are being threatened. Those voices slowly silenced.

I think of Johnathan Young and Caleb Hyle's song 'Land of Broken Dreams' thinking of it from then and now. Slowly, we are being made sick, dumb, full of fright. I'm tired of being scared for the future. I'm angry enough to want to wrest it back. By political means if able, by force if necessary. My kids deserve better than this.