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We toss the first pebble in the pond at dawn, Dec.7th
Dec
Literati
I have been waiting for the moment to begin posting the many entries we have received for our campaign-disguised-as-a-contest, The Drinking Fountain.
That moment arrives at dawn, December 7th.
Many of the entries are horror stories, some are expressions of indignation and dismay.
But I do want to set the tone for entries not yet submitted. We don’t want to preach to the choir, thump our chests or rattle our terrible swift swords. We do want your entries, in the form of personal narrative, essay or poetry to be your honest response to our prompt.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was both scorned and loved for a bold move as chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee established by Nelson Mandela: he gave a blanket pardon to even the most vile offenders of human rights in South Africa. Many think he short- circuited the criminal justice system, when his only stipulation was that the accused tell their stories. When public resentment sloughed away, what followed was catharsis, and, coincidentally, the inspiration resulted in Archbishop Tutu receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. His words:
“When I talk of forgiveness, I mean the belief that you can come out the other side a better person. A better person than the one being consumed by anger and hatred. Remaining in that state locks you in a state of victimhood, making you almost dependent on the perpetrator. If you can find it in yourself to forgive then you are no longer chained to the perpetrator. You can move on, and you can even help the perpetrator to become a better person, too.”
Let’s come out better people when the contest ends on March 7th, another day that will live in infamy–the anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. How far have we come? Here is your chance to tell us.
Be among those to toss a pebble in the pond; the reach of the ripples is infinite. Here again are contest details:
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2017/11/10/the-drinking-fountain-healing-history/
Please help us. We are understaffed, and don’t even rate underpaid! All volunteers. Post this on the discussion board of Craigslist in your city, and share it with three writers’ groups in your state. thanks from
Thorn, Morgan, Stefanie, Tiffany, Christina . Hope we get YOUR entry soon!
Pleased that Jon Tobias has volunteered to help spread the word, and we got a great assist from Gailee Walker Wells. Email me if you can volunteer 2 to 4 hours a week for the next few months! thorn@awordwithyoupress.com
Fire the courage within to bring your words to view of injustices too long not addressed. My predecessors were born in & grew up in a county where in the presidential, general election of 1968 George Wallace received 6 votes for every one that Hubert Humphrey received & 2 votes for every one that Richard Nixon received. Try to imagine what the costs would have been had Wallace won the presidency. Well, today in 2017, with less than a week to go, Judge Roy Moore may well win a US Senate seat from Wallace’s Alabama. He is endorsed formally by the US POTUS which sickens me. History is not just the past insults of bigotry, but still present today both in citizens and elected officals which is why this contest’s entries matter now.
Hi Thorn!
Do you accept personal photos with submissions?
Thanks,
Sunny
yup!
Beautiful, thank you!
Have a nice night,
Sunny
Tonight, by a narrow margin of approximately 1.5%, the good people of Alabama have voted for an inclusive candidate for the US Senate over an elected judge who has espoused racism, bigotry, discrimination, an arrogance against Federal rule of law and is being currently being accused of pedophilia, attempted rape and having been a sexual predator in the past. I am encouraged by this victory in a normally very red state, but in considering the closeness of the vote and the shaming levelled at Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today by the POTUS, I know that “The Drinking Fountain” remains relevant and a necessary cry for a better decency.