I am a straight, white woman in a long-term monogamous heterosexual relationship (to be precise, I’m actually the hue of an underdone biscuit, except in the summer, when I’m lightly toasted). It would be hubris for me to assume I could “get” the lived experience of persons who face challenges I do not share. And it would be inhumane of me to choose personal comfort over living as a neighbor in our global community. It would be an act of violence for me to go the polls and simply vote for myself, instead of voting for my community.
 
We vote singly, but we always vote with repercussions that reach far beyond our small orbit. Thus, one purpose for our Banned Book Speakeasy: we read books which tell the stories that expand our understanding of and deepen our empathy for persons whose life experience differ from our own.
 
Our current banned book read is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. As a child, I was told to find a police officer if I needed help. The protagonist in The Hate U Give received very different instructions about the police from her parents, because she is a Black girl. I was married in a church as a member of the ministerial staff with a large congregation giving full support. One character in The Perks of Being a Wallflower was beaten for loving another boy; and that boy could not find his way out of the closet. I grew up in a world that allowed me to experience sexual intimacy when I chose. Maya Angelou was raped at age eight: an experience she recounts with pain and poetry in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
 
This Soul & Solace is a plea for us to stand up for the freedom of each person to speak/draw/sing/write/read their truth, and against the efforts of those, who already have far more than most, to rob others of their voice, their vote, and their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We may not share the life experiences of everyone in our community, but we make every effort to stand in their shoes by reading and listening to their words; by praying for their freedom; by casting a vote, not for ourselves alone, but for our community. Our next Banned Book Speakeasy is September 1, from 2 until 3:30 p.m. We hope you’ll join us!
 
What books have expanded your understanding of others? How do you feel about book burning? About selecting how to vote? Share your thoughts at contact@aspaciousplace.com.