People call me Wendy Darling. I am a special needs fat person, and I am a non-violent activist. I am also a woman from Texas. I was born here, in a small town. Into a family and community that will never really be able to understand me. Our lives are so different, we don’t enjoy the same activities or music or…much of anything. That doesn’t mean I don’t love my family, or that I can’t have compassion for my fellow man. It’s just difficult to be around each other sometimes because of our lack of understanding of each others’ ways. I wish we were able to forgive each other for our differences sometimes and just agree to disagree without making each other feel like pariahs for having an opposing viewpoint. I’m willing to admit my own failure in this area.
These days, no matter what your political views, or lack thereof, everybody complains about how corrupt the government is in some way or another. I hear the Constitution, and the rules argued back and forth by all sides on every issue. Well, what I viewed with over 100,000 other people via the live-stream of the Texas Senate special session this past Tuesday – Wednesday morning was a group of underdogs, who came prepared, and banded together to represent the people who elected them. I do not represent the Democratic party, but I watched them doing their JOBS, and the people who came to offer their support cheering them on. These Texas Senators played hard, but they played by the rules, and they WON fair and square.
From their opposing side, I saw a man take advantage of a woman’s absence due to the funeral of her father to sneak in and try to steal the floor away, and throw out the rulebooks completely. I saw men with friends in high places try to cheat the system.
I don’t care what you believe regarding this bill. We live in the United States of America, where we have a bunch of annoying, boring rules set in place to which our elected officials must follow while representing their constituents to the best of their ability. We have to trust them to do what they say they’ll do.
Well those Democratic Texas State Senators followed rules, and they had the blessing of the people.
Don’t believe what Rick Perry says. He is a slick snake, and a liar that doesn’t care WHAT happens to Texas women or babies. Perry and his camp use fear tactic words like “unruly mob” and “terrorists” to describe aunts, mothers, sisters, friends, brothers, husbands, grandmothers, wives, sons and daughters. He doesn’t care if this bill passes or not. What he cares about is doing whatever it takes to keep his wallet full. He is a laughingstock, and he an embarrassment. He makes Texas look stupid and ignorant to the rest of the ENTIRE WORLD. They laugh at us for continuing to elect such a moron. That saddens me because I LOVE TEXAS.
I want Texas to be the place I can be proud to call mine. The place they taught us about in elementary school. The Texas written about in the lyrics of our state song. Texas, our Texas. The state with that unforgettable shape. The Lone Star on the flag that is the only state flag allowed to fly at the same height as the United States flag. The state that has beaches, and prairies and mountains and coastal plains. My favorite land in the U.S.A. Where my spirit knows it is home.
I choose my battles carefully. I have to because as a disabled woman, I fight a daily internal fight against multiple illnesses that rob me of my energy and ability to live pain-free. I can’t sit idlely by while these gladiators go back into the lion’s den. I must go and offer my presence, and possibly my voice to honor their loyalty to the task put before them. If they have to go back and do battle against this same bill, I want to be one of the people there to give them the courage to push forward. I want to witness what will surely be a great struggle for truth, justice, and the American way.
I started writing this several hours ago, and now I get to my point. There are people fighting all over this land and the world for their rights against governments that have completely turned on them. Now, I have seen with my eyes, time after time, the government in my own backyard acting directly against the people. DIRECTLY AGAINST WOMEN.
I am sending out a humble plea.
Join us at the Texas State Capitol on July 1st to hold witness this special session. Come out from every corner of Texas and stand up and be counted. If you are an ally of freedom anywhere on this country, drop what you are doing and get here. We need you. We need your presence. We need your strength.
As you stand with us on behalf of Texas women, you stand symbolically against whatever injustices are happening in your own neighborhood and around the world. The people united can never be divided.
If positive change can happen in Texas, it can happen anywhere.
In the event I am arrested on July 1st, or something else happens to me, I would like for my family and friends and the rest of the world to know.
Texas Civil Rights Review 