Last night, inspired by a friend's invitation to today's One Billion Rising event in my town, I watched some of the videos, and listened to the anthem, Break the Chain. I watched the short film that has been available for the last half a year, and I watched the one that was made for Indonesia. In the films, there are images of women experiencing violence. These are dramatizations of actual horrifying events that happen to real people, mostly to women and children, every day. They are not even as long or as graphic as the the same events we see dramatized in movies (for our entertainment, ugh!), but they are more difficult to watch. The film then goes on to show us these same women, opening their eyes and rising. Rising out of these miserable events and Getting Out, and dancing. Yes, dancing.
This is a world-wide event, organized to connect people everywhere in an effort to raise the level of effort being directed at ending violence against women. People all over the world have organized a dance. A global flash mob.
I am 51 years old, and there is a well-honed cynical portion of my mind that sees the website and the thirty-second celebrity videos and the t-shirts and the dance videos and the Concept and says:
What Good Will It Do?
In my life, I have been raped, harassed, pimped, abandoned pregnant, neglected, exploited in the workplace, and ridiculed because I am female. The horror in that statement comes from the fact that my life has been pretty average.
Most of that is not happening for me anymore... I have risen. I rose out of oppression with the help and love of many people who decided to create safety and love for people in their lives. I used to spend a lot of energy working to end sexism and empower women. But lately, I haven't had the same sense of urgency.
this is my body
my body's holy
I am a feminist. I minored in Women Studies. I marched in Take Back the Night marches. I have stood up and spoken out. I have taken risks. But I have become lazy and cynical and invested in my own comfort. I do everything I can to make my life comfortable. And then I throw some leftover crumbs to "people in need" in the form of an occasional check to a non-profit organization. That is what I do to work towards the elimination of oppression these days.
Well, not really. I also work very hard to raise my children to recognize oppressions and to be allies to the oppressed and to just generally be loving and kind. I work very hard to change myself into the kind of person I want them to be, knowing that they will learn what I do much more deeply than they learn what I say to them. So, yes, I do put some real effort into changing this world. On the home front.
Meanwhile, women and children all over this world are being raped and beaten and living in slavery.
Meanwhile, women and children all over this world - in MY community, in MY town, here in my "free" country - are being treated like possessions, like things.
One in three women is raped in her lifetime.
Even during those amazing moments
when I am fully aware
of how precious and rare
is my experience
of real safety and love.
But here's the thing:
IT IS NOT A PRIVILEGE.
SAFETY AND LOVE
are BIRTHRIGHTS
of every human being.
Every person is inherently entitled to be safe, to love, and to be loved.
This is my most deeply held belief. This is the bottom line underneath every statement of belief I have ever spoken.
So, today, at 5:30, I will meet the people in Morgantown who are rising and dancing to end violence against women. I will be dancing for SAFETY. I will be dancing for LOVE.
And if the only thing that comes out of this day of women and men and children attempting to bring awareness to their communities that the chains must be broken is that a significant number of young women take this song to heart... then I have hope that someday we will live in a world where every one experiences real safety, and real love.
I will be teaching my children this song.
Break the Chain by Tena Clark
Music by Tena Clark/Tim Heintz
Intro- I raise my arms to the sky
On my knees I pray
I’m not afraid anymore
I will walk through that door
Walk, dance, rise
Walk, dance, rise
I can see a world where we all live
Safe and free from all oppression
No more rape or incest, or abuse
Women are not a possession
You’ve never owned me, don’t even know me I’m not invisible, I’m simply wonderful I feel my heart for the first time racing I feel alive, I feel so amazing
I dance cause I love
Dance cause I dream
Dance cause I’ve had enough
Dance to stop the screams
Dance to break the rules
Dance to stop the pain
Dance to turn it upside down
Its time to break the chain, oh yeah
Break the Chain
Dance, rise
Dance, rise
In the middle of this madness, we will stand I know there is a better world Take your sisters & your brothers by the hand Reach out to every woman & girl
This is my body, my body’s holy
No more excuses, no more abuses
We are mothers, we are teachers,
We are beautiful, beautiful creatures
I dance cause I love
Dance cause I dream
Dance cause I’ve had enough
Dance to stop the screams
Dance to break the rules
Dance to stop the pain
Dance to turn it upside down
It’s time to break the chain, oh yeah
Break the Chain, oh yeah
Break the Chain
Dance Break Inst.
Dance, rise
Dance, rise
Sister won’t you help me, sister won’t you rise x4
Dance, rise
Dance, rise
Sister won’t you help me, sister won’t you rise x4
This is my body, my body’s holy
No more excuses, no more abuses
We are mothers, we are teachers,
We are beautiful, beautiful creatures
I dance cause I love
Dance cause I dream
Dance cause I’ve had enough
Dance to stop the screams
Dance to break the rules
Dance to stop the pain
Dance to turn it upside down
Its time to break the chain, oh yeah
Break the Chain, oh yeah
Break the Chain
(Repeat chorus)
Here is the One Billion Rising website, where you can see what is happening all over the world today.
Here is the short film which gives me a sense that I am connected to every woman in this world, and we can rise together.
Here is the message from the United Nations Office of the General Secretary.
“If I can't dance - I don't want to be part of your revolution.”
Emma Goldman
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