Distressed lest we should slay

My partner Julia and I went to the first hour of this tonight with a friend -- we would have stayed longer, but it seemed designed for the super-able-bodied, and since I was the only one of our party who is, we were soon left far behind.  But we found a good spot to rest, and another to have dinner and talk, and then we saw our friend off to a meeting about their housing and went home.

See here for more events in Boston, the rest of MA, the DMV and elsewhere today -- http://fergusonresponse.tumblr.com/.

Also -- being anti-racist, being for social justice, being intersectional, is being anti-fatphobic. Michael Brown and Eric Garner's fatness are being used to try to help justify their murders. And this is far from new, small, confined to the margins or the Right, or otherwise excusable. So if you get it, address it. And if you don't, educate yourself today.

Also also -- I hope that many will see how good this week’s Torah portion is for talking about racism, anti-racism and the rest of social justice, and do so.

Jacob is “terrified” and “anxious” as he prepares to meet his twin Esau; twenty years before, Jacob stole their father’s blessing and was sent by his mother to her brother as Esau vowed to kill him. B'reishit Rabbah 76:2 says: “R. Judah bar R. Ilai asked: Are not fear and distress identical? The meaning, however, is that ‘he was afraid’ lest he should be slain and ‘he was distressed’ lest he should slay. For he thought: If Esau proves stronger than I, he might slay me, and if I prove stronger than he, I might slay him.”

We must master our fear, and reconnect with our distress – we must acknowledge and address our privilege and oppression – or we will continue to steal from and slay our siblings, and support the system that does, and call it self-defense.