Speaking up

It's hard to know how much of the current political situation to discuss with our kids. Our wonderful rabbi had a prominent photo in the Seattle Times because she was speaking against the immigration/refugee ban at a big event downtown, so I had this really natural opportunity to tell our kids what she was speaking about. I told them (reminded them, really) that there are people in the world who can't stay in their beloved home country because it is not safe there, and that America has always been a major place for people to come to who need a safe place. We remembered together that a lot of Jews were able to come here when Europe was not safe for Jews and that that made a big difference. I told them that Trump has made a scary new rule saying that people from some countries where there are a lot of Muslims can't come here, even if they desperately need a safe place; they were aghast, because they already understand that there is so much unfair discrimination against Muslims. I told them that people like our rabbi are fighting against that rule, because we know it's wrong, and they felt good about that. I read them what our rabbi said at the meeting:

On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I offer a response to Martin Niemoller (of blessed memory): 

First they came for the African Americans and I spoke up because I am my sisters’ and my brothers’ keeper.
And then they came for the women and I spoke up because women hold up half the sky.
And then they came for the immigrants and the refugees and I spoke up because I remember the ideals of our democracy.
And then they came for the Muslims and I spoke up because they are my cousins and we are one human family.
And then they came for the Native Americans and Mother Earth and I spoke up because the blood-soaked land cries and the mountains weep. 

They keep coming…And we keep speaking up.
We Jews remember, it is a sacred task to never forget. We know the cost of silence.
And so this morning we link arms in solidarity with our sisters and our brothers, because when you come for our neighbors, you come for us. 

As the prophet Isaiah says: Lo eshkot ad yeitzei chanoga tzeedkah. I will not be silent until justice goes forth like a radiant star. We are strengthened together—and we will always speak up.

Later I showed them all the people at the airports, and at the protests over the weekend. 

It is definitely hard to balance conveying our values to our children and giving them good information, with not scaring the crap out of them. It helps a lot that both of our kids are explicitly taught about racial and religious discrimination at school and at temple as well as at home, so I feel like there is good foundation. Here is one of my favorite signs that I saw from a protest over the weekend (on social media):