Isaiah 1:15 - "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!" NIV
What Zephyr said is plainly within the realm of acceptable speech and debate. Whether she intended to or not, the reference is to Isaiah. The blood referenced in this passage is not from any battle. This is Isaiah admonishing the Israelites for their sin, graphically depicted as blood, and telling them that they were merely giving lip service to the Lord as they brought forth offerings required by the Law while in fact their hearts were far from him.
Zephyr used Isaiah's words in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY as they are used IN THE BIBLE. That's why these fascist right wingers are so triggered by her words. If they expel or censure her for these words, THEY WILL BE CENSURING HER FOR REFERENCING THE BIBLE, i.e., ISAIAH. Let them defend expelling an elected representative for relying ON THE BIBLE during debate. THEY ARE BANNING THE BIBLE. I hope she includes this in her remarks.
Too many left-leaning folks are uneasy or unwilling to engage with these phony right wing "Christians" who bend what is said in the bible for their own uses. As a Catholic who grew up in the 60s, I am old enough to remember a time when Christians were not told that they have to be right wingers. They and their warped notions don't own what it means to be a Christian. I vehemently and steadfastly refuse to concede that they occupy the moral high ground on any of these issues.
I met Zooey in person at an ACLU Montana event. I recognized at least three names of the folks arrested yesterday as ACLU employees, if I recall correctly. Those young people are walking the walk. They are worth some support too.
Your writing is so beautiful because it expresses everything I have been feeling about what has been happening in Helena. My ancestors homesteaded on Flathead lake but moved to Columbia Falls because there were no marrying-aged men for the girls. My other great grandmother was a Trotskyite because of the way railroaders were treated and because of the what was happening to the workers of Montana because of the the Copper Kings. I in shock about what is happening in this state. Sometimes my blood boils about the injustices occurring and at the same time my heart is broken as the past is being repeated. I thank you for giving practical advise because the feelings of powerlessness to change things locks me in rage, grief and inaction.
All those emotions are so real. And we will all cycle through them. Sometimes, we each will have the energy to do the work, and sometimes we each will feel the weight of grief and rage. And that's fine, as long as we carry the weight for one another when we each of us can't manage.
Thank you for calling attention to this in such a clear and heartfelt way. Prayers for strength and courage for you and your family in MT and all of us impacted. And thanks for reminding us what happened in any one state affects us all!
I'm so grateful to your parents. So happy you are writing this. We've used to live in Meagher County, MT and moved to WA. We've been watching this unfold, with horror.
Thank you for updating us! Prayers of thankfulness for your parents and all who are fighting this cruelty in the state. Sending love to your nibling, and hope they know and understand that there are many, in the state and across the country, who stand behind them and love them for who they are.
Thank you for highlighting that in every bright red pocket of the state, there are those working hard for purplely pink...where the table is built bigger.
Thank you, Garrett. As I’m often reminded, a lot of the worst of this comes from Flathead County legislators. I and others have a lot of work to do in our home county.
And yet Flathead County too has a tradition of producing a few folks who went against the grain (I had no idea about Fred Whiteside before referencing him in this piece but he was just hanging out, growing apples, and directly defying the Copper Kings!)https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/05/25/the-whistleblower/
We’ve got some good ones! But as I told Kathleen recently after being in Butte, I don’t see much fight in Flathead progressives.
Am also reminded that my grandmother used to handle the Planned Parenthood booth at fairs in Great Falls in the 80s. We have work to do and maybe some gumption to resurrect.
LOL to be fair to yourself, it doesn't matter where you come from, it doesn't take more than five minutes in Butte to be like "oh, my people don't have fight in them, by comparison."
This is a beautiful piece, thank you Bucks. So relate to aching for people to understand that a place is so many things, so many histories, so many tensions, so much beauty and ugly all wrapped into one. I'm sorry that yesterday went as it did. Thinking of you and your family.
Patience. Fear of change is a universal form of poverty that requires compassion to solve not anger. Knowing your true self is a wealth. Conservative mainstream supports ownership and stability as an easier to understand form of wealth. Anything new seems like an huge unwelcome challenge for most people. You are already showing the way, if the truth isn’t easy to explain then find a different language.
Thanks Garrett. This whole thing is hard to watch from here in Missoula without occassionally succumbing to dispair. It's just so stinking lowdown nasty. My kid is perplexed by the fact that our state constitution makes me cry, but you're right. It is a beautiful document, a symbol of what we could be.
"We the people of Montana grateful to God for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of our rolling plains, and desiring to improve the quality of life, equality of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future generations do ordain and establish this constitution."
Isaiah 1:15 - "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!" NIV
What Zephyr said is plainly within the realm of acceptable speech and debate. Whether she intended to or not, the reference is to Isaiah. The blood referenced in this passage is not from any battle. This is Isaiah admonishing the Israelites for their sin, graphically depicted as blood, and telling them that they were merely giving lip service to the Lord as they brought forth offerings required by the Law while in fact their hearts were far from him.
Zephyr used Isaiah's words in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY as they are used IN THE BIBLE. That's why these fascist right wingers are so triggered by her words. If they expel or censure her for these words, THEY WILL BE CENSURING HER FOR REFERENCING THE BIBLE, i.e., ISAIAH. Let them defend expelling an elected representative for relying ON THE BIBLE during debate. THEY ARE BANNING THE BIBLE. I hope she includes this in her remarks.
I hadn't thought about that context!
Too many left-leaning folks are uneasy or unwilling to engage with these phony right wing "Christians" who bend what is said in the bible for their own uses. As a Catholic who grew up in the 60s, I am old enough to remember a time when Christians were not told that they have to be right wingers. They and their warped notions don't own what it means to be a Christian. I vehemently and steadfastly refuse to concede that they occupy the moral high ground on any of these issues.
You write so beautifully and evocatively of your state, and the chasm between what could be and what is.
Thank you so much (and for reading!)
I met Zooey in person at an ACLU Montana event. I recognized at least three names of the folks arrested yesterday as ACLU employees, if I recall correctly. Those young people are walking the walk. They are worth some support too.
https://www.aclumontana.org/
Great recommendation, Chris. I agree.
Your writing is so beautiful because it expresses everything I have been feeling about what has been happening in Helena. My ancestors homesteaded on Flathead lake but moved to Columbia Falls because there were no marrying-aged men for the girls. My other great grandmother was a Trotskyite because of the way railroaders were treated and because of the what was happening to the workers of Montana because of the the Copper Kings. I in shock about what is happening in this state. Sometimes my blood boils about the injustices occurring and at the same time my heart is broken as the past is being repeated. I thank you for giving practical advise because the feelings of powerlessness to change things locks me in rage, grief and inaction.
All those emotions are so real. And we will all cycle through them. Sometimes, we each will have the energy to do the work, and sometimes we each will feel the weight of grief and rage. And that's fine, as long as we carry the weight for one another when we each of us can't manage.
Thank you for calling attention to this in such a clear and heartfelt way. Prayers for strength and courage for you and your family in MT and all of us impacted. And thanks for reminding us what happened in any one state affects us all!
So much love for you, Amy. Thank you!
I'm so grateful to your parents. So happy you are writing this. We've used to live in Meagher County, MT and moved to WA. We've been watching this unfold, with horror.
It is a particular heartbreak to watch from afar.
Thank you for updating us! Prayers of thankfulness for your parents and all who are fighting this cruelty in the state. Sending love to your nibling, and hope they know and understand that there are many, in the state and across the country, who stand behind them and love them for who they are.
That's so lovely; thank you!
Watching alongside you, Garrett.
❤️❤️❤️
Thinking and praying for your family, especially those being directly affected. Thank you for your wise words and insights into this.
appreciate it (and you) so much, Tim
Exactly how I'm feeling today. Thanks for spelling it out, Garrett.
sending ex-pat love!
Thank you for highlighting that in every bright red pocket of the state, there are those working hard for purplely pink...where the table is built bigger.
100%. There is no place in this country where you can't find somebody who is trying to build a more loving community!
Thank you, Garrett. As I’m often reminded, a lot of the worst of this comes from Flathead County legislators. I and others have a lot of work to do in our home county.
And yet Flathead County too has a tradition of producing a few folks who went against the grain (I had no idea about Fred Whiteside before referencing him in this piece but he was just hanging out, growing apples, and directly defying the Copper Kings!)https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/05/25/the-whistleblower/
We’ve got some good ones! But as I told Kathleen recently after being in Butte, I don’t see much fight in Flathead progressives.
Am also reminded that my grandmother used to handle the Planned Parenthood booth at fairs in Great Falls in the 80s. We have work to do and maybe some gumption to resurrect.
LOL to be fair to yourself, it doesn't matter where you come from, it doesn't take more than five minutes in Butte to be like "oh, my people don't have fight in them, by comparison."
🤣
Too true!
This is a beautiful piece, thank you Bucks. So relate to aching for people to understand that a place is so many things, so many histories, so many tensions, so much beauty and ugly all wrapped into one. I'm sorry that yesterday went as it did. Thinking of you and your family.
I think about your writing about Springs whenever I try to articulate the so-many-thing-ness of a place
Patience. Fear of change is a universal form of poverty that requires compassion to solve not anger. Knowing your true self is a wealth. Conservative mainstream supports ownership and stability as an easier to understand form of wealth. Anything new seems like an huge unwelcome challenge for most people. You are already showing the way, if the truth isn’t easy to explain then find a different language.
Thanks Garrett. This whole thing is hard to watch from here in Missoula without occassionally succumbing to dispair. It's just so stinking lowdown nasty. My kid is perplexed by the fact that our state constitution makes me cry, but you're right. It is a beautiful document, a symbol of what we could be.
"We the people of Montana grateful to God for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of our rolling plains, and desiring to improve the quality of life, equality of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future generations do ordain and establish this constitution."
It will always make me cry.
Thank you for this, Garrett. Watching the proceedings right now. #solidarity
Appreciate it, Tracy, so much.