(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . It's My Deeply Held Belief that... [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-07-03 Wow! The Rec List? Thank you, everyone! Like most of the things I post here, I really needed to write this to work out my own thoughts. I appreciate that you took the time to read what I wrote and I’m humbled that it’s resonated with so many of you! Diversity makes us stronger Last week's rulings from SCOTUS have been disappointing, but sadly not unexpected. And, they've gotten me to thinking. If a website designer can discriminate against hypothetical same sex couples and a postal worker can have his work schedule accommodated due to their "deeply held beliefs," then I surely can expect the same level of accommodations due to my own deeply held beliefs. Right? Therefore, I want to state my deeply held belief that diversity makes us all stronger. I want to state that it is my deeply held belief that, from its inception, the United States has been anything but a level playing field for those of us who aren't straight, white, male, middle class, and/or Christian. I want to state my deeply held beliefs that talking about how to make the playing field more accessible, more accepting, and more even is the path toward making life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness achievable by every person in this country. Call that "woke" if you want. It is the deeply held belief that drives my research and clinical work in speech-language pathology. I want to state my deeply held belief that the quality of your education should not be dependent on your zip code. I want to state my deeply held belief that every adult in this country has a responsibility to make sure every child is as fully educated as possible - no matter the color of their skin, or the language(s) or dialect(s) they speak, their family's socioeconomic situation, or whether they have a disability. I want to state my deeply held belief that our constitutional right to religious freedom also means I have the right to be free of the imposition of your religion in my life. I want to clearly and plainly state my deeply held belief that women and people capable of pregnancy are not second class citizens nor simply vessels for procreation. I want to state my deeply held belief that, beyond any constitutional rights, we have a human right to bodily autonomy and we have the right to make the best decisions for ourselves regarding our bodily autonomy. I want to state my deeply held belief politicians should stay out of the exam room. I want to state my deeply held belief that while we are all entitled to our own opinions, we are not entitled to our own set of facts. The Earth is not flat. The climate is changing and that change has been accelerated by human activity. Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential election. COVID-19 is real and rigorous science has provided us with vaccines that saved lives. Learning about this country's sometimes shameful history regarding the way it has treated people who are not straight, white, male, middle class, and/or Christian is not about making people who are straight, white, male, middle class and/or Christian feel ashamed. It is about learning the lessons of the past so we can move forward as a more inclusive, accepting, and progress-oriented society. I deeply believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. I am fully aware that at least one family I support in my clinical work would be appalled that these are just some of my deeply held beliefs. That's ok. I'm appalled at the many of their deeply held MAGA-conservative beliefs which I find highly offensive. But, one of my deeply held professional beliefs is that I have a responsibility to appropriately support all of my clients regardless of whether I like their personal politics or not. Because, diversity makes us all stronger. I wonder, though. Would they discriminate against me if the situation was reversed? Last week, SCOTUS opened the door to make the answer to that question a resounding "yes." [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/3/2179054/-It-s-My-Deeply-Held-Belief-that Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/