The Question 2017 Made Us Ask
Quote:As we look back on this crazy, exhausting, absurdist play of a year, there is a question that undergirds it all. Behind the policy decisions and executive proclamations, the resistance and abuse revelations, the question has persisted: What are people for?
Or, to put it another way: How do we measure the value of a person?
Is a person less valuable to this country because of their religious background — even or especially assuming they pose no actual security risk?
Should we bar soldiers from their service because their healthcare is said to be too costly — even, or especially, if that cost pales in comparison to what the military spends on Viagra?
Should a policy of brutal deportations include refusing the “courtesy” of allowing people to hug their loved ones goodbye because “emotional scenes” are unpleasant for immigration officers?
Shall we, once again, privilege tax cuts for the rich over the lives of millions of people?
Whose service matters? Whose heart? Whose health? Whose wallet? Whose safety?
"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic, have fallen with a dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi. Trust in The Force. Do not return to the Temple... that time has past. And our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust. Our faith. Our friendships. But we must persevere. And in time, a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you, always."