------------■ voices •
-----------
OREGON'S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
Recently I read a collection of works from
literature, philosophy and religion that provoke
thought about civic engagement and commu
nity involvement. Many of the pieces I had read
before without putting them into the context
of volunteerism or activism; this time I exam
ined my place in my community and the barri
ers to others being involved in theirs. It was
through reading about others’ civic engagement
that I started to understand my own.
I’m a “doer.”To say that I’m passionate about
issues I believe in is an overreaching under
statement. I’m also a flitter, meaning I flit and
flutter between my passions, sometimes leaving
some behind for other people to attend to while
making my way to the next thing. I’ve never
been able to make a long-term commitment to
any one cause— I am, as author Seymour Krim
wrote,-one of those people who have “never re
ally nailed it down, who have charged through
life from enthusiasm to enthusiasm, from new
project to new project, even from personality-
revolution to personality-revolution.” Yes, flit
ting has always been my thing.
Although I’m sure that everyone has a role to
play, I now have a deeper understanding of how
easy it is to not be engaged—I understand that
sometimes even very good people feel apathetic.
It’s far easier to assess blame than to look at
ourselves and our role— or lack of role— in soci
ety. Although it’s idealistic and often unrealistic,
I’ve always felt a deep responsibility toward oth
ers and my community and I want to try to
leave the world a better place than I found it.
The Importance of
Engagement
M A RTIN I
The work of social change will not
be done by the government or a
revolution, and it won't be the sole
responsibility of hardcore activists—
it will be done by the rest of us,
the ones right in the middle.
This sentiment, however, doesn’t mean I don’t
carry some amount of resistance to doing the
right thing. I have purposely not answered my
phone, knowing it is some organization or an
other asking me to volunteer or donate money;
I’ve attended functions out of obligation, not
with a happy heart; and I’ve found myself hold
ing on to my money for selfish reasons instead
of giving it to a better cause. It’s this I have been
inspired to change within others and myself.
Not being engaged is often a symptom of
privilege. We live in a world that encourages us
to think about our own situations rather than
the needs of others. It’s easy to turn our backs
on (and our hearts from) a seemingly unpleas
*
M -F 10am to 5 :3 0 p m
Sat 1 la m to 5pm
717 S W 10th Ave
P o rtla n d , O R 9 7 2 0 5
5 0 3 .2 2 3 .4 7 2 0
w w w. m a Ioys.com
<
When the
one-night stand
works out.
Maloy’s offers a fabulous selection of antique and estate jewelry
and fine custom jewelry, as well as restoration and repair services.
C O L O U JC L L
W estover H eights
Unitarian U niversalists support the rights
of bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender and
straight people-
Fam ilies com e in m any form s and w e
w elcom e them in our churches.
Please visit us at:
GRESHAM
HILLSBORO
Eastrose Fellowship*
(503) 665.2628
eastrose.org
UU Comm. Church of
Washington County*
(503) 648.1720
uuccwc.org
5 0 3 .2 4 1 .4 7 1 3
Offering general internal
medicine and excelling
in sexual health care
Atkinson Memorial Church*
(503) 656.7296
atkinsonchurch.org
C om e fo r th e ta tto o s ,
(%
indicates PFLAG support group)
SEAL
Doug Beebe f Tom Cotter
Brokers
Doug 5 0 3 .4 7 1 .3 4 7 9
Tom 5 0 3 .4 7 1 .3 4 0 5
Serving the community fo r 29 years
OREGON CITY
1255 NW 9 th Ave. #13. Portland, OR 97209
statj f o r th e sass.
throughout our state are needed to give their
time, talent and treasure for this cause. O f
course, BRO has its heavy hitters to drive the
effort forward, but it’s up to all of us to lend a
hand. Even if we’ve never volunteered for any
thing before, each member o f the community
can engage individual citizens of our state to
join together for equality.
Activist and Blue Oregon contributor Carla
Axtman recently told me, “W hen I am doing
outreach to those who don’t tend to be engaged
the way I am, I try to make it personal to them. I
talk about the way it potentially impacts them in
their daily life. People become open to engage
ment when they can see how it affects them.”
Reaching people who have never considered
what it means to be civically involved is proba
bly the most important work we can do as
community members. They have much more to
offer than even they realize and it’s up to those
o f us who know how critical our work is to try
to engage them— and hopefully the behavior
will become contagious.
I know I will get distracted and never be a
great leader o f a social revolution, but I do hope
to play a part in creating some kind of positive
change, as everyone should. We need flitters
and hardcore activists, but what we really need
is everyone in between— each person making a
difference a little at a time. J •]
..........
Im agine a Religion
T hat Stands on
the Side of Love
N oon till <3— 7 datjs
31
ant situation that maybe we’d rather not know
about. Not being engaged is also a symptom of
oppression. Those who are unable to have their
basic needs met are going to think much less
about volunteering their time or being involved
in an outside cause.
Social reformers have debated for decades
about how exactly to represent the under and
unrepresented, and who is responsible for
change. I’m certainly not in any position to fig
ure that out, but I do know that we each have
not only the opportunity but the responsibility
to look outside of ourselves and do something,
anything, to make a difference. The work of so
cial change will not be done by the government
or a revolution, and it won't be the sole respon
sibility of hardcore activists—it will be done by
the rest of us, the ones right in the middle.
W ithin our own community, there are many
organizations that need help. It’s impossible to
try to do something for all of them, but that
fact can’t be the excuse to do nothing. Basic K a t h r y n M a r t i n i is a freelance writer, mother,
Rights Oregon is ramping up for a big cam wife, student and wannabe revolutionary. Reach
paign toward marriage equality and people her through kathrynmartini.com.
i-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maloy's Jewelry Workshop
MAY 6 . 2011
2330 NW Flanders
Suite 207
503 226-6678
-
CALL us for all PDX Open Houses!
CALL for a value report on
any neighborhood!
EveryPortlandHome.com
THE source for Buyers & Sellers!