I have this friend, Sabine (pronounced Sabean-uh), who is one of the bravest women I know. We met in the blogging world, where exactly, I can’t remember but I quickly discovered that she was a kindred spirit.
After Sandy Hook Sabine became involved in a group called Moms Demand Action. It is an advocacy group that wants to see common sense gun laws and loop holes closed that allow ridiculously easy access of guns to the wrong people. They don’t want to take away anyone’s guns, they are absolutely fine with gun ownership. However, they do believe that with gun ownership comes great responsibility.
Sabine has become involved in Moms Demand Action to the point where she is now the head of the Oklahoma chapter. Sister is rocking it so when she asks for my support to spread the word and push a campaign, I want to help her and the cause. Last week Moms had a campaign where people could take a selfie of themselves holding a fill in the blank sign that read Dear ____, I feel _______. #WhatEverItTakes. I posted this picture on both my personal Facebook page and my blog Facebook page with a status update:
I can’t just shrug my shoulders and turn away from gun violence thinking it’s not my problem if it doesn’t happen to me. Every time a child is killed because they found a loaded gun in a home should be everyone’s problem not just a sad statistic. Every time someone dies at the hand of another should not be an “oh well”. Every time a madman opens fire on a group of innocent people is unacceptable. Saying that bad guys will always find a way to do bad things is just an excuse, apathetic and lets the bad guys win. We are our brother’s keeper and we can do better. #whateverittakes #momsvote
On Friday when I posted the pic I had 503 FB fans. Not a huge number but special to me. On Saturday I had 499.
To be honest I was happy that the only back lash was just a few unlikes since this type of pic can bring out the trolls and haters. Sabine has seen her share of hateful comments and threats so I was pleasantly surprised at the loss of a few fans. In fact, rather a bunch of haters, I received support and positive comments. By the end of the weekend I had 25 new FB fans to make up for the few losses I had the day before. 25 new FB fans in one day is a coup for a blogger like me. To those new fans I want to express my sincere appreciation and thanks for all the encouragement. And to my existing fans, thank you for having my back. To my friends who may not agree with me but are still willing to stick by me, I love you. Being able to agree to disagree but still love each other and treat each other respectfully is the best of all. Because that type of behavior is what I think God wants from us.
Speaking up on a controversial topic can be hard and scary but on this one I knew I needed to follow my own advice and Be Brave. Before I posted the pic I had been working on a proposal for a sponsored post in the hopes that a particular company would hire me to blog about their brand. I knew that if they reviewed my social media and saw that pic they probably would not hire me. Brands typically stay away from controversial topics and the people who speak too loudly about them. I thought about not posting the picture so that they would think more highly of me. Then I thought of all the work my friend Sabine has done for Moms Demand Action and what she has sacrificed for what she believes in. I though about all the lives that have been taken by gun violence. I thought about young children who have found loaded, unlocked guns in their home and accidentally killed themselves or a sibling.
Standing up for what I believe and those lost lives is more important than a blogging job. I don’t know if that FB post will effect whether or not I get hired. I hope I do get hired, but if they pass on me I won’t hold it against them. We each have to do what we have to do to make an impact on-line. I get it.
I’m proud to be Sabine’s friend. I’m grateful for my new followers and their show of support. I’m humbled by those who stick by me even if they don’t agree with me 100%. I’m at peace with how I show my support for Moms Demand Action.
Now, be brave, go with God and do no harm.
Delana Wentzel
Welcome to Moms. We are so grateful to have you.