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When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act.
Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2014 Rep. John Lewis<\/strong><\/p>\n

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When I was a child, getting \u201cinto trouble\u201d was something I always tried to avoid. I didn\u2019t want to get into trouble with my parents or my teachers. When I was in 4th grade, the teacher saw me when I stuck my tongue out at her. I was mortified because someone from school called my mom; I was in \u201cbig trouble\u201d that day. On another occasion, when I was in high school, I tossed a pencil to a friend who needed one and got sent to the office for that infraction. Although initially the punishment was two weeks detention, I only served one week. That was a relief.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not the trouble that John Lewis speaks about. What is \u201cgood trouble\u201d? Rosa Parks got into \u201cgood trouble\u201d when she refused to give up to a white man her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus. Yes, she broke a law and yes, she was arrested, and she did it in a non-violent way. In doing so, she inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted 381\u00a0days; and eventually, bus segregation was held to be unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Something wasn\u2019t right. Rosa Parks did something about it; and today, she is regarded as \u201cthe first lady of civil rights\u201d and \u201cthe mother of the freedom movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is John Lewis posing that question to me? Why do I think \u201cgood trouble\u201d is not something I should avoid? What is \u201cgood trouble\u201d for a 70-year-old white woman?<\/p>\n

I believe that Lewis was speaking to me. Our country continues to have challenges associated with race, racism, equality, and \u201cliberty and justice\u201d for all. All people (dreamers and others) are due basic human rights<\/a><\/span>, including the right to liberty, equality, and freedom from degrading treatment. In America, we afford citizens certain specific rights, such as the right to vote. As a country, we must strive and persist to ensure that all citizens are entitled to the same rights and privileges that I enjoy. \u201cGood trouble\u201d is not something I should avoid. I try to embrace it and make community, state, and national contributions by voting and by regularly contacting my legislators to express my views on important issues.<\/p>\n

In addition, my book, Dr. King, The Rabbi, and Me: A Connecticut Journey<\/em><\/a><\/span>, is my personal attempt to promote important conversations between adults and upper elementary\/middle school students. I believe that kids like to talk about important, relevant issues. They certainly have opinions! I think that the value of providing kids opportunities to talk about racial awareness, racism, democracy, social justice, and the relevant realities associated with their own life experiences cannot be underestimated.<\/p>\n

John Lewis would be elated about the historic Georgia voter participation during this past election cycle. Voting is \u201cgood trouble.\u201d Violence is not. Hopefully, my book qualifies as \u201cgood trouble.\u201d What kind of \u201cgood trouble\u201d are you committed to?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Carol-Anne Hossler
Bloomington, Indiana<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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