Rule One: Don't be a D*ck

The past month has been quite difficult for me and quite a few people I know.  A number of my work colleagues have been faced with uncertainty, paperwork, and fees as European citizens preparing to live in the UK post-Brexit.  Many of my US friends are highly concerned about their health care situation (particularly in regards to pre-existing conditions when taking new jobs) if the Affordable Health Care Act is removed.  Before the ACA came about some of these friends had to shell out large amounts of money for treatment for chronic conditions such as juvenile arthritis because most insurance plans wouldn’t cover parts or all of the conditions.  At least one person I know had to borrow from others and ration her insulin (risking her life) because even though she was working she didn’t make enough money to cover her care for her Type I Diabetes.  Many others are worried about the possibility of laws that will openly allow discrimination against anyone who isn’t a white, straight, Protestant man.  Which is especially concerning in light of the hate monster that the election of President Trump has created in the US.  A number of my friends living in places where you wouldn’t think that hate crimes would happen have experienced harassment personally in ways they had not experienced in their lives until the election of President Trump.  On the flip side, I know people who voted for Trump because they are justifiably worried about their future: jobs, savings accounts, violence*, and terrorism.

How do we see ourselves?

Last weekend was the Residents Festival in York, where many tourist attractions open their doors for free to the people who live here.  One of the things I went to see was England's oldest living convent. The Bar Convent and Living Heritage Centre is a working convent of the Congregation of Jesus and a living history museum.  When it was built in 1686 practicing Catholicism was illegal in England. People were fined for not attending Anglican Church services.  Catholic priests were being brutally murdered for nothing more than practicing their faith.  Lay Catholics faced social ostracism, heavy fines, prison, torture, and death depending on the time period and location.  One woman came to Yorkshire and said not only was she going to open a convent to illegally practice the Catholic faith, but also to make it a school to educate young girls because they deserved a good quality education. These female Jesuits continued that practice of educating Catholic girls to the same standard as boys while also proving them the social opportunities of going to dances and the theatre that they would need to be successful in society.  Multiple times they opened their doors to refugees who needed care. All while quietly keeping their faith which could have resulted in all of the nuns being jailed, tortured, or killed.

Bar Convent from Blossom Street.  This building actually conceals a
domed chapel inside.  Picture from www.bar-convent.org.uk.