Rising Up

An oppressed people do not always act out rationally, nor make choices based on public approval.  They will buck the norm in ways others see as outrageous. They will leave family, friends and even lovers at times in dismay at the allegiances they have, the words they choose, the actions they take.  

No, they will not consult with the populous to make certain to follow the rules of societal propriety.  They will risk popularity, relationships, freedom, safety and ultimately their lives in order to stand in the face of adversity.  In doing so, some with inadvertently harm themselves and perhaps one day look back and cringe at their own mistakes. But they will still yet take pride in their fight.

You can not hold the head of someone underwater, near drown them and expect them to rise out of the murky depths in becoming fashion. They will thrash wildly, throwing fists, legs kicking, hair strewn about, frothing at the mouth.  It is not their appearance that should be judged in that moment of struggling to survive, but the strength they exert in order to stay alive.  

They will latch onto any branch visible, with hopes it might pull them up; be it organizations, picket lines, angst ridden acts of violence, boycotts, etc. But judge them not for how they react to the threat of being drowned, but the power in spirit they display as they finally rise up for air.