"A person is reasonable, people are not."

All leaders that represent things that are a threat to the status quo since the beginning of time have been persecuted. This has always been and will always be. It is a global experience, a universal one. It is a timeless understanding of what it means to stick your head out and say "No, this is wrong." OR”This needs to be different" OR  “I am this, and I will stay this."

We have been taught time and time again  what happens to  leaders that want to  change things, they get harassed,  then exterminated-  all  because what they believe is different. And more importantly- they take what they believe and they tell others.

 For many the extermination of the people that disturb the peace is a celebrated public event. Everyone gets in on it, they make it ugly and personal and they rile each other up to get more rabid.

Who was it that said  “A person is reasonable, people are not."

I am talking here about what is currently going on in the fat positive and body positive movement. 

Recently a person that was on a well viewed TV show lost 70 pounds.  After the weight loss he went on fat hating rants. Sad, but not unexpected.
The fat and body positive activists ignored this and went about their way until he started putting the words  "thinspiration"  out there.
For those of you who don’t know "thinspiration" is a term that is used for weight loss at any cost.  Anorexia, and bulimia, and laxative abuse   are encouraged. Renal failure, exercise induced asthma, lack  of tooth  enamel, and vomiting blood are all  acceptable in  parts of this movement, these things are encouraged and there are tips on  how to  hide these things from  others who "just don’t understand."

So  when  this well known  person  started using the thinspiration  message, he was pulled aside by fat and body positive activists and told  -  this is that that word means, you may want to  consider not using it.
And he responded.
He came out swinging.
He made it personal and ugly and he had a whole group of people right behind him pushing him forward and encouraging his behavior. The uglier the better.

So instead of a healthy, intellectual debate about weight, health, and how this is currently viewed- it descended into death and bomb threats directed at the fat and body positive activists.

No  kidding. 

Death and Bomb threats.

So you ever wonder why our leaders get tired? Ever wonder why people choose not to step up and lead? 

Because "A person is reasonable, people are not."

Ultimately this will pass, and hopefully in the end the body and fat activists will pick themselves up and dust themselves off- because like all leaders that are passionate- they are lions in  the face of cowards.

That is what leaders are - they are lions. 
They face down the injustice with the knowledge that history has taught them that only a few will make it intact. That what they do has an impact on someone, somewhere, and that every day that the get up and try again is another day that the lions get to roar.

They get to say-  your hate, your loathing, your bias has no place in  the depth  of my lungs today.

To  the fat and body activists out there that are fighting, that are being assailed upon, I have to say to you-  those who  you have taught, those who  you have given a language of body love and body acceptance -  WE ARE HERE.

WE HEAR YOU.
 YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
YOU INSPIRE US TO BE BETTER, GREATER, AND MORE POWERFUL THEN WE EVER COULD HAVE BEEN WITH OUT YOU.

Keep being lions- keep your roar and don’t ever let it dull.

The cowards will eventually find a new squirrel to chase, but your words, your work; your passion will stand the test of time. 

And becasue of you- I now have words for my full tummy, my thick  thighs, and my big lumbering walk. Words that stay with  me every day. Words that guide and comfort me.

Words that bring me peace.
 You did that.
And I will always be grateful.