Conversation starter

After Elizabeth Warren was silenced by Mitch McConnell on the Senate floor back in early February, “she persisted” became a rallying cry for many. My own first reaction was to make a T-shirt that said “#ShePersisted”.

My second thought was to realize that in the time I’d had that thought, people everywhere were already making those shirts. So I went on-line and bought one. It’s become one of my favorite T-shirts.

I happened to be wearing it on the train back from Boston to NY yesterday. I got several thumbs ups from women riding the train, but I didn’t see a single glimmer of recognition from any of the male riders.

The woman working behind the counter at the cafe car asked me what the shirt meant. I tried to think of a way to explain it that wouldn’t take too long, since I figured other people might start to show up in line behind me.

Then it occurred to me that there was a shortcut, since the woman I was talking to was black. So when I explained how Elizabeth Warren was silenced by Mitch McConnell for trying to read a letter aloud on the Senate floor, I pointed out that the letter was by Coretta Scott King.

That got my listener’s attention. Not only can a female Senator be silenced for doing something male senators do all the time, but the words of Coretta Scott King, of all people, can be considered unacceptable when read aloud.

It’s also interesting how the right T-shirt can serve as a conversation starter for important discussions among citizens.