"I just could not cooperate. My heart wouldn’t let me."
Editor’s Note: Readers of Dark Matter may recall the time Lynne McFarland has honored me by allowing me to publish her words on breaking free, unguarded conversations, and rage. I was disturbed to see that she was arrested yesterday. None of the news coverage I’ve found contains any comment from Lynne herself concerning what occurred. That bothers me. I am pleased to share her words on the subject below. Her courage and determination are an inspiration to everyone I know who knows her.
I didn’t intend to get arrested when I left for Cordell Hull yesterday morning. If I had, I wouldn’t have worn my nice jewelry and Eileen Fisher slacks.
Another hearing. This time in the TN Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee, on the bill to make it harder for some immigrant children to receive their Constitutional right to a free public K-12 education. I’ve been to most of these hearings and heard the arguments from Sen. Watson and Rep. Lamberth. Before their respective bodies, Sen. Watson has pitched the case that it’s necessary for financial purposes; Rep. Lamberth seems to be a bit more focused on addressing the (il)legal status of the parents. But these are the central points of both bills, of course.
Money. And A Punishment System.
The counter-argument is The Children, whether their own learning opportunities are impacted or they have to watch their friends and classmates be punished.
Maybe it was the repetition of the now-familiar points that struck me: Money and A Punishment System.
There are two Dems on this Committee, Sens. Yarbro and Lamar. Sen. Yarbro (Nashville) happens to be my senator. And back in the day, a few months before I was born, my parents moved to East TN (Oak Ridge) from just outside Memphis, so I pay close attention to that end of my world, too.
Sen. Yarbro pointed out the long-term cost to the state of having a permanent underclass of “illiterate people at the State’s direction” and made the powerful statement that there is a “moral cost to this bill” that will “punish kids.”
Sen. Lamar pointed out the hardships on lower income families to obtain missing birth certs and raised the question of whether an educator, faced with an undocumented child, could call ICE in. Sen. Watson replied to her question by saying something to the effect that the ICE issue would be “considered in Rules and Regulations.”
One of my girlfriends has a plate on the front of her car that says, “Quiet My Mind. Open My Heart.” On Sunday, another girlfriend added, “And Shut My Mouth.” We had a good laugh.
But, you know, that’s what happened. Sitting in the hearing, I felt at peace and I felt compassion for All of Us, and I just could not cooperate. My heart wouldn’t let me.
The Troopers were kind. (If you know me, you will appreciate the fact that I felt I needed to tell them, “You know, I’m not doing this to be a smart-aleck”).
So, Eileen Fisher slacks or not, I could not cooperate with this process and I got arrested. Thanks for asking.
Sister McFarland, we need many more like you. I have been at the Capitol. I have talked to legislators. I think it would have been easier to talk to Pharaoh, whose heart at least temporarily softened now and then. The hearts of the legislature and governor are granite by comparison. And so I am convinced that it will take a mass movement of people willing to be arrested, like the demonstrators here who refused to leave lunch counters, to bring about a change. We will need hundreds.
Something happened two weeks ago that I did not expect. I called William Lamberth's office, as I have done many times. I was calling about his bill, and I had the verbal shotgun ready to start blasting. But as with every other previous time I've tried to reach someone there, the call went to voicemail. Rep. Lamberth records his own voicemail, in which he identifies himself and says no one is available right now. In disgust, I said, "Yeah, you're never available" and hung up.
The phone rang that night, and when I answered I was startled to find that it was William Lamberth. He apologized that no one had answered and said that it was a very busy office, which I don't doubt. I believe at first he thought I was a constituent, but he kept talking to me even after I told him I wasn't. We talked at least 20 minutes, and the entire conversation was civil, even friendly.
I made clear my staunch opposition to his bill. He seemed a bit surprised and very curious when I explained to him why his bill violated my religious convictions, but maybe I merely read that into his response. After he made his case on behalf of the bill--it was unfair to children to give them false expectations, by providing a public education, that they would be able to pursue a college degree and a professional career. But I replied that was true only if his position was that the Dreamers should never receive a pathway to citizenship. And that led him to admit that he hoped there would be such a pathway--but that this was a federal issue and not something on which states could act. Of course, I said. But if you'd like for these kids one day to be able to become citizens, then shouldn't you prepare them for that by educating them?
The conversation went on this vein, and we also talked about my opposition to the voucher scheme. He apologized, in so many words, for Scott Cepicky's infamous remarks that he wanted to blow up the public education system and praised our public schools--something I didn't expect to hear. This was also the first time I've heard a Republican in the legislature speak to the humanity of immigrant children, instead of repeating the pathetic mantra that their parents eat our pets or that they're drug smugglers (looking REAL hard at you, Marsha) and rapists.
I know I didn't change his mind at all. But I am hopeful I did give him something to think about. Acknowledging the humanity of immigrant children is a bridge I think I can build on. I plan to reach out again, remind him of our conversation, and ask him to encourage his fellows to avoid dehumanizing language when speaking on this issue. It could change the whole tenor of the dialogue.
Was God trying to send me a message when I went in ready to hammer Lamberth, and then he reached out to me in an unexpected way, leading me also to talk with him in a way I had not expected? I am open to that possibility. I will pursue it. Do I still think I will need to get arrested, along with many of you? Yes, honestly. But now I will try to go about it more in the spirit of James Lawson and John Lewis than the prophet Amos.
Mr. Dark,
Thank you for posting this information about Lynne McFarland.
Lynne was a great friend to me back in the late 1970s when we lived in Lexington, Kentucky. I have not seen her in more in 45 years, but we have reconnected over the last few years through email. Seeing her in this photo is important to me. Her courage, determination and inner strength shine a light on the path that we must follow.
I thank you for your work.
Randolph