EdwardB

**Daughter:** Mommy, why do we have to cover our faces and our bodies every time we leave the house? **Mother:** Because the law says so. It’s what our religion requires now. **Daughter:** But why aren’t we equal to the men? Why can they hit us when we don’t listen? **Mother:** That’s just how things are now. It’s what the scholars teach. **Daughter:** How was it before? When you were little, in America? Were you free? Were you equal to the men? Could you say whatever you wanted? Could you wear whatever you wanted? **Mother:** Yes. We could. We could dress how we liked. We could go where we wanted. We could speak our minds. Most people were happier then. **Daughter:** Then why didn’t you stop it? Why did you let it happen? **Mother:** We were afraid. Afraid of being called intolerant. Afraid of being called hateful. **Daughter:** Did anybody try to stop them? Did anybody stand up and try to protect the way we lived? **Mother:** Yes. Half the country tried to warn us. They said it would end like this. They said we were giving our freedom away. **Daughter:** What happened to them? **Mother:** We called them fascists. We censored their voices. We put some of them in jail. We said white supremacy was the biggest threat to the country. We said *they* were the real threat. **Daughter:** Why, Mommy? Why did you do that? **Mother:** Because we were told it was the religion of peace. We were told that anyone who questioned it was intolerant. We wanted to show the world how good we were. How tolerant we were. How wrong everyone else was. **Daughter:** But Mommy— **Mother:** Now, honey. No more questions. Just be a good girl. Put your head down and do what they say. We don’t talk about these things anymore. This is just the way life is.