Emma Goldman.

I think Wendy Davis and Leticia R. Van de Putte have already done a fine job this year of honoring the memory of Emma Goldman… Though I think the efforts of the protesters who simply shouted down the Texas senate were more in line with her own beliefs. Goldman was an anarchist, after all. Goldman was held up as a bogeyman, the terrible, scary anarchist who wanted to incite the people to riot and caused the President to be shot.

Since the 70s, she’s become better known and understood. Her life is a reminder that doing the work is exhausting and not without consequence. She was jailed multiple times, once for violating the Comstock Law by disseminating birth control information. She burned out, left the movement, came back. She struggled to live according to her belief in free love despite feeling jealousy and rejection at times.

I admire Goldman because of her ability to stand up for these things, and hold to her ideals, even when they were hard. She fought as hard as she could and stopped when she could do no more, but never gave up the ideals themselves. I honor that willingness and I aspire to it.

The free expression of the hopes and aspirations of a people is the greatest and only safety in a sane society.