Hunted

Summary

The website content discusses the July theme "Hunted" for the Weeds & Wildflowers newsletter, reflecting on the recent stripping of rights by the U.S. Supreme Court and the impact on women and minorities, while also celebrating the newsletter's growth and community engagement.

Abstract

The July edition of Weeds & Wildflowers, a newsletter with a growing following of over 2,000, has chosen "Hunted" as its writing prompt and banner theme. This choice is a direct response to the recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court, which have resulted in the erosion of rights for women and minority groups, likened to being hunted. The author, Dennett, expresses a sense of regression in societal progress and a feeling of anger and hopelessness about the current political climate. Despite the publication's non-political nature, the author feels compelled to address these issues, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. The theme is open to various interpretations, from the literal hunting by a raptor to the metaphorical hunting of rights and freedoms. The newsletter also thanks contributors and celebrates its milestone of reaching 2,000 followers.

Opinions

The author believes that the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decisions are stripping away the rights of women and minorities, akin to hunting them.
There is a palpable sense of frustration and despair over the regression of women's rights and the broader implications for democracy in the United States.
The author feels that the current political situation is an exceptional circumstance that justifies a deviation from the newsletter's usual apolitical stance.
The theme "Hunted" is intentionally chosen to reflect the gravity of the situation and to encourage writers to explore its various interpretations.
The author expresses gratitude for the community's support and growth, highlighting the importance of the publication's followers and contributors.

July Writing Prompt & Banner

Photo by Ronald C. Flores-Gunkle / American Kestrel / Used with Permission

Ronald Flores-Gunkle kindly allowed me to use his photo of an American Kestrel for our July Weeds & Wildflowers banner. I chose this photo because the bird is so striking. Now, a couple of weeks after I asked his permission and after recent United States Supreme Court decisions, having a raptor as our mascot for July seems very appropriate.

Women and all other minorities in the United States are being hunted by the highest court in our land. Our rights are being stripped, one after another, after another, after another. Voting rights and abortion rights are two of many. Same-sex marriage and contraception rights are sure to follow. When the SC withholds its protection, states are free to abolish even more rights and that’s exactly what they’re doing.

If you’re a woman or belong to a minority group in the United States and you don’t feel as though there’s a target on your back, you aren’t paying attention. We are being hunted as surely as this American Kestrel will hunt a mouse. Certainly and sadly, this has always been true for all minorities in America. But, women, in general, have made progress in recent decades.

Now, we are regressing — rapidly.

And, let’s not forget that our democracy was in the crosshairs of a megalomaniac who came frighteningly close to a coup and continues to hunt for ways to restore his power. Democracy is his hunted prey.

I could go on and on but writing this leaves me feeling angrier and more hopeless. I never intended Weeds & Wildflowers to be a political publication, but I think what’s happening now is an exceptional reason to change my intentions for this newsletter.

So, our July prompt is Hunted, using whatever definition you choose. I went political here, but you can use the word more literally, as in the raptor hunting prey, a person hunting for a life path, or take it in any direction you choose. Please use Writing Prompt Response as one of your tags on your submissions.

Thank you, LM, for allowing us to enjoy your photo as our June banner, and thanks to all who submitted responses to the prompt Boundless Beauty.

Please keep in mind that our prompts have no deadlines or expiration dates.

I also want to mention that Weeds & Wildflowers hit the 2,000 follower milestone this month! When I started this little publication, I never imagined that there’d be a day when 2,000 people would follow it.

A huge thank you to all who follow Weeds & Wildflowers and to all who contribute here.

You are the best!