THE REALITY
The list never ends. Corruption. Nor does turning our minds and attention away from the grim realities as soon as the dust settles after a new horror unfolds. Implosion and evasion.
SO WHAT NOW?
What are we doing to do this time that might help make a difference -- no matter how small or insignficant our individual actions may seem? What?
It is indeed everyone's problem and our responsibility to do something. Is it really enough to just opine about our diverse viewpoints to whoever will listen? We are all witnessing our democracy erode and corrode. We literally see the graphic, horrendous video clips of the murders of innocent citizens. The words inequality and racism no longer come close to describing what's really happening right before our eyes. Honestly, does a fully descriptive or horrific enough word for it even exist?
TIME FOR BRUTAL HONESTY -- WITH OURSELVES
Let's self-audit our true selves with brutal honesty. Do we feel hate, bias or both toward others? What are our true values, beliefs and biases? Are we racists ? Not us, we say. Yet, silence and inaction when action is so desperately needed by everyone may still fall under racism or at the very least, a corrosive and destructive apathy.
And, if we have been silent, we cannot afford to wait another day without questioning our silence -- our inactivity in helping to do something -- vs. opting to keep our heads turned away from it all. So - what is that first step we each need to make? What is our plan?
Another way to query ourselves is to ask -- How much do we really care? If not enough to do anything at all then we must accept that we are choosing to let others "fix" this, that we prefer to keep our heads in the sand and hope for the best. Or -- we can decide to make a difference one voice, one step and one non-violent, constructive action at a time. Waiting for another day, another "tomorrow" doesn't work - never has - but now, our country and democracy are running out of time.
Corruption. Implosion. Evasion.
WHERE TO START
One starting pointing for combatting our country’s racism and related ugliness is by supporting worthy organizations dedicated to constructive change. They are out there -- in our local communities, statewide and nationally. We can do internet searches to explore which organizations we want to support, where to donate and more (e.g. for starters, see FastCompany.com's 5/31/20 suggestions). So is our decision to march peacefully, to volunteer or to make financial donations? Whatever we do - big or small - adds a bit more hope for us all and honors the unfairly shortened lives of GeorgeFloyd, AhmaudArbery, TamirRice, Breonna Taylor and so very many others -- the known and unknown.
Please share your specific suggestions in the comment section below. If nothing else, I hope each of us makes a plan for doing our part to stop the corruption amongst us, the implosions that only keep growing and the evasion of our minds from the ugliness around us.
