When you say nothing…

Last night at dinner, my 7-year-old asked why all the grown ups were so upset. We spoke to him about what happened to George Floyd. Being a white mother trying to explain racism and bigotry to her white son, who did not understand why anyone would treat another human being that way, was heartbreaking. But not nearly as heartbreaking as being a victim of one of these senseless, violent, unconscionable crimes. Not nearly as heartbreaking as being one of the families who have experienced loss and harassment and discrimination daily. Not nearly as heartbreaking as being a mother who lives in fear of what will happen to her children in this world. I grew up going to church. We were taught that we were all the same in the eyes of God. We all breathe the same air. We all bleed the same blood. But that is not what I grew up seeing. It was as hard for me to reconcile the difference between what I was taught in church and what I see in the world. I don't want that for my kids. Or for yours. We have to be held accountable for what is happening in this country. What happened to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery - and countless others - can not go without justice. Please talk to your children about racism, privilege, bigotry and hate. If you aren't talking to them, someone else is. Regarding comments: I urge you to share this space for meaningful discussion, not hate. There is enough hate in the world. I hope this can be a space for discussion, understanding, growth and LOVE. We all need more of that.

We didn't have Martin Luther King, jr where I grew up. We had Mandela. *Watch Invictus* ✊🏽✊🏿✊🏾

There’s so much unrest in our nation now. Just when we were adjusting to our new normal because of COVID-19, we’re now being faced with a national divide over the death of George Floyd.

It’s beyond sad, frustrating, and infuriating, to say the least. To be honest, there aren’t words that would it justice at all and that’s what we’re all seeking now. From our leaders on down we’ve known of the deficiencies and have been living with it partly, I’m sure, because we feel we had to. We’re living our daily lives and just trying to get by, while our government makes decisions on our behalf that don’t do us any good. But we deal with it.

The time for dealing with it all is over. We’re not only exhausted, but we’re also done being treated horribly while working to keep our government employed. After all, they work for us. We pay their salaries.

We’re looking for answers, for help, for understanding. When we don’t get any of that, people get angry and we’ve had time to let it marinate. Most of the population has been kept inside without much to do aside from watch TV. Not that our Country wouldn’t be paying attention normally, it’s that we’re all hyper-aware in this moment. People are understandably angry and want answers, and most importantly they want JUSTICE. We want it for George Floyd and all those that came before him. We also want to know that it’s our voices that are heard above the desk in the Oval Office, and instead, replace them. Let them truly speak for us, their voices and words reflecting our needs and not that of their own. The goal of government should not be to make their own pockets fatter while the majority of the country’s population suffers financially, now with disease and fear.

This is the land of the free. Our voices should be heard.

" Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter " - MLK Jr. 🤎