Seeking peace amid pandemics and protests, June 03, 2020 Gratiana Lovelace (Post #1300)

 

As with many of us, I have been stunned beyond belief with even more killings of African Americans at the hands of the police in recent weeks—such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others–and the peaceful and other not so peaceful protests that have followed.

My city has also witnessed—and been subjected to– both  the peaceful coming together of our citizens to plead for social justice, as well as, violence and looting that have damaged stores across our community.

I feel and share the protestors outrage at the violence and death that continues to be directed at our fellow African American citizens.  But more violence is not the answer.

And I hope that the more peaceful protests will win out—and that initiating real institutional/structural change will make all citizens safe from their government’s lawless actions.

Perhaps the COVID 19 pandemic with us isolating/sheltering at home when possible, wondering about our own futures—our lives and our livelihoods—has made us complacent about the safety of others, when we are trying so hard to keep ourselves safe from illness and death.

But the pandemic  shouldn’t isolate us against our own humanity.  Our families, friends, and neighbors, etc.—and their well-being and their futures—are and should be just as important to us as our own in our communities and in our society.

And now is the time for us to speak up and to speak out again and often  about promoting social justice for everyone.  Whether our support for social justice is in our caring words,  our caring actions in participating in community groups advocating for change and transformation, or our financially supporting existing organizations like the Black Lives Matter movement and others.   Let us each do something positive and constructive.

So in a spirit of promoting a better world for ourselves and our neighbors, let us  lend our voices, our talents, our pennies, and our other support for social justice with hope and love and kindness for a better safe and more peaceful tomorrow, for everyone.