Once again, I awoke on Sunday morning to a nation grieving;
a nation that was grieving before I laid my head on my pillow, the night before;
a nation that has now become defined by hate.
Throughout the day, as I listened to reactions from
different segments of our society I was saddened by the violence, the death and
the hatred that precipitated it. Wave after wave of emotion washed over me.
Sadness was washed away with the heat of anger, to be pushed aside by the love
that cannot be quenched, as I watched the peaceful marches spring up from coast
to coast, and listened to the stories of Heather Heyer, who died as she had lived,
standing up for her friends.
Just as despondency would claim me, I would bear witness to
the spirit of goodness and love that was bringing people together, in peace, to
rise up and resist the forces of evil that circle us without ceasing. We will
not allow the elements of hate to smother us.
Ours is a country founded on promise and hope. It has
struggled before to reach that goal of liberty and justice for all. Yet, beyond
all reason, our country bears the standard of equal rights for everyone. At
least we did. Now we are a badge of discrimination. Our government as turned
against, Muslims, Mexican and other Hispanics. It is in apparent acceptance of
discrimination against people of color and Jews. It has disenfranchised the
Native Americans and more subtly taken away support for women and the less
fortunate.
But we are not finished yet. We will not be limited by the
views of hate groups and the narrow minded. We will not stand for the
exaltation of a select few. We are many and we are strong and we are the good
guys. We will walk in peace, hand-in-hand, to decry our love of this nation. We
will stand shoulder to shoulder to protect one another because this is one
country and we are one race. We are one spirit.
