It's not just a moment

"Understanding makes tolerance unnecessary."  -Dan Wilkins

Most of the people who read this blog are probably well-intentioned.  That's good. We need as many good people in this world as we can get.  But if all you are is well-intentioned, you need to know that it's not enough.  We've been past the point of needing some changes in this country for a long time, but the time has finally come for things to actually change.  The recent shootings have helped the country see that this is a systemic problem we have with difference in our country.  That problem with difference starts with race, but includes many things, most obviously people of different sexual orientation or gender identity and people of different religions. These are not isolated incidents.  And this problem does NOT just affect marginalized people.  It affects all of us.  I'm not going to go in to how this broken system affects us all.  If you need me to, this is probably not the place for you. What I want to say is that it's time for all of us to be doing something.  All good-hearted people need to be taking action.  There are some of you who are not suited to being on the front lines.  Fine.  You don't need to march on Washington.  But you do need to be having conversations with people about what's happening.  You do need to say something when someone spouts bigotry at you.  You do need to be reaching out to people who are different than yourself.  And you do need to be reading things like this article, which talks about NBA player Carmelo Anthony and the actions he is taking to change this system of vilifying difference.  

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

By doing these things, you will be part of the solution, not the problem.  Tamika Catchings, one of the basketball players who was recently fined by the WNBA for wearing a black warm up shirt as a protest against the recent violence, said, "Now it’s not just about a conversation.  Now it’s about putting things into action, and making sure that together we keep that conversation alive, and we put forth the action behind that."  This isn't just a moment.  It's a process.  A process that will continue until it produces the necessary result, true equality for all people.  You can be a part of that process or we can be talking about you.

"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality."  -Dante