I Need To Stop Turning Away From Hard Things

It’s been a couple of weeks since I posted on the blog. In this instance, it is intentional. I honestly did not know what to say. We were already dealing with weeks of stress and anxiety dealing with the coronavirus and the senseless murder of George Floyd at the hands (or knee) of a Minneapolis police officer. Since then, we have seen protests and riots not only in our country but around the world. It feels as though the world has turned upside down. I believe that as a white, middle-aged man, there is nothing I can say that would make any sense or that anyone would want to read. So, I sat and thought—a lot.

I grew up in a reasonably racially mixed school system in Texas. Race was never anything that I thought much about. I had friends of all races, and I always felt that I didn’t see color. After reading and hearing all the discussions over the last couple of weeks, I realize now that we all have some unconscious bias. Harmless as I may think they are, they are mean and cruel if you are the one they are directed at and are in a world where many have the same bias. The injustice towards one race for so long and to a much larger extent than I ever imagined is unspeakable. And that is the problem. As a society, our silence is the problem. Our turning our eyes and looking away is the problem. It’s not good enough to just not do harm.

Right now, today, it is about black lives, but the truth is we always turn away from hard things – gun control, mental health, drug addiction, tx reform, voter rights. It’s time we stop looking away.

To create change, we have to reexamine our own views and actions in light of a pain that is deeply felt but too often ignored. Issues of human dignity will not abide standing on the sidelines. – Tim Cook, Apple CEO
So what can we do?

First and foremost, listen, read, understand, get knowledge. Then use that knowledge to vote. Vote for people who will work hard to make a change, not just keep the cycle of injustice moving. Protesting is not my thing, but we need it, we need these voices to be heard. If it is your thing, I support you and support organizations that help you as well. Get active in local politics. I am on the school board, but not everyone needs to hold an office to have a voice. Visit your local and state politicians. Have a conversation with them, let them know where you stand and what you want and need from a representative. They are elected to represent you no matter what party they belong to, remind them of that.

I don’t want this to sound like so many of the businesses that are making statements. They seem right but are just words. I want everyone to know where I stand. I want to be part of the solution and not just more thoughts and prayers. Most importantly, I will stop turning away. I will stop thinking it doesn’t affect me because it does.