Where I Stand!

I find it hard to know what to say. I don’t want to say the wrong thing or offend anyone. However, there comes a time when my silence feels like a betrayal. So here is my best attempt to put into words how I am feeling over recent injustices in our world. I know that I cannot understand the deep pain and grief of years of injustice that Black people, Hispanic people, Native American people, and more have felt.

I can choose to share my perspective and my heart for a more equal and just world. For the majority of my upbringing, I was raised in a bubble—a white, Christian, middle-class bubble. I did not interact with many people who looked different than me. At school, most people where white, and at church almost everyone was white, and in my home, we didn’t often discuss racism.

As I have gotten older, I see so much injustice around race. Some things that I didn’t even realize as a kid such as band-aids that are “skin” color are white. Recently, George Floyd has been murdered at the hands of police officers. The people that are supposed to protect and care for others are the ones who took advantage of their power and privilege.

I want to be clear that I believe there are a lot of good, kind, and justice-seeking police officers in the world. I also want to be clear that I believe there should be consequences for your actions despite your role in society.

My heart breaks over this senseless killing. Part of my sadness comes from knowing this is not the only display of racism in our country. There have been too many other painful examples and stories of people being treated differently or unfairly because of the color of their skin.

I want to be an ally, a support, a promoter of a more equal world. I believe Black Lives Matter. I am committed to treating people fairly. I am committed to creating a safe space and not tolerating harmful and hurtful language.

I am also committed to learning and humble enough to admit that I do not always recognize my privilege. I have seen so many incredible quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. lately, but the one that always strikes me in the heart is "The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”(Martin Luther King Jr.).

Ultimately, dear reader, I want you to know I care, this matters, our response to injustice matters, our silence matters. We must take a stand against racism, against oppression, and against cruelty.