Like so many, I lie awake through the night these past four days looking at the news and the horror of the violence occurring across our country. On top of all the suffering our world has experienced over the Coronavirus, there is more… WE have all already had enough tragedy, pain and suffering for those family members who lost loved ones to the virus, the economic impact on so many, parents and individuals wondering if they would have enough food. Then this, thinking of the tragic violence, and yet more pain and suffering of so many triggered by the brutalization of a victim whose crimes we do not even know yet, but no matter what they were, we understand the actions taken that lead to his untimely and unnecessary death, are wrong!
๐ฉ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ. History has taught us many valuable lessons in this regard. We cannot and should not ignore these lessons or we are doomed to make the same mistakes or worse to accept and continue to allow pain and suffering to be inflicted on oppressed people. We tragically again witness the death of a man who was brutalized by power, by individuals who believed they were justified and worse who believed they had the power and right to inflict pain on another individual whether the intent was to kill this man or just subdue himโฆThis man who has a family who loved him, friends who cared about him, a man whose has a name, George Floyd.
๐๐จ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐ง, ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ, ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ญ๐ญ, ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฑ๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง, ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฒ, ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ซโฆโฆโฆโฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง.
In July 2014, an observer captured the dying words of a man being subdued by the police, โI canโt Breathโ the dying words of Eric Gardner. On May 25, 2020 those same words were recorded, the last words of George Floyd โI canโt Breathโ.
Since January 1,2015 the number of deaths from police shootings broken down by race: White-2,385, Black-1,252, Hispanic โ 877, Other- 214. These are individuals but when you look at the percentage of the specific population a more vivid picture evolves, the percentage per million: Blacks-30%, Hispanic-22%, Whites -12%, Other โ 4%.
How do we make these numbers count for something real? How do we stop these tragedies from reoccurring over and over? Is looting the answer, is attacking the police the answer, is starting fires the answer? In a rational moment very few people would answer yes to that. ๐ป๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐คโ๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ง๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ, ๐คโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ โ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐กโ๐๐๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐. Unfortunately, this very basic instinctual response creates the opposite of empathy and very often from those in power. Power to continually oppress. Have we not unfortunately been exposed to that rhetoric in these past days from some very high ranking political leaders? Of course, not all, but how then do we help bring about the change we so desperately need, to ensure voices are not only heard, but treated with dignity, respect and to collectively bring an impact for real change.
We collectively raise our voices, not our sticks. Again, I say ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ. If we look at some of the most significant movements in our history where individuals rose-up in peaceful but meaningful uprisings to bring about change, we would see the likes of Mahatma Gandhi who helped the world understand the importance of a nonviolent approach to solving conflicts. Even Nelson Mandela who spent his life fighting anti-apartheid (at times willing to use violence) later in life spoke to lessons he had learned and the power of non-violence. At the age of 88, Mandela spoke of Gandhiโs โ satyagrahaโ or non-violent movement โHis philosophy contributed in no small measure to bringing about a peaceful transformation in South Africa and in healing the destructive human divisions that had been spawned by the abhorrent practice of apartheidโ Mandela went on to refer to Gandhi as โthe sacred warriorโ โMahatma combined ethics and morality with steely resolve that refused to compromise with the oppressor, the British Empireโฆ.In a world driven by violence and strife, Gandhiโs message of peace and non-violence holds the key to human survival in the 21st centuryโ Nelson Mandela.
So as I stated in my opening ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ. and hopefully we all know where that phrase comes from:
โ๐ฏ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐; ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐; ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐โฆ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐.โ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐.
Enough violence, enough discrimination, enough inequality, it is time we all combine our โethics and morality into a steely resolve and refuse to compromise with those that would continue to oppressโ no matter the reason or the individuals or groups who are being targeted and to remember the acts of a few individuals does not represent the collective. Not all police officers are unethical and immoral, but when the system uncovers those that there are it cannot ignore or hide the truth. No-one should fear the individuals who are intended to signify safety and protection. If allowed, they can and should be part of the solution. After all they too are a force made up of our community members and a dialogue needs to happen. However, with threats of violence that dialogue cannot and will not happen.
๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ. It is what we all need to promote at this time in order for our nation to heal and move forward towards justice and fairness for all no matter the color of our skin or the money or lack of money in our pockets.
๐ด๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. Part of human nature is that we all develop prejudice as we grow and learn from our surroundings not only from those who raise us, but from all the experiences we have as growing children. From experiences that brought us happiness to those that brought us fear, or those that are different from us. Humans are not born with predetermined prejudice, it is a learned experience. When we understand that and can look at our own prejudices that is when we have the ability to change our response.
๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง.๐ค
-Sandy Soroka, Executive Director
