Friday is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, and Monday most Americans are off work to honor this man, as a holiday. As we prepare for the three day weekend, I am reminded of the ideals and actions that drove King to be a hero of the civil rights movement. Based on where we are today, and what needs to happen, I suggest a Wednesday Word that we need to make sure we are NOT:
apathy
ˈa-pə-thē
NOUN
lack of feeling or emotion : impassiveness
lack of interest or concern : indifference
Apathy is exactly what Dr. King struggled with in many of his white supporters. Benjamin Franklin said, "Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are." In the Black Lives Matter movement that we are in today, that's us, white people. We need to get mad about the shooting of unarmed men and women of color. We need to get mad when there are no consequences for these unnecessary uses of force. We need to get mad when police are deployed in a totally different manner with the demonstrators are primarily white.
Hate the police? No way! They are here to protect and to serve. They are community helpers, and are vital to citizen safety. But they need more training, more tools, and the ones who are taking advantage of their position to terrorize, antagonize, and injure others need to be removed. There should be no "brotherhood" where one covers for the unlawful actions of another. There should be no line because of a uniform. "Protect and Serve" means the community, not fellow officers.
It's time for everyone to take a stand. Be vocal. Don't let it "slide". Post about it on social media. Call offices of officials who are involved in wrongdoing. Send emails. Talk to your friends and family about these issues. Don't be silent. Don't be apathetic.
The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people. ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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