It is a We problem

We are intertangled by our Nation history.

Hate, projected through a false sense of racial superiority, is our joint problem. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be placed in a victim’s framework because others insist upon viewing Human Beings as segmented by a distorted lens of ignorance. We have a responsibility to be hyper vigilant in countering the lies.

People will say it’s not my problem. I ask you to look at the state of our Nation, the extremism, polarization, an inability to even hold thoughtful, factual informed discourse. Hate continues to erode our potential, integrity, and capacity to live up to the ideals we love to claim our Nation was founded upon. Look around, are we truly the Land of Free, Home of the Brave, with a Right to pursue Happiness? Do we live and practice the principle that “all Human Beings are created Equal”?

We expended and continue to expend precious resources fighting to maintain a lie of our Nation’s history, downplaying atrocities committed against indigenous people, brutality and violence channeled to subjugate an entire segment population of people as chattel property. This same energy fuels a league of laws, rules, policies, practices, procedures, customs used to instill a racial caste system through every facet of our Nation’s political, social, economic structure. And it is perpetuated until this day. We are essentially wrestling with a denial that spans well over 400 years. It’s all been a horrible waste of Human potential.

We are at a pivotal point. We can double down on the lies, hate, ignorance, and violence towards all the diverse aspects of humanity setting a path for internal destruction. Or we can Stop. Just Stop lying about how our Nation was built. The lie that it was kicked started with a handful of settlers that pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and grit. We must start openly acknowledging, teaching, and advocating the truth of the hardships and contributions a broad spectrum of people and humanity that was and still is being funneled into our Nation, in the form of blood, sweat, tears, sacrifice, suffered indignities, and oppression. Even with all that many People continue to strive, pushing, fighting, calling and asking “ALL of US” to raise our Nation to heights yet seen. But first, we must acknowledge all that pain, hurt, violence, viciousness that raged throughout the history of our land soaking the soil with so much anguish, before we can get to healing, learning, growing and forgiveness. So many folks Love to refer to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a Dream” speech, while ignoring the truth telling and introspection demanded of Us before we can reach the crest of that mountain to overcome.

Stop denying the truths of how our Nation came about. If you want to claim our Nation, claim to be a patriot, claim to be a citizen, and claim to be an American, proudly. You must claim all the history, not pick and choose parts or portions, while glossing over or concealing the hurt meted out along OUR historical path. Just like any injury or wound, we must do the work, work towards authentic healing before we can authentically be that great Nation, through the application of social justice, acknowledged diversity, equitable treatment, and representation, nurturing inclusive environments, that sincerely embraces “all” people, so they know they belong. That’s Humanity, that’s Greatness, that’s recognizing All Human Beings are created equal, and that’s ture Democracy.

This is our call, “being” good people through demonstrated actions and deeds, not idle words. Not passivity, by saying “oh, I don’t commit harm”. Being a good person comes through work, to build a Nation and World that actively applies good towards all People. In hopes we can somehow negate the bad and hurt with an overwhelming life of contributed good, over time. To demonstrate all the pain, suffering and loss of Life fuels our passion in today’s time, to Be Brave, establishing and Inspiring Freedom, through Justice and Equality for All Human Beings throughout the World.

Take care.