To those who took me to task for last week’s newsletter, I have one thing to say. Thank You! You opened my eyes.
I had praised the angry but peaceful protesters insisting black lives matter while disparaging “the looters and arsonists” for their senseless acts of destruction that had nothing to do with social justice.
And then you, my beloved community, showed me the light.
“Two wrongs do not make a right,” one woman wrote. “But when those four police murdered George Floyd and all the others, too numerous to mention, they broke the contract of good conduct. If the law enforcement agency cannot follow the law themselves how do they expect others to do so?”
Another reminded me that peaceful protests “made it easy for many White Americans to turn a blind eye to the sufferings of African-Americans, to explain away mistreatment. But the damages have meant that people can no longer look away. Instead it has caused many to look inside at their privilege and find ways they can help dismantle it.”
I still can’t justify violence. Yet I have to admit, people are paying attention, springing into action like never before. But there must be other ways, better ways, to generate change.
Perhaps Ghandi said it best: “If you change how you think then you will change how you feel and what actions you take. And so the world around you will change.”
I’ve been following Ghandi’s guidance. It’s been powerful. If you care to join me, begin by asking—How must I change my thinking to create a just, compassionate and loving world?
Please share your answer with me. I really want to hear from you.
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