I'm struggling. Struggling to write what needs to be said, to push through voices louder than mine. To be heard when no one seems to be listening anymore.
I'm broken. By the cries of the distraught, the families left to carry on. By the constant chatter about not wanting to live in a place like this any more.
I'm terrified. For my country. For my people. For everyone who has ever been American, in any form of the word.
This is our home.
Our tribe.
Our countrymen.
Which means something to me and no matter what you say, to you too.
America is just a plot of land. We are the dream. We are the ideals. We are the reality. Only can we, as a people, stand up and regain peace within ourselves. Within each other. Within our communities.
Asian-American, European-American, African-American, Native-American.
They are just labels and mean very little to me.
You are my brothers and sisters. You are American and I will defend your right to that with every beat of my heart. I think when bad things happen, we forget the beauty of our country. We forget to stand with each other in the face of evil. We let fear control us and that is when things truly get scary. Good people do irrational things when they are afraid. When did we come to fear our neighbors?
Do not turn on each other, America.
There are too many injustices, too many people with horrific agendas, for us to turn on each other. Uniting together, as we've done so many times before, is the only answer. Respecting each other, even if you do not like each other, even if you do not agree, is what will resolve the fear that plagues us.
We have achieved so much and even though we are not perfect, America is mine. To work on. To struggle with. To be broken and repaired by. To fear for and to mend. This is my home. You are my people. Not divided by race, age, gender, religion, class, job, or any other type you would like to throw in. I fight for you, all of you. I cannot believe that as a people, we are beyond repair. I cannot believe we have become "US" (whoever that is) against "THEM" (whoever they are). I can only see a "WE".
We are broken by irrational deaths.
We are left to pick up the pieces.
We are faced with corrupt practices and labels.
We need to fix a broken system.
We have lost respect for each other.
We have to find it again.
We have to explain to our children why.
We have to help however we can.
We...
I don't have all the answers and I've never pretended to. I ask a lot of stupid questions, say a lot of things that don't make sense to others and believe in different things. I'm not perfect. America isn't perfect. But I'm willing to fight for her.
Today is a hard day on all of our souls. We need each other, now more than ever.
Reach out to each other. Help someone with their groceries. Wave hello to a stranger. Ask the cashier how they are doing and truly listen to the answer. Get to know the people around you. Get off your phones. Stop reading the headlines and the yelling and the policies we should adopt or get rid of.
Change starts with us. You. Me.
It sounds cliche, but be the change. Love each other. Hug a stranger. Hurt with one another. Be proud that you have a family this big, that you have a whole country at your back willing to step up. We are with you, whoever you are. Find hope. That's what we're built on after all.
United We Stand
Divided We Fall
