WTF is going on with this world? I need to say a few things because I’m sick to my stomach. Between the ignorance of people not getting the absolute seriousness of this pandemic; it is undeniable with now over 100,000 lives being taken from Covid-19, and the absolute lack of human compassion and love for one another as human beings, I feel like we are now one step closer to what I see as a Civil War.
I stand still each day, staying calm, patient, loving and kind. I pray each day and night for my family, friends and neighbors, that they may be safe, as well as for each person who feeds off of hate which resides deep inside themselves; hoping they will get the impact of what their hateful words and actions are doing to the world.
We all have a responsibility as human beings to take care of this world and the people that reside here, until they leave this planet. We have a responsibility to be the change we want to see in others. We have a responsibility to practice love over hate and to practice peaceful protesting to share our voices and what we feel. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves around the facts and not the lies that are spread to ignite the hate that we all have the potential of feeding if we let ourselves feed on it. But we all have a choice. We all get to decide what actions we can take to be heard and be seen. Reacting is not the way. Taking smart actions will always provide a powerful result.
I look at how this pandemic, and now these hate crimes, are being spun out of context and how The President and all the people in charge react. No one wants to stand up and admit their wrongs, make amends and create true equality, peace and do what’s best for the human being.
And I am so embarrassed with how The President has a reacted and continues to react each day; I cringe when I wake to see what ignorant, narcissistic, childlike, psychopathic, non-leadership statement has come out of his mouth. It’s hard to stay quiet now.
And so this is what I want to say. I am white and I am and have been privileged.
And while my heritage is half Spanish / Puerto Rican, as my last name is Vazquez, I don’t look ethnic and so I am “safe”. I am embarrassed by all the white leaders, high figures and white supremacists in general; how so many they have acted and how they continue to act. (I’m not talking about those who do stand for goodness and do have the human beings best interest at hand. But they are far and few between). It’s like there’s this HUGE ELEPHANT walking around the states and no real leader or high figure is calling it out… because they are for themselves; not for equality.
I don’t know what to say except, I’m sorry. I sorry for all the racism every non-white person has experience their entire lives. If no one is gonna have the balls to say it, I as a human being am saying it. I am sorry you have to fear walking down a street, jogging in a neighborhood, trying to be a better person and try to do what’s right but because of your skin color, a person mistakes you for wanting to harm a individual rather than your simply wanting to help a neighbor out; with a flat tire, with directions, with a child that looks lost. I am sorry you are not considered an equal.
And what I also want to say is, don’t let the haters win. How do you make them win? You feed off of their reactions. The haters right now, the white supremacists, they want to get you riled up so you react and be violent and do things you normally would not do. They want to get you to react and lash out so they can say, “You see, people of color are bad. They are violent. They need to be put in their place.” Don’t let them win. Take a step back. Share with your community how being involved in smart, grounded peaceful protests get more leverage out of a situation. By being violent, you are just giving the haters more reason to point a finger at you. But if you remain proactive, and take action grounded in love, rather than reacting to the haters’ own ignorance, which would make you no better than they are, you will, as a whole, become a powerful force around getting justice. It’s a good thing that light is being shined on the darkness. So let’s use smart measures to get justice. We all have to be the change. Look at what Martin Luther King did.
Anyway, that’s what I needed to say. I do my best to love others and treat others as I want to be treated. I do it imperfectly at times, but when I do, I immediately take ownership for any wrong I’ve done.
I am sending love, light and healing to every one of you. And I do hope that we don’t feed the fire, I hope we all stand for justice peacefully and I hope this pandemic does not ignite another stage of spikes in cases from all the protesting. Stay safe. Peacefully protect. Be the light this world needs right now.
All photos by Jennifer Vazquez