For the last two months I have been in tears or close to tears. Every time I hear of someone dying unnecessarily from the Covid virus because they are poor, an immigrant, or an indigenous person, I cry. Every time I hear someone has to go to work without the proper health care or safety precautions because they need to survive, I cry. Every time I hear of a black man, woman, or child being harassed by a police officer who should not be on the streets, I cry. Every time I hear of a black man, or woman being killed by police officers who have no place carrying a badge, I cry. Every time I hear a person of color cry out “I can’t breathe,” I cry. Every time I hear of a political leader speak callous, cruel words because they want to exert their power, I cry. Every time our state or federal legislators refuse to acknowledge the humanity of every person in this country, Black, brown, yellow, white, womxn, man, LGBQT, or differently abled because they are poor or just different, I cry. Every time I hear white men with guns verbally and physically abusing those who disagree with them, I cry.
I am tired of crying.
All I want are the children of this country to grow up without tears, without pain, and without suffering. I want each child to know that those in authority care for them no matter their skin color, religious affiliation, or who they are. I want every child to know they are loved, cared for, because without the children we have no future, no life, no anything.
All I want are the people to recognize how racism, hate, white privilege and white supremacy are destroying our country. All I want is each person to be seen for who they are rather than what someone labels them. I want an end to the injustice meted out to people only because they are different from those who wrongly call themselves the elite. I want people to see each other as members of the same species, Homo sapiens sapiens, not different, all the same. I want the insanity of hate and greed of those in power to end. Is that too much to ask for?
I am tired of crying.
I am a white womxn, an old white womxn and am no longer able to go into the streets and carry banners, but I can scream, really loud. I am screaming right now, through my tears.
STOP HURTING EACH OTHER!
STOP KILLING EACH OTHER!
STOP TREATING EACH OTHER AS LESS THAN YOU!
START CARING FOR EACH OTHER!
START HOLDING EACH OTHER!
START FINDING HOW EACH OF YOU ARE ALIKE!
START LOVING EACH OTHERS’ DIFFERENCES!
BLACK LIVES MATTER!
WOMXNS’ LIVES MATTER!
HISPANIC LIVES MATTER!
ASIAN LIVES MATTER!
INDIGINEOUS LIVES MATTER!
LGBQT LIVES MATTER!
THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED LIVES MATTER!
YOU MATTER!
Ruth Jewell, ©June 1, 2020
A Quiet Walk 