First, the world stopped turning. Then, it started burning.
The current state we are living in is affecting all of us. At the moment, we feel so much it is hard to think. We have been looking for the words to say, and found some, but are still standing here with more questions than answers. We know we are not alone.
After watching the video of George Floyd’s murder and witnessing the aftermath, many have lost or abandoned their trust in the American Police system. These crimes are disgusting. We stand together with everyone against the despicable sins that are the murder, mistreatment, violence and torture that exists within our society. There should be no room for this. In order to drown out this malice and evil, we need to flood the barren void where sin lives with love, grace, education, respect and understanding. One life is too many to lose, yet we find ourselves in a nightmarish pattern of authoritative murders and unjustified killings. It is time to wake up.
Freedom is not defined by our similarities. Our unity does not mean we are all the same. Can you imagine how life would be if originality seized to exist?
If everything were the same, we would be left with no choices to make. There would be no different paths to walk. There would be no different voices to listen to.
Diversity is the foundation of freedom.
These coarse times are grinding everyone down, and even those with the thickest skin are now raw and hypersensitive to the touch. It is imperative that we stay tough, fight through the pain and the haze it brings, and continue to focus on our true objective.
Standing in solidarity as a community is imperative. We need to support one another and we need to unify. However, as we stand together as one, we must not lose our individual identities that bring diversity to our cause. Each one of us has different qualities, and these very differences are the biggest strength of our cause and society.
Many people, businesses, brands, and entire industries have shared statements to show that they align with the people. It is a nice sentiment, and I believe that they want change. However, I don't know how parroting out the same meme, the same black square or amplifying more sounds from the echo chamber is a contribution to the cause. It is noise. It is a homogenous buzz drowning out the voices of those who are screaming to be heard. We need to think before we act — and we need to think fast. If we continue to allow others to do our thinking, we will be nothing but controlled idiots.
I do believe that people align or agree with the messages they are sharing, however, I would like to see and hear some original thought. Many of us have our own thoughts and feelings and it is time to address, articulate and share them rather than accepting and distributing the words of others that align with a popular opinion. Before we share the information we are given, we need to absorb it.
We have been walking the yellow brick road for quite sometime now and are nearing the end. For so many of us, the journey really did feel like a dream, but as we approach the Emerald City, it appears that this illusion is much more of a nightmare than it is a dream.
We must prepare ourselves before we get to look behind the Emerald Curtain and see what small creature is behind the controls. We must articulate where we stand and what we believe in before this great reveal. We must establish our individuality and know where we stand so that we do not simply adopt the values of another system that will condition us to justify certain moral and ethical decisions. It is time to compose and develop habits for change.
We all may be running late to the symphony of change that needs to happen, but we are on our way, and would like to believe that we are headed in the right direction. We need to maintain synchronicity in tempo and rhythm. We need to all play in the same key and we need to all play our own instruments. Our symphony of love can only be performed if all of us show up with something to bring. Millions cannot share the same horn or violin.
We must control our emotional reflex, examine our feelings and not JUST listen — but think and discern about what is happening before we act.
We need to come together to end this pattern of violence and murder. We need all of us to think and not just blindly follow. We need to control our reactions so that we don't undermine our cause. If you are angry and need to act out, please do not punish those in our community who have done no wrong.
If you are going to burn anything — torch the Emerald Curtain.
If you are going to steal anything — steal back the power we voted away.
If you are going to kill anything — kill stereotypes.
If you are going to trust in anything — trust in love.
We stand against police violence and are so sorry for the family and friends of George Floyd, as well as all others who have suffered as a result of bigotry, racism, ignorance and intolerance. Although we may not be able to specifically sympathize with the pain that the Black community faces, we listen and are empathetic to the equality demanded. We will continue to stand with you, walk with you, sit with you, kneel with you and lay with you. We will be by your sides and by your backs for as long as this battle lasts. We will do this because we love you.
We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on how we can take action as both an organization and individuals to make our world a better place.
Peter Pan, The MAC & Loser Angeles
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