2020-06-05
Now more than ever, it is our collective responsibility to think very seriously and critically about what gets in the way when we think about the dignity, safety, and humanity of others.
There is more we can do to ensure voices that have historically been oppressed, suppressed, rejected, or dismissed are heard no matter the reason, situation, or circumstance.
And there are a lot of them: a lot of voices, a lot of stories, and a lot of pain. I need to hear it. I have to hear it. It's hard and challenging, but it's extremely important.
We are in a chapter of human history that is changing at a pace that elicits strong emotions of all sorts. I may be one person, but I can commit to bettering myself as an ally, a colleague, a brother, a son, a friend, and a human being.
I'm crying more, reading more, listening more, and remembering more. It's not doing a lot to help, but it's what I'm doing and committing to. You're still reading this post and haven't scrolled past my wall of text, so I bet you're feeling the same way. Let's learn from each other along the way.
There's no such thing as a vaccine for hatred that even our smartest and most brilliant scientists can prepare. All the same, prioritizing patience, love, kindness, compassion, and understanding will help me be a little better and a little smarter today than I was yesterday. Tomorrow, I will do the same. This pursuit is a lifelong endeavour for me.
Black lives matter. Indigenous lives matter. The lives of people of colour matter. They matter a lot more than any of my privilege or any of my opinions or truths. They always have and always will. For times I haven't made that clear enough in the past whether implicitly or explicitly, it's time to take responsibility.