We are living in troubled times. Peaceful protests are turning into anger-fueled riots all over the United States. We hit the 100,000 mark for Covid-19 related deaths and the numbers are still climbing, albeit slowly now. Businesses that were barely able to open their doors after being closed due to the pandemic are now facing the potential of having to close forever after having been looted, vandalized, and in some cases burned.
This is not the first time in the history of our nation that we have born witness to troubling times, nor will it be the last.
Violence is Not The Answer
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The bigotry must stop!
The hatred must stop!
The divisiveness must stop!
But, it is not through violence and causing others pain that these vile things will stop. Violence only causes more divisions. It only causes more hatred. And, it only causes more bigotry.
There are some who will point to times in our history when they believe violence provoked change. But, I disagree. There were 46 years between the Stonewall riots and the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. Dr. Martin Luther King’s ethics of non-violence, and the non-violent protests and civil disobedience of his movement, were far more effective in bringing about changes in both local and national law than the calls for violence of Malcolm X or the actual violence of The Black Panthers. Likewise, the non-violent civil disobedience, and personal suffering, of the women’s suffrage movement engendered the passing of the 19th amendment.
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The use of the legal system, political pressure, non-violent civil disobedience and meaningful words brought about rights-based legislation in all three of those social movements: LGBTQ Rights; Civil Rights; Women’s Rights.
Violence did not bring about peace in Northern Ireland. Political discourse did.
It was through words of forgiveness, equality, and human rights used by Nelson Mandela and others in The African National Congress party that apartheid was toppled in South Africa.
And the ripples of the words of Mahatma Gandhi in his campaign to end British rule in India, words of peace and non-violence, are still felt throughout the world today.
Rioting and vandalism only create deeper chasms. They only hurt more people. And, most often these people are innocent bystanders. These types of violent acts may have momentary coverage in the news. But, they do not change hearts and minds on behalf of the people who have been truly victimized by the oppression of bigotry.
Silence is Not The Answer
“Don’t ever diminish the power of words. Words move hearts and hearts move limbs.”
~Hamza Yusuf
This morning I received a voice-text from my social media manager asking me if I wanted to go black on our Instagram and Facebook platforms. My immediate response was, “no.” Silence gets us nowhere. I understand the ideology of going black – posting nothing, but a black background – but, I don’t think it is the answer to how to make a difference in the face of bigotry.
We will continue to post about health and wellness. We will continue to post inspirational quotes and joyful words. AND, we will post about peace and the importance of light and hope in troubling times.
Being silent does not make sense of the deaths of people of color at the hands of the police. A recent National Public Radio story titled, “A Decade of Watching Black People Die,” reports that “the rate at which black Americans are killed by police is more than twice as high as the rate of white Americans.”
The heart-wrenching tragedy of this is that it’s not just a decade. This has been going on for the entire history of the United States.
And, when you add-in all of the overt and covert discrimination, including violence, against people because of their race, their ethnicity, their religion, their sex, their sexuality, their gender identity… the numbers are astounding and horrifying.
One might argue with me that this alone should be a call-to-arms, or at least to riots.
“All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
But, no. Words are stronger than violence. They last longer. And when used with calm and meaning they promote more change than violence ever did. If you want to engender change, take up your pen (or keyboard) and turn the world upside down as Friedrich Nietzsche did.
In speaking to ABC News’ “Nightline,” Patrice Cullors, the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter organization said, “everybody wants to be apologized to. Everybody wants to be told, ‘I’m sorry, what I did was wrong. It was unacceptable. We won’t do it again and, in fact, this is how we change.’”
A simple apology. A few simple words, followed by a few simple actions of reconciliation, would turn the animosity between the police and people of color upside down.
Bigotry is Bigotry no Matter at Whom it is Aimed
I was recently asked if I am a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement or the All Lives Matter movement. I am aligned with both and neither.
Black lives do matter!
All lives do matter!
And all people deserve to be free to walk… drive… live… without fear of being the victims of hate, violence, or discrimination of any kind! This includes people of all races, all ethnicities, all religions, all sexes, all sexualities, all identifications of gender – AND ALL PROFESSIONS! Yes, I’m talking about the police themselves.
The hatred, and hateful words, thrown at all police are discriminatory. Just because a person wears a police uniform does not mean that he or she is going to hurt someone because of the color of their skin.
This is yet another tragedy of our historical divisions of race. Because there are a minority of police officers who choose discrimination and violence we are seeing an outcry against all police. This too is bigotry.
Police officers put their personal safety, and sometimes their lives, on the line every day in this country. They deserve to be free of discrimination.
Yes, there are black people who commit crimes.
And, there are white people who commit crimes.
There are also police officers who commit crimes against black people and other people of color.
This does not mean that all black people, or people of color, commit crimes. Nor, does it mean that all police officers are racists.
Neither Violence, Nor Silence are The Answer
Stand up and speak. Speak with confidence. Speak with meaning. Speak your heart and your mind!
But, do it without anger or hatred. Speak with your meaningful words, not with violent hands.
Allow the “Marketplace of Ideas” to bring us to a higher place of understanding, compassion and peace.
JEN ROBINSON
Jen Robinson is the creative force behind the wellness brand Peaceful Living Wellness which is dedicated to providing a wide-variety of high-quality wellness information. Jen is also the creator of the Peaceful Living Wellness life coaching division, and offers workshops, individual and group coaching as well as retreats where she guides women in using Mindfulness and Mindset to build their inner strength on a foundation of inner peace. Jen also is the co-creator of the business coaching brand CEO Mindset that guides entrepreneurs in building their businesses without burning out.
The latest addition to her repertoire is that she recently signed-on as the Wellness Director for the business development company Wealthy Women Entrepreneurs . She is very excited to be leading this group of dynamic women entrepreneurs into success in their businesses and lives!
The most important part of Jen’s life are her two very active teenagers, AJ & Layna!
Jen’s Mindfulness and Mindset techniques inform her business, her parenting and her life!
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