This weekend I sat on my front porch as I so often do, gazing at the Sierra Nevada and allowing my mind to day dream.  Normally, my thoughts are consumed with the feelings of joy and elation about the coming times when I will have my boots on, trekking poles clacking off the granite and my camera snapping images to savor on days when I am not at altitude.

This weekend was different.  My heart hurt.  It still hurts.  Violence, intolerance and madness has overcome this country.  Hate is the word of the day.  A man, George Floyd, was the latest casualty in a long line of deaths which could have been prevented.  His death serves as a reminder of the systemic racism which still continues to thrive in this country.  He was killed over an alleged $20 counterfeit bill.  He was killed by a knee to his neck which was in place for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.  The knee belonged to an officer of the law.  An officer of the Minneapolis Police Department.  A public servant.  A man sworn to protect and serve.  That same man is now facing a third degree murder charge and rightfully so.

I am not a person of color.  I have no way to ever understand the inherent struggle people of color face.  I do understand that I have the power to stand up and reject the current narrative.  I have a voice.  I can write about the way the system we exist in unfairly discriminates against people whose skin color is different than mine.  I believe that Black Lives Matter.  I believe that life matters.  I believe that the lives of those in Law Enforcement, matter.  The Buddha has taught me that life is both endless and subject to impermanence and uncertainty.  We are in uncertain times with society being in even a bigger upheaval than after we watched what happened to Rodney King. 

I do not condone the rioting, looting and violence which has been happening on city streets over the past few days.  I understand the reason why.  I understand the communities of people of color are hurting and will continue to hurt until something is done.  Over the past several years, peaceful protests happened.  Some on the local stage and others on a much grander stage. 

Colin Kaepernick knelt. 

America went ballistic.    

How dare he kneel to bring light to men being killed?  

Outrage had ramped from simmering to boiling.  Eric Garner, Michael Brown and now George Floyd.  So many others not named.  These men were killed while being arrested.  Does that give everyone the right to hate law enforcement or riot?  Not in the least.  Does it highlight a need to look at the system?  Undoubtedly, yes.  Were these men perfect?  Did they commit crimes?  No and yes.  But, losing their life because of it is not acceptable. 

Protests, mostly peaceful, have taken place in cities all around this country.  Protestors want to be heard.  They want to state their opinions and tell their stories.  The want to advocate for themselves.  They want a better life.  They want equality. 

Our founding fathers wrote about equality.  The found it so important as to place it into the Declaration of Independence. 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

This statement doesn’t differentiate between black, white, brown, pagan, religious, rich or poor.  It simply states that ALL are created equal.  And yet, true equality doesn’t exist when you look at data.  I have no desire to sit here and cite reports, statistics and numbers, but would do so willingly in private if you want to have a conversation about it.  A respectful and honest conversation.

I acknowledge the fact that I will never truly understand the struggle people of color face on a daily basis.  The worry about their son going out with friends to hang out in a park, play basketball or simply walk around and enjoy each other’s company without them being profiled and watched more carefully than their peers who do not share the same melatonin.  This is part of the definition of privilege.  I know that in this country, being Caucasian holds a privilege.  I acknowledge that.  I also know that while this blog may not reach hundreds of thousands of readers, it is my way to allow my voice to be heard. 

My voice may be nothing more than a whisper in the hurricane which now whips ugliness around all of us, but I say it to bring attention to the issue none-the-less.  I am not calling for shame on law enforcement.  I am not calling for shame to be felt by non-people-of-color.  I am calling for everyone to understand what has been happening.  I am calling for people to see inequality and change things. 

Today is being called “Black Out Tuesday” on social media platforms as a non-violent way to bring awareness to societal issues.  Stigmas need to change.  The way we look at people and act towards people, needs to change.  Our hearts need to change.  Our society, needs change. 

We need to change the way we treat people.  We need to focus on respecting ALL people.  This includes people of color, law enforcement (because in this time, many people will make them a scapegoat of sorts), gay people, transgender people, and so on and so forth.  We have a unique opportunity in the face of all this unrest to change things. 

Every blog ends with “Namaste”.  The ancient Sanskrit word means, “The Divine in me, honors the Divine in you.”  Yes, we are Divine.  We all contain divinity and universal brilliance. 

It is time to allow that brilliance to come through and advocate for your fellow humans. 

Black humans. 

Brown humans. 

Humans that wear badges. 

Humans that wear ties. 

Humans that teach. 

Humans that work in sweatshops. 

Humans that are disabled.

Humans in poverty.

Humans with privilege.

Humans with mental challenges.

Humans who are suffering.

Yes.  All of these humans are worthy of advocating for.  Today, I stand with humanity and take a stance against racism, oppression and violence.  Far too long we have allowed inequality to exist.  It is time to bring the issue to the front and make this a more ardent society full of people who love, respect and honor their fellow human.

“Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time.”

Namaste, friends.