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How could it not be an evening for a thread? 
Finally able to pull myself from the hours of watching it all unfold. And while it is tempting and easy to go there, feel so strong that this cannot just be a moment for outrage, finger-pointing and moralizing.
Finally able to pull myself from the hours of watching it all unfold. And while it is tempting and easy to go there, feel so strong that this cannot just be a moment for outrage, finger-pointing and moralizing.
It has to be an evening for reflection and facing grim truths; yet also of seeing and believing that people can and do make real change happen.
It has after all been a day of both DC and Georgia.
It has after all been a day of both DC and Georgia.
For all who assert: this is not who we are, this is not America, it wouldnât happen in Canada.
It is, it could and it does. But it should not and need not be.
It is, it could and it does. But it should not and need not be.
No place for exceptionalism & racism of: not possible in greatest country ever, beacon of democracy, something worthy of a âbanana republicâ.
That nonsense is thin veneer at best. This ugly insurrection puts the lie to what lurks beneath.
And no moral high road for Canadians.
That nonsense is thin veneer at best. This ugly insurrection puts the lie to what lurks beneath.
And no moral high road for Canadians.
So easy for so many to profess: didnât see this coming, how could this happen?
It has been long coming, not just since Nov 4 & not just since Jan 20 2017. Been coming since forever & happens because we let it happen. Sometimes in slow motion, other times at the speed of light.
It has been long coming, not just since Nov 4 & not just since Jan 20 2017. Been coming since forever & happens because we let it happen. Sometimes in slow motion, other times at the speed of light.
It is spurred on and enabled in ways both blatant and insidious. And we fool no one to pretend we are surprised, unaware or not responsible.
So what do I take forward?
So what do I take forward?
1/ Defend truth, always. Celebrate, lift up and join those who seek it, impart it and fight for it.
2/ Make solidarity your mantra. My own white and male privilege and good fortune are immense, and I continue to need to learn and challenge myself to share and cede that power.
3/ Never, ever turn away from racism, sexism or bigotry. Rejecting hate always matters, no matter how large or small, no matter that it would often be easier to look or walk away.
4/ Question & reimagine what is law, what brings order, & for whom. The blatant double standard in the massive security response to BLM protests against racism in the summer & lackluster, slow response to todayâs readily anticipated insurrection against democracy speaks volumes.
5/ Know and exercise your power. Vote. Engage. Serve. Mobilize.
Change goes nowhere if it isnât dreamed possible and if it doesnât start with me, with you, with us.
Change goes nowhere if it isnât dreamed possible and if it doesnât start with me, with you, with us.
