Charlottesville joined with other cities yesterday to hold a demonstration. Smartly it was during the daytime. It started at the police station downtown and ended at Washington Park on Preston Avenue. I wish I could have participated to show my concern (seems like the wrong word - outrage might be more appropriate), but I didn't see how I could socially distance in a crowd of what turned out to be an estimated 1,000 people. Is that being selfish or smart?
I read an interesting article this morning about how the media is probably unintentionally masking the real problem in its coverage of the demonstrations. The violence in Minneapolis and other cities makes for "good" tv. And it provides cover for the real issue. And that issue is? Is it police brutality against blacks? Against anyone? Is it continued racism in our society? I fear that much like mass shootings, this anger we feel will pass with no changes. This movement - again, however it is to be defined -- needs a national leader, a champion who keeps this issue front and center in the country's consciousness until something is done. Even if there are guilty verdicts in Minnesota and Georgia, will they change anything? I fear (know) they won't.
As for me, I wish I knew what I could do to make a difference, to help eliminate racism in our society. I sit of the steps of the Rotunda each evening to meditate and all I see are people that look like me. Privileged white people whose only worry if we get stopped by a cop is whether we will get a ticket.
And I hope that someday I will be able to express my thoughts more precisely through the written word. 😕