[“GOOD MEN trashed,” Cambridge Common, Cambridge, MA]
Here we are again. Another slaughter and its ghastly, rote aftermath of stunned horror and outrage and flowers strewn, impromptu shrines erected—and prayer meetings and stand-outs and the NRA not missing a beat to issue its usual, obdurate public statement and, again, demands for gun control and better mental health policies and politicians spouting whatever they believe plays best with their constituency: “Tear down that Confederate flag!” “It was an accident!”
And something stunningly different: The families of the victims uttering the word “forgiveness.” Oh, my.
As I contemplate what I am called to do in the face of another horror perpetuated by another slight, white young man—Dylan Roof, Jahar Tsarnaev, James Holmes, Adam Lanza, Elliot Rodger, Dylan Klebold—those young men’s wide eyes haunt me, beg me to pay attention to the pain behind their eyes. Ask me to at least pray over that pain. Ask me to consider—with compassion if possible—why these young, slight, American males* murdered school children or movie-goers or families watching the Boston Marathon or college students on a Friday night or people of color in the sanctuary of their own church.
That the Emanuel [God is with us] African Methodist Episcopal Church victims’ families offered forgiveness as their contribution to our mourning nation’s conversation BEGS us to get beyond rhetoric and “We’re all complicit” and stridency. Yes, by all means let’s talk about slavery and racism and the white supremacy movement and mental illness and gun control; absolutely. And let’s talk about violence, war, let’s talk about bullying, messaging, gender expectations; let’s connect dots. Let’s get to work, the hard work of going deep, searching, praying for guidance. Yes.
* Jahar Tsarnaev was naturalized on September 11, 2012
Dear Patricia,
Hi, there, Patricia, my so, so very dearly special and dearest, so very precious white sisterfriend who you are For Always so, so very much!!!!!! I thank-you so, so very profusely from my heart, straight from my very heart from the very deepest depths of my very heart for this very touching, moving, heartfelt, beautiful and lovely blog post article of yours, sister!!!!!! You have touched and moved my very heart, sisterfriend, with this deep blog post article, and your For Always love, concern, awareness, sensitivity, support, validation, recognition, and acknowledgement of me as a black woman, and for other blacks and nonwhite persons, my special and precious sister!!!!!! Patricia, your very heartfelt and heartmoving concern and outrage over the latest and continuing vast racist atrocities has so, so very dearly and tenderly touched and moved this black woman’s very heart, and very heart, soul, and spirit, my preciously dearest and special white sisterfriend, Patricia!!!!!! Sister, I, too, am so amazed by the offering of forgiveness from the murder victims’s families-they are showing the Very True Heart and Spirit of our Sweet Jesus in doing so! I know that this cannot be very easy for them to do!!!!!!!!!!
Patricia, you are very much indeed For Always a wondrously wonderful white woman who is my so, so very empowering and steadfast, diligent and conscientious white anti-racist ally and sister, as well as a dearest and precious sisterfriend as well to other blacks and persons of color!!!!!! You and what you do from your very heart, my sister Christian, just mean the world to me and so, so very much to me in my very heart, Patricia!!!!!! It is wondrously wonderful people like you, Patricia, who do this black woman’s heart, and very heart, soul, and spirit such greatly eternal immense and immeasurable blessings and such great good!!!!!! Patricia, you keep my For Always very faith and hope alive with my For Always positive optimism!!!!!! Thank-you!!!!!!
My wondrously wonderful and very dearly precious white sisterfriend, I think that it is very important for me as a black person to avoid stereotyping all white men based on what some persons who happen to be white men have done in such a cruel, vile, and heinous manner, sister! I must For Always remember no matter what that there are still for certain good white men out there who can be influenced toward dismantling and ending racism, discrimination, and racist inequities. I know that it can be hard at times in a way for me as a black person to be sure to keep in mind not too overgeneralize about white men when it seems like there is a kind of trend of people who happen to be white men doing these evil and vast atrocities, but I must For Always take responsibility and be sure to For Always know that white men are human beings, too, and to be sure to avoid stereotyping white men in a very general sense based upon the actions of some persons who happen to be white men, Patricia.
Patricia, I thank-you so for this very great and precious gift and a blessing of this great and inspirational, very soulful and Spirit-filled blog post article, my friend!!!!!! Please have a totally terrific and a very thrilling Tuesday, and may all of your days be so, so very especially blessed, Patricia!!!!!!
Very Warmly and Sincerely For Always, my special white sister, Patricia, with Peace and Love To You For Always, my so very dear white sisterfriend, with Blessings and Even More Blessings To You For Always my sisterfriend Christian,
Your Christian lesbian black sisterfriend For Always in solidarity, Sherry Gordon