Anyone who took the time to read my last post, may be a little surprised at what I say next.

Beneath all of the sadness and hiding behind all of the outrage…was pride. Yes, you heard me, Pride!

Why? What on Earth was there to be proud of??

US!!

Not just the above us, but…

THIS US!!

The us that stood together – shoulder to shoulder, our voices mingling – to protest our displeasure. Displeasure with a culture that hasn’t yet gotten over its biases. Displeasure at how cases, involving our children, are handled. Displeasure at how our laws are written. Displeasure at how our justice system works.

A large number of Americans – all across the nation – came together for a common cause. No matter our respective “colors”. How’s that for tasting the rainbow? You’re proud, too, right?

(Feel the but coming?)

But with that being said, many of us know that we are not headed for the pot of gold. We know that our (individual) voices are often marginalized, if not silenced.

And as much pride as I have in what we did above, I fear that we won’t use that momentum going forward.

That is because each of us is guilty. We are guilty of paying especially rapt attention to the hot-button issues that touch us on a personal level. And..we are ALL guilty of not paying (as much) attention to the suffering of others. Sure, we are quick to jump to the defense of someone who has been blatantly wronged and gets enough media coverage (which seems to be up to fate). But, then what? We have a tendency to return to our respective corner, lick our wounds, and rest up for the next assault against our rights.

I, as a non-wealthy, cisgendered, black woman, have my own problems. (You do, too. Am I right?) Sometimes it is difficult to step out of my shoes and into someone else’s. Further, it is extremely easy to focus on what matters to me, to the exclusion of all else.

I was as guilty as anyone else. I spoke out against an injustice, here or there. I volunteered for a campaign or two. And I was proud of it. But, I have come to realize that is not enough. Not by a country mile.

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable…Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. – MLK

We must combine our grievances to fight for the common good. We can not afford to become so encapsulated in our little bubbles, that we forget about the gay couple who asks only the freedom to marry. We can not focus all of our energy on the plight of the woman when our oceans are becoming more acidic by the day. It would be a mistake to disregard the plight of the immigrant, in favor of the black struggle.

Let’s be perfectly honest. Any politician who does not believe that a woman is a fully cognitive being, capable of making her own decisions..probably won’t believe that poor people are not making a concerted effort to remain in poverty. If any politician is able to look in your face and deny climate change, that politician is equally likely to think ‘drill, baby, drill” has no impact on the environment and that “education mills” have got it all wrong. Any politician that doesn’t recognize the ingrained cultural biases in society..probably won’t understand why “the gays” are making such a fuss. A future leader who will snatch your right to vote..will snatch your right to marry. If he or she wants to pay for prisons and not schools..chances are he or she will not be too worried about the uninsured. If a politician can’t value the unions..how much does he value the worker?

Consider this…

Those who have no problem stepping all over our rights have a plan. They have a view of the world that we do not share. Say what you will about them, they are tenacious. They are determined and they are fighting with all they have. They are investing millions and millions of dollars into their efforts. They are buying the kind of country they want. And have absolutely no guilt over it. In fact, when we are hesitant to get with their program, we are labeled as lazy. Or takers. Or, sometimes, traitors.

And what are we doing? We’re waiting..

Well, we can not afford to rest up for the next assault on our rights any longer. We simply can not. When we fight for the rights of the poor, the worker, the children – we are fighting for our rights. When we battle for the rights of our fellow citizens, we win the battle for ourselves.

As long as justice and injustice exist, human beings must be willing to do battle for the one against the other. – John Stuart Mill