I love my country; indeed, our family has been involved since the very beginning, having arrived here on a boat from Holland in the 1600s. I’m proud to be a Daughter of the American Revolution.
That doesn’t mean I’m blind; nor deaf.
Our country has made and continues to make mistakes; terrible, terrible mistakes. At various times, the pendulum swings back and some things are corrected. I believe we are experiencing that right now. When a southern state removes a Confederate symbol from its state flag, well, isn’t that something!! Thank you, Mississippi, for your courage. And the ability to finally see this issue for what it is.
The systemic oppression of a group, any group, is despicable. We white people know it, most of us, and yet have not stopped it. Our previous attempts made some dents. I participated in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and hope my small effort, like the little drops of a storm, helped sweep away some wrongs and get the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964. My friend Sally and I went door to door on voter registration drives in Albany, NY, and then served as poll watchers. We saw so much, learned so much. And have been saddened year after year to see so much still happening. Perhaps a bit more will be corrected now.
America, you can do this! Please keep trying; don’t listen to the divisive messages of hate that pour out of the television and other media. We are better than that. We must be.
Barb's Blog 