Times Like These...

I, of course, missed out on the whole #BlackoutTuesday thing. Always a step behind. But, I have shared plenty of thoughts on here about our current unrest and the need for change.
 
Yes, Black Lives Matter. And I would like to believe that this time... a change is going to come. 
 
The State of Minnesota has announced a sweeping human rights investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department. Which is a start. But it's not enough. For it's not just Minneapolis. Racism, homophobia and misogynistic attitudes permeate law enforcement throughout Minnesota... throughout this country.  
 
And how do we fix that? How do you teach empathy? How do we show people that to understand the plight of another demonstrates strength, not weakness?
 
Is there a textbook? A method? An instructional film? Something that reaches into the hearts and minds and brings about an evolution of spirit which generates compassion?
 
If there is, I haven’t heard of it. I haven't seen it.
 
So we investigate, identify and cast out hatred, but to what end?
 
To root out hatred is not enough. Because that hatred will simply find a new place to hide. Hatred flourishes in the shadows, on the fringes of society, where it waits for circumstances to exploit and gain advantage. We've witnessed this type of opportunistic fascism over and over again. Incendiary groups disrupting a movement towards change, kidnapping its message and momentum to spread their own misinformation and poisonous doctrine.
 
So, to merely drive it out of one place means allowing it to flourish in another.
 
And that is the nature of being caught in a cycle, a loop of behavior you can't escape. 

To be stuck in the middle of something you can't get out of. 
 
What is the key that unlocks the heart and mind and releases an individual from such a prison? 
 
We must approach with love, kindness and compassion. And we will be branded weak and insignificant in a world that values noise and flash and violence. Our methods will be determined ineffective and soft because the crunch of the jackboot will do all that it can to drown us out. But we must persevere. Like the tiny seed that spits the rock, our numbers must grow and join forces. For there is strength in numbers, and those who believe in the power of love far outnumber those who choose to live in darkness. So…
 
Bring the light.
 
Be the light.

Found this at http://www.seducedbythenew.com/

A super site, sharing all sorts of wonderful things. But this image... I thought it perfect for these times.

Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out  - U2

Times Like These - Foo Fighters