Unity.

The world is experiencing so much pain. This past year alone was one of the most difficult times for many people. The world can be so cruel and how we treat each other is crucial. It has been difficult to see how people respond to basic human rights. We live in a society where everyone is taught to value themselves. We are taught to put our needs, wants and desires before others. The way we all have responded to the pandemic has shed light to that. Wearing a mask has become a political debate. It has become more about "taking freedom away" vs. "how can I protect myself and others around me?" There is great privilege for those who feel that masks are taking away their rights and freedom. Imagine being a person of color who has their freedoms taken away each and everyday? Imagine having to fight for basic human rights for generations.

In the midst of the pandemic, there have also been so many heart breaking social justice issues. In the past couple of weeks, the media has been covering these events heavily. People of color are so exhausted. We are tired of seeing our sons, our children, our beloved community members, our cousins, our nephews being killed and targeted by police. We are tired of having to see it being replayed on the media. We are tired of seeing the excuses, the justifications and no ownership for the life that was lost. We are tired. We are trying to see justice for George Floyd and now the community is mourning the injustice in the killing of Daunte Wright, and 13 year old, Adam Toledo. The fight to decrease police brutality and seeking accountability seems to be a never ending process. We are exhausted.

Instead of viewing these as human rights issues, we are so divided as a society. Most people are not able to put their political affiliations and religious views aside to see the greater issue at hand. The issues we are experiencing cannot be broken down into black and white. There is some gray area. We work through these situations by having the tough discussions. We have to come together as a community and talk about these horrific events that happen, even if the event did not occur in your particular area. It is not a republican or a democratic issue- it is a human rights issue. I have challenged my own beliefs and perspective on certain issues. In doing so, I learned my own bias and ignorance. It is a very uncomfortable process, but I learned so much. I am able to connect with others, even those who do not hold the same political, religious or spiritual beliefs similar to my own. That is what the world needs more of. Taking time to see the other side of things, beyond what we are being presented with. Being able to connect to another human being is such a beautiful thing. Feeling connected is something that we all lacked feeling this past year and even to some degree right now.

We will never be able to solve racism. We will never establish world peace. However, we can make take the steps to make things better. we should embrace the diversity that we have in this country. Our country was built on immigrants, if anything we should learn from the mistakes in the past to move forward and make things better. Take time to educate yourself on someone's culture and where they come from. Embrace all the different foods, music and languages spoken. When we are able to embrace who we are, and what makes us different. We become a community. There is a little less hate in the world when that happens.

Let's start there.