I spend the majority of most of my days doing exactly this, listening and learning. Yet I know at the end of the day, I will always have more to hear, and more to understand. It is my responsibility as a therapist and as a human being to do these two things often and well. I have been made more aware of the necessity of these two things outside of my office walls in the past 13 days and I am grateful for the reminder.
In this moment and going forward, be the person that hears and strives to understand. Then, don't stop there, find someone that is able to listen and learn from you. There is a very uncomfortable number of names, personal stories, experiences, current events and history to be taught. If we do life well, we continue to grow, learn and develop throughout it, till the end. We can all do better.
Anyone that knows me, knows I am a geek about snail mail. Don't overlook the power of a written letter. Below are some ideas. I know there are more to write, so write more!
Letter of Support and Love to the Floyd Family:
George Floyd's family has requested cards, letters of encouragement and contributions.
The Estate of George Floyd
c/o Ben Crump Law. PLLC
122 S. Calhoun Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Attn: Adner Marcelin
Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor:
An idea for the letter: "Breonna Taylor would have turned 27 on June 5. I want to celebrate her life by demanding justice for her. Charge the officers who murdered her."
Office of the Attorney General
700 Capitol Avenue, Suite 118
Frankfort, KY 40601
Mayor Greg Fischer
Metro Hall, 4th Floor
527 W. Jefferson Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Demand Justice for Ahmuad Arbery:
You can ask for District Attorneys George Barnhill and Jackie Johnson to step down due to their inaction in the case of Ahmuad Arbery.
George E. Barnhill, District Attorney
306 Albany Avenue, Waycross, GA 31501
Jackie Johnson, District Attorney
701 H Street, Box 301
Brunswick, GA 31520
and finally, find your own elected officials and write!
Some writing tips from the ACLU:
keep it short, no more than (1) page
let them know who you are and where you are from and the issue
pick up to (3) strong points and stick to those topics
personalize the letter. Show why the issues matter to you
Stay safe and stay well.
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