"Black Lives Matter" Should Be Obvious
I know … I grew up in Galveston and Houston when the restrooms and water fountains were labeled "white" or "colored" … So this is about a white guy from Texas … … well, it was going to be … another "white aleck" … but, that evening, I thought, bullshit. So, I deleted the litany about how cool and 'woke' I thought I was … … and, fingers crossed, thought maybe, just maybe, this time is different.
But, of course, it isn't yet. The next morning, I learned the Black man who was killed in Wendy's parking lot in Atlanta turned out to have been shot in the back … twice.
We really, really, have to make that Black man's life – and the lives of all people who have lost their lives because of the color of their skin – matter. Our collective soul is at risk.
On the positive side, things are happening:
- Statues are toppling … sometimes even legally.
- Peaceful protests are continually happening … and need to keep happening in the run-up to November
- CHOP (formerly CHAZ) in Seattle is happening …
- … and FOX News got caught "faking news coverage" … and sort of admitted it. (Ironic, isn't it; shameful, too)
- Trump is stumbling more often.
- US Army bases honoring losing Confederate Generals will be changed … if the Army does what's best (and, oddly, it often does)
- Airbnb is taking it seriously with Project Lighthouse to find and root out discrimination by hosts.
- Wearing masks is trending …
- Starbucks is taking attire and speaking out seriously providing T-shirts with logos and "Black Lives Matter" lettering available for workers
- The Supreme Court is making some correct decisions
- The whole concept of policing is being re-thought.
But, nothing can be taken for granted … and it is becoming more clear every day the upcoming elections are more than ever critical … one cannot over hype how important our hopes are for the ballots to decisively change the character of the United States of America. Voting by mail works … I've experienced it both in Colorado and Washington. It works … and you can go to a polling spot if desired. Let's work hard to make it universal in the USA and territories.
It is also critical that every American be allowed to actually vote … more than just get-out-the-vote efforts, we need to pro-actively stop voter suppression … Black lives will continue to be squandered if Blacks can't easily vote.
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The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet.
Paul S. Maxwell
In a 50-plus year career writing and reporting on media, MediaVillage columnist Paul S. Maxwell started and/or ran some 45-plus publications ranging from CATV Newsweekly to Colorado magazine to CableVision to Multichannel News to CableFAX and The BRIDGE Suit…
