Jul 28, 2020 3 min read

The passing of the great John Lewis has made me feel the need to speak up more strongly against racism. Congressmen Lewis once said, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Now in this moment in history simply being against racism is not enough. It is time for us all to follow his example.

That’s why I have attended recent rallies that promoted equal rights and justice. Many have criticized these protests, describing attendees as unruly mobs trying to cause trouble and damage property. That is not what I saw. These were good people from all backgrounds, happy to peacefully speak up for justice. I saw neighbors, friends, fellow congregants from my church, people young, old and in between. The young men and women organizing these events, many the age of Lewis when he started working for civil rights, are intelligent, kind and articulate. They inspire, give me hope for the future and help me to believe that America will be a better nation.

We should all be ashamed that Black people do not today have the same securities as others despite a movement that began more than a generation ago. No one should live in fear in this country. Everyone has a right to expect fair and equal treatment.

It is regrettable that in some places what began as peaceful protests drew people who wanted to disrupt and who used the demonstrations as an excuse to loot and destroy property. These acts harm the legitimacy of the movement but do not justify tear gas, rubber bullets and excessive force by police and uninvited federal agents against innocent citizens and journalists. These overreactions add a tragic note to peaceful protests, damaging the reputation of law enforcement and prompting calls to defund police.

That’s why it it is important to have strong leaders advocating for peaceful change and for every fair-minded person to join them. Only those blind to both current and historical facts can deny the need for change. We should all be willing to stand up and march for the civil rights of every person in this country and voting rights for every citizen.

To paraphrase an old Neil Young song, “Gotta get down to to it. Soldiers are cutting us down. Should have been done long ago. What would you do if you saw George Floyd dead on the ground. How can you run if you know.” Black lives matter!

Don Fitch

Amity