“The more things change, the more they are the same.” – Alphonse Karr
Last week, I sat in a banquet honoring a man who had the courage to stand up for what was right. And because of that courage, a man cowardly shot him in the back, killing him in front of his family. Medgar Evers died because of racism. That was 52 years ago. This week, Charleston, South Carolina, we saw another man cowardly shoot people because he was driven by hate. Nine beautiful churchgoers also died because of racism five decades later.
It was a horrible and loathsome act that makes me physically ill. And I’m saddened that we still have to face the hatred behind it.
Yes, we as a country have made progress. I live in a state that has changed so much since that dark time 52 years ago. But obviously we still have a long way to go. I pray that when my kids are my age, they will look at racism as archaic.
Yes, there is evil in the world. Religious and racial bigotry mustn’t be tolerated. And it’s up to the good people of the world to stand up, look it in the eye and call BS on it once and for all.