some new building blocks are needed – defunding police could be a copout

BUILDING BLOCKS A NEW FOUNDATION

as I sit here on a Sunday I’m reminded of the announcements I sometimes heard at church and one of them was something like this is the 7th  Sunday “In real time.”  I don’t know if these announcements are being uttered  in places of worship these days.  It’s pretty hard to describe  this time as “real” for some.  A number of  the people in my world have. Stated just how unreal this all seems.  E

Well my friends this is as real as it gets.  We are finally hearing some messages that have been screamed often as if it is the first time they have  been cried out or shouted. Or whispered.  Hearing is important now let’s do the work of listening.  Let’s go beyond the people and the places to the l ideas and then work more and try to go from ideas to beliefs and then to new plans and changed actions.  

skipping right to an action isn’t likely to change a thing or change things in a way  we might think.   for  example, defunding police.  Law enforcement  officers don’t. Look at loan applications and consider centuries of. Discriminatory hiring practices.  Law enforcement officers  don’t draw up the lines that make up school districts and congressional districts and thus create inequitiesa in educational resources.  Law enforcement officers don’t have a special division  dedicated to creating racial slurs or building buildings that prevent wheelchair  access.  Troopers  don’t sit in personnel offices where policies are dis drawn up or promotion and training decisions are  discussed.  Most of the time  we don’t invite the cops over  to sit in on family talks where we teach our children  about how to behave and how to talk to people and how to learn about others....right?   I could go on...however if you aren’t catching the drift by now... you might come back later and do so.   I will not lose hope.  

George’s Song

So I wrote this song about the Pandemic.  A pandemic spreads and I hoped the ideas in the song  might spread,however as sometime happens, the song wasn’t done writing me...I just thought it was... Now the song has settled and some new words have set themselves in m,y soul and in the lyrics.   

I have called these  lyrics blogs “building blocks”. So here this is another set of building blocks.  these are dedicated to. All the folks who finally are hearing and will hopefully  listen—not to the song or the lyrics—the questions that we need to focus on and jointly develop solutions too.   

After all there are many solutions—but love is the answer.   

George’s Song

The world spins in a wobbly spiral

COVID 19 has gone viral

There is unrest amongst  the races

Anger and fear on  many faces

We see broken systems have now failed

The ship called normal it has sailed

Will we fight to learn or just stay frozen

As the light  shines on the paths we’ve chosen

Chorus

The time is now We dare not lose it

The Chanceis here how will we  use it?

Will we still snooze or will we wake

Learn to give or just take and take

the choice is ours

The choices is Ours

The choice is Ours the choice is ours

As we learn to social distance

Will we resist acceptance  and accept resistance?

Will we listen or shout and swear?

Compromise for good or  just compare

Will we strengthen  all through the this strangeness

Work to grow through all the changes

Learn from the past —let new  days begin

Sto value and share  the gifts each has within?

chorus...adding the line

The choice has always been and will always be—Open up our eyes and see... the choice is ours.