No more " thoughts & prayers"

                                             No explanation needed. 

My heart is so sad and angry. Again, a shooter, a young male motivated by racism, gunned down ten innocent Black Americans in a grocery store near Buffalo, New York. 

Once again, all of our elected leaders are calling for " thoughts & prayers" for the victims' families and wider Buffalo community. 

 Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. 

Our thoughts and prayers do not translate to ACTION-- be it at the pools or directly fighting to bring about change in our individual communities. 

I pray daily. Additionally, I do my best to fight racism by setting an example here in Pensacola. I write letters to my elected officials and to our local news rag. I vote responsibly-- taking into account the future of ALL people-- merely than the concern for myself & " people like me".  I've put my ego on the line and volunteered for a text-banking campaign to fight against an unjust bill in the Florida legislature. {It passed and was signed into law-- damnit!} 

I'm tired and angry, but I keep on fighting. 

It is not in my nature to quit, but I am sick of this shit. 

 Americans have a toxic love affair with firearms. {and I say this as a person who enjoys target practice at the range once in a while] We love our guns and ammo more than we love other people. A screwed-up version of " freedom" has adults acting like whining toddlers when the subject of responsible gun reform is broached. 

However, the deadly love affair we have with firearms is not the main problem. 

Racism is the pandemic that has been killing Black Americans for centuries. While racism might have reared its ugly head more in the past few years, the attitude that White people are {somehow-- I don't understand at all} superior to dark-skinned people. As a child growing up in Appalachia, i heard and saw instances of covert {and a few overt} instances of racist words and/or actions. There IS a huge racism problem everywhere, and I am tired of White people who are in denial about this fact. 

I'm grateful for Black people I know who are brave enough to inform me about what racism is and how it affects them. I do not expect my Black friends & acquaintances to do the work to educate me. 

COVID might be slowing down, but te pandemic of White supremacy rages on as more people die because of their skin color. 

Thoughts and prayers: Hell no. 

Help me change the hearts and minds of White people. 

Shalom...

Sarah McCarren

16 May 2022.