As a mother, my heart broke when I heard the news about Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. Before anything else, I am a mama. I love my child deeply. I want her and all children to be safe -- to have the opportunity to live a good life. I'm sure it was that intention that led inspiration to move across my heart to create the global organization, the Million Mamas Movement.
I cannot imagine the depth of sadness that Trayvon's mother and father must have experienced when they got the call or the visit that informed them that their son was dead. I also imagine that George Zimmerman's mom is feeling pain because her son killed someone.
I've read and heard some of the reports -- there's a lot of side-taking. There's a lot of history. The sleeping giant of racism has been awakened and we must not put it back to sleep with a bottleful of denial. We must address this pink elephant in the living room of our hearts and commit to creating a culture of peace where every child is safe, fed, housed, clothed, loved, educated and celebrated, or this behavior will continue to occur.
It is painfully clear that the fabric of our society is worn thin and has a gaping hole where the heart is. We can use lots of labels to attempt to describe what occurred. Tom Brokaw once said that the quality of a society can be measured by the way women and children are being treated. Well, something is terribly amiss. As a global community, we are being called to exercise different muscles -- to evolve beyond fear, bullying and intimidation. We absolutely have the power and tools to transform this gaping hole with love, inclusivity, awareness and compassion. There is no other lasting solution. The old saying, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth leaves you toothless and blind -- it does not create peace. It creates an "us" and "them" mentality where people keep doing the same things and getting the same results.
There's grieving and forgiving that wants to happen when a senseless death happens. Trayvon's death and George Zimmerman's uncontrolled fear can provide an opportunity of healing for all of us. Can you picture a world where we value each other no matter the color of our skin? Where seeming appearances do not have us think we are really different when we are same on the inside? Would you like our children to inherit a world where racism and bullying on a grand scale is just the way it is? Or can we step up to the vision of a world in which racism and bullying are a thing of the past? We are at critical choice points on many levels in our world today.
My vision is for creating a kind and just world for all. I am for having a conversation where we all look into our hearts and take a stand by acknowledging our fears when they become activated and healing them with the balm of the innate Love Force that is within us all.
I stand for a new way of relating and cultivating a culture of peace. If each of us takes responsibility for the fear within our own minds, we can truly relate to each other as part of the same human family, with the same innate desires for a happy, harmonious, and expansive life. And then we can also spread this consciousness to stand for the goals of the Million Mamas Movement -- every child safe, fed, housed, clothed, loved, educated and celebrated. Where do you stand?