The Week That Was

Did something really just happen?

Was the senseless murder of George Floyd the final straw? Will the next murder of a person of color be the final, final straw? Have we finally had enough; seen enough that we're finally willing to put heads together and make some changes?

I was talking to a close friend a few days ago who maintains that last week will be the week we remember forever as the catalyst for change. "Things will never be the same," he claimed. "Business as we know it will change. People will demand it."

And I couldn't help thinking, "Or will the divide deepen?"

I may be the least political guys on the planet. Until this president, I never really noticed the difference in my day-to-day, no matter who had the wheel; Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George Bush(s) or Bill Clinton. They all had flaws but they also seemed like decent people who always put the country's best interests first. But this is no longer the case.

We've had the lid of racism ripped off and the stench is everywhere. People proudly display it in public because it's now their God-given right to hate anyone who's different. And too many of us have watched, shaking our heads in disbelief but saying nothing.

So have we finally had enough?

Did the events of the last week shock us forward? Did we start taking it upon ourselves to make some long overdue changes? Will we step up, get involved to ensure our neighborhoods start welcoming strangers and accepting people who happen by? Will our companies begin seeing value in blending cultures and points of view? Will we as customers demand it? Will protests turn into meaningful dialogue?" Will people finally stop calling 911 on strangers doing nothing more than, jogging, shopping or walking their dog?

Let's do more than hope. That's a bullshit response we've leaned on for far too long.

I get that the the divide remains deep. I understand that the traditional efforts to unify the country after a bitter election didn't happen this time; that red still points at blue and blue at red. The divide might even be greater than three years ago but I can't stop feeling that something might have just happened; maybe a hint at lateral movement.

No one sits this one out. Grab a glove and get in the game.