I hold these burning truths self-evident

 

I believe black lives matter. No, that doesn't make me a baby-killer or anti-family (really?) as somebody claimed on Facebook.

I believe LGBTQ lives matter. And I'm not an atheist as someone else insisted.

I believe the Bible matters. That means I read it and pray it; I don't use it to beat up my neighbors or prop up my photograph.

I believe immigrants matter. That doesn’t make me un-American. The judge who welcomed me to citizenship told me immigrants matter.

I believe refugees matter. And I'm not a lawbreaker.

I believe the homeless matter, and the hungry, and those evicted because they’re sick or they’ve lost their jobs and can’t pay the rent.

I believe the physical health of the community and all its members matters, regardless of wealth and good fortune.

I believe wearing masks can save lives. I'm not drinking the kool-aid; I'm respecting the scientists who've spent their lives learning about epidemics.

I believe the earth matters, and it's warming. We knew the West Coast climate fires were coming, and among all the explanations and attempts at blame, we know the warming earth remains as primary cause. We sat back and argued when climate scientists warned us of the danger. So tornadoes become more numerous and hurricanes more fearsome and frequent, and oceans rise, it snows in summer, and still the earth is warming. But none of this means I can’t read or won’t listen—just that I choose to read and listen to those who have studied more than I.

I believe the Portland demonstrations would have been less riotous if not incited by DC interference. But no, despite my Facebook commenter’s accusation, I'm not a rioter.

I believe in the right to free speech, but not the right to brandish a gun (or a paint-gun, or a knife, or teargas, or fireworks, or...) while speaking.

I believe we have a right to be heard, but not to terrorize our neighbors while being heard.

I believe we have a right to speak, and a responsibility to listen. Those whose rights have not been trampled bear the greater responsibility.

And I believe, one day, we may learn to "love our neighbors as ourselves," which includes refugee, immigrant, black, Christian, atheist, LGBTQ, scientist, rich, poor... neighbors made homeless by fire or sickness or economic disaster… neighbors near and far…

I believe all lives matter.

Do you?

This is a revised version of a previous post. It will appear in print in the Writers' Mill Journal Volume 8 in November.