Chapter 53: I can breathe, yet he can’t
I have a voice, I have air filling my lungs. I feel grateful for these things, yet also guilty that I have these basic things while George Floyd, and so many others before him, do not.
This week, tragedy has erupted in Minneapolis. As I watch the horrors of what has happened on the news and on the faces around me, I feel compelled to say something.
As a Caucasian female from the Midwest, I have lived a relatively easy life compared to many. Apart from the occasional sexist comment, which I do not tolerate and am never quiet about, I live a life that feels opportunistic. I am aware of this and I am thankful for this.
As a Buddhist and a medical professional, I personally advocate for a nonviolent approach to most things in life. However, this does not mean that I advocate for passivity, or tolerance of the unjust.
I am currently reading Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World by the Dalai Lama. The timing feels uncanny. Within the first few pages of this book, the Dalai Lama states, “Even when a system is sound, its effectiveness depends on the way it is used. Ultimately, any system, any set of laws or procedures, can only be as effective as the individuals responsible for its implementation. If, owing to failures of personal integrity, a good system is misused, it can easily become a source of harm rather than a source of benefit.”
A good system, when misused, can become a source of harm rather than a source of benefit. The Dalai Lama, while writing this book (published 2012) could not have known about the exact events that occurred with the unjust death of George Floyd earlier this week. Yet, his words feel spot on.
Situations such as the one we have witnessed this week have happened far too many times in the history of our society. This is not the first time a human has been killed because of his or her race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, or religion.
As I type this, I think, “how can I possibly help in this situation?” I’ll be honest- I don’t know. What I do know, however, is that if I say nothing, I am part of the problem.
“For the law genuinely to uphold justice, it must protect universal human rights.” ~ The Dalai Lama
Universal human rights. I just said this a few blog posts ago, but I’ll say it again. Genetically, as human beings, regardless of our race, our gender, or anything else, science has found we are 99.5-99.9% exactly the same. Every single human, in the entire world.
If I could trade places with George Floyd, or any of the other humans who have suffered supreme injustice in our world, I would. My life is not worth more than the life of another human being.
I have malignant brain cancer. I am dying, as we all are. Yet, I can breathe. I can breathe, and I can feel safe about breathing, surrounded by love, until my very last breath. I hope that one day, we may all feel this safety.
Fondly,
Courtney
©CB2020