This morning as I sit watching the thousands of people marching in Jena, Louisiana I can't help sensing the all to common feeling that the slowly deteriorating justice system in our country is failing and like many of the outdated practices of our government, it is in serious need of rehabilitation.
And while it would be easy to jump on the "Free the Jena 6" bandwagon, I realize that a crime, in fact, was committed. All the more frustrating is that many will use this rally as a way of expressing frustration over every personal injustice felt upon them by the "man", and completely lose sight of the issue at hand.
Very simply, we all ARE the man. It's a pretty simple concept but completely ungraspable to most people. The biggest issue we as a country face today and every day is that we live our lives so completely disconnected from others around us and by doing so, allow others to make very important decisions for us.
If the people of America were to get angry and stand together the way they are standing together for the Jena 6, in all the areas needing real examination, we could begin our journey to fix our problems at the root.
Apathy, low-voter turnouts, failing schools, underpaid teachers, a underfunded and severly broken child and social services program, and yes, racism too are just some of the true atrocities in our society. Yet instead of banding together when we really need to, to create change, we watch from the sidelines quietly judging and postulating our opinions upon deaf ears.
For many its easier to point fingers and blame our government for not bringing about change. If you always ride the fence, you never fall into the line of fire. And those who have strong opinions are usually the first ones getting shot. It's sad really.
Today I praise the people, of all colors who are standing up for the right reasons. Hopefully the day will end peacefully and leave a lasting impression on the folks in Jena who have been involved in the push-pull of racial tensions. " You have a rally in my town, I'll put up a confederate flag."
It's strange really, watching CNN, in 2007 and seeing so many African-American faces lined up behind fences patrolled by white, Louisiana troopers. And it is most certainly an image I won't soon forget.
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