Why we demonstrated

We left the house. Someone got killed. A police officer met some of his own needs without meeting George Floyd’s most important needs.

Others watched and did not meet their needs to help George even though they feared he was being killed.

It happened very close by. And worlds away based on how we are able to choose our staying in, our going out, without worry.

We don’t fear for our life if sirens pull us over. Our needs don’t get ignored or dismissed like that anymore. Now that we are bigger and because of our skin color and maybe how we sometimes present gender.

Those who know us know we are not fans of our city police in general because of what happened long ago. They get lumped in with people who let us down when we needed help. And they didn’t kill us.

They do kill black people. Some police kill, injure, harass black people.

It woke this area the fuck up. It burned. We all burned it no matter who lit it.

We are able to hide. This is why we demonstrated. Not everyone can hide, blend in. We did with a hat, mask, and sunglasses. Without them, we still could have hid in plain sight.

This is why we demonstrated.

And Younger Child explained how it is now. And we believe.

Our need to protect children is unmet if we do nothing. So we write about it and we demonstrated.

We did not chant phrases that are not in harmony with our Nonviolence principles. We are not criticizing.

We made a sign that said, “Teach Police Peace.” And we chanted to End Violence. We chanted that Black Lives Matter.

We are not to be congratulated. We are not celebrating. It’s like Horton Hearts A Who, though, in that every voice makes a difference, no matter how small. And wet have to keep the voices and actions going.

We happened to be reading Speak Peace in a World of Conflict when George Floyd died. We will keep reading it and will try to apply it.

In Nonviolent Communication, everyone gets their needs met because when people really hear each other’s needs, we naturally want to meet everyone’s needs. It is our nature to care. To love.

Conflict arises from the artificiality of our divisions: bad/good, right/wrong, white/black. Education, family, media: These institutions often reinforce divisions. They do not have to.

We have posted before that inclusive language offers us the choice to describe opposites as, “All or none” instead of “black or white.” We can make a difference with each of our voices. In many ways.

We will not judge you no matter how you choose. We will see your humanness. We will see and hear your needs in your actions.

This is why we demonstrated.

BLM Demonstration