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Racism is like a mountain that we have been climbing for years.

We’ve been around and around it. Don’t you think it’s time to get off of the mountain?

This particular mountain has a view that is not so great. I want to see the valley of peace, understanding and disagreeing with respect. Notice that last one, disagreeing with respect. We have forgotten how to agree to disagree. Either we don’t know how, don’t want to learn how or maybe we don’t care.

Let us agree on three things: slavery is wrong no matter what race of people is inflicting it on others; slavery existed in the North and the South and African Americans fought for the Confederacy as well as the Union side. Let us move from there. We’ve got other things to talk about.

I’m not addressing the peaceful protesters but the violent protesters like Antifa or other people who think that it’s their right to take over a street in Seattle and call yourselves Chaz. That’s ridiculous. Don’t you realize that you prohibit emergency personnel from getting to emergencies and people from going to their day-to-day business or maybe you want the police to be hindered in doing their job. Bingo, that’s it.

Black, Caucasian, Latino, Asian and Native American lives matter. I can go on with that. Yet, when you come into a town and tear it up, people who live there are frightened because they don’t feel safe.

I think about the senior citizens. I remember that lady in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s murder and thugs had destroyed the grocery store she went to for groceries. That woman was scared to ride the bus to go and shop for food there. If you watched the news report you know what I’m talking about.

There was a young lady who saw the segment and organized a food drive to get her the food she needed. That’s community. That’s right, the violent thugs, most who aren’t from these towns, slither out after you have done your damage.

What about the black cop who was killed guarding his friend’s store in San Diego? His life mattered. Let’s not forget the other African Americans who have died-innocent adults and children. You may recall on the July 4 weekend in Atlanta, Chicago, Alabama and Tennessee four children from the ages of 5 to 11 were trying to enjoy Fourth of July celebrations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic but were shot and killed  not by cops. The ones that did it I bet were just driving by and thought they’d shoot some people. Why not? They think they have got the police running scared. They demonized the police. All police are not Derek Chauvin and whenever you have a guy or gal of his character you don’t let him or her on the force or keep him or her there. We have dedicated and good cops out here. When you have a crime in your neighborhood, who do you call –  the police. Now you want to defund the police. Do you hear yourselves?

Statues — they can hurt if you push hard enough and they fall over and hit your head. Just ask the guy in Norfolk when it happened four months ago. Move the blasted things to a Confederate park or give them to the Daughters or Sons of the Confederacy.

I think I’ve said enough. I am an African American woman living in a world that strives to protect by prayer. These thugs won’t destroy our town, our country, our world. We won’t let you. Let’s talk about the problems we can solve.

God, hear our prayer.

Judy Moore can be reached at ju.mo39@live.com.