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I want to thank my regular readers for coming to my blog each week.  I’m truly thankful that you follow me and hope you’ll continue to follow and share my posts in the future.  I know you’re probably expecting a motivating or inspirational post from me, but today, I’m going to get serious and talk about something that might make you uncomfortable.  And if I lose any readers because of it, I’ll be sad.  But so be it.  This is what I think.

First, let me start by pointing out what my blog is about.  I chose the title Unfold And Begin as a description for me.  It was about me unfolding from my shyness and beginning to share myself, share my writing with the world.  Over time, that meaning has evolved and it’s about more than just myself.  It’s about opening up to people, opening up to new experiences.  It’s about sharing us, our experiences, exploring our world, igniting our creativity.  And everything I share, everything I write, everything I give starts from a place of peace, from a place of gratitude and from a place of love.

But it’s time for me to take a stand.  It’s time for me to say that White Supremacists, the KKK, and Neo-Nazis have NO place in the United States.  These are hate groups.  You saw it all on display last week in Charlottesville.  You saw it boil over when a terrorist rammed his car into a crowd killing a woman and injuring several others.  Yes.  I say, terrorist.  The goal of a terrorist is to instill fear on a large-scale and to gain attention to their cause.  He used the same tactics that terrorists are using in Europe…weaponizing a vehicle.  How did we allow this to happen?  How?  Our parents and grandparents fought against Fascists and Nazi’s during WWII and yet we allow them to flourish in our country.

I’m sick and tired of hearing people say that the Left isn’t being diverse enough by accepting these hate groups.  What the hell is that supposed to mean?  Why are Black, Hispanic and Jewish people supposed to “accept” and give voice to the very people that want to wipe them out?  By allowing these groups to voice their opinion aren’t we letting them get away with a hate crime?  And can we all just stop using the term Alt-Right?  I hate the term because it was created by Richard Spence, the head Neo-Nazi himself, to make themselves appear more palatable.  Alt-Right doesn’t sound as bad as Nazi does it?  But the two are the same thing.

If this is making you uncomfortable.  It should.  And I’m not being snarky.  It makes me uncomfortable too.  We all looked away and allowed this to happen.  So here is our lesson.  We need to educate ourselves.  Let’s start with Black Lives Matter.  You may have heard a lot of things about this group, but it’s important for you to know that it is NOT a hate group.    Please go to the Black Lives Matter website and read. This is NOT a group born of hate.  It’s a group started by Black women who were tired of seeing Black lives being cut down.

But don’t stop there.  Read this article about the BLM by the President of the SPLC.  The Southern Poverty Law Center is the leading organization in the country that investigates and tracks hate groups.  Their information is so up-to-date that it is acknowledged by both journalists and government officials.  Also, while you on on the SPLC website, please read their 10 Steps to Fight Hate.  Not a single step advocates violence.

Thank you for indulging me.  Remember, no one is born hating.  And just to ensure you know that I always come from a place of Love.  I leave you with this from Michael Franti and Spearhead.  The lyrics can be found below it.

Love Will Find A Way

Til I’m gone away
This is what I’ll say
This what I’ll say

This is a song for all kinds of people
All of the cities and all of the streets yo
The synagogue and the mosque and the steeple
The battle between the good and the evil
Some shoot bullets
Some shoot needles
Some are trying to get by with the legals
Getting trapped behind the concrete walls
Some are trying just to get equal
Could you ever
Could you ever
Give more today?
Could you
Give a little
Give a little
To help love find a way?
And when you’re feeling like you can’t go on
Love Will Find a Way
And through the clouds and smoke and guns and bombs
Love Will Find a Way
And when the whole world falls on their knees to pray
That love will win today
Just keep holding on, holding on
‘Cause love will find a way
‘Til I’m gone away
‘Til I’m gone away
This is what I’ll say
Yo nobody’s born hating another person
A mad world puts that poison in us
But if we can learn to hate another person
Then we can learn to love a brother or sister
Another mother or mister
Don’t be part of the system
Join the universal nation
Communication
Communication
In every nation
Worldwide
Worldwide
Could you ever,
Could you ever,
Give more today?
Could you,
Give a little,
Give a little
To help love find a way?
And when you’re feeling like you can’t go on
Love Will Find a Way
And though the clouds and smoke and guns and bombs
Love Will Find a Way
And when the whole world falls on their knees to pray
That love will win today
Just keep holding on, holding on
‘Cause love will find a way
‘Til I’m gone away
This is what I’ll say
This what I’ll say
This is what I’ll say
This what I’ll say
This is what I’ll say
This what I’ll say
This is what I’ll say
This what I’ll say
Every man woman and child
Every color every nation every style
To create
To liberate
And to celebrate
Not to hate
(Michael Franti / Dwayne Chin-Quee / Stephen Mcgregor)