My husband and I went to visit our daughter in Minneapolis tonight. This may surprise you to hear, but Minneapolis is a gorgeous city, with a beautiful downtown, really pretty neighborhoods, and charming villages, each with its own personality.
Of course, like any city, it has areas that are unsafe too. And several where there are people who are really struggling financially.
When we strolled through some neighborhoods to nearby Lake of the Isles for a walk, we passed a drugstore that was a casualty of the recent riots. It is boarded up, but under repair.
It was with mixed emotions that I saw the boards and the messages written on them. While I would never condone violence, I have so much empathy for those who have suffered under inequality, fearful for their lives when they walk out the door because one wrong move could get them killed - an empathy that makes me understand why after 400 years of segregation, there is such deep, abiding anger.
I have felt hope since the protests began that a real wake-up call is under way here, and that George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery did not die in vain. Their deaths and the subsequent outpouring of support from people of every walk of life and skin color mean there is hope for better policies, more inclusion, less brutality, and a better tomorrow.
It is time. And so, to me, these signs are beautiful.
Thanks for reading.
Thank you to @ace108 for hosting the #beautifulsunday tag, and @c0ff33a for hosting #sublimesunday.
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It's sad to see people take advantage of the situation and loot the stores.
I agree. I don't think it's a long-term thing. But the violence and looting were really bad for a few weeks. People feel so completely squashed by society and structure around them that don't support their community, and in fact force them into terrible economic circumstances. So, while it's not excusable, as I said it is understandable.
Let's hope it stops.