Too Believable

I wish I could say, “Unbelievable!”

We are all tired of the shootings.

We are tired of all violence.

It’s hard to be incredulous, though. Is anyone shocked that Payton Gendron killed ten people and injured three more because he couldn’t handle diversity and because he was threatened by equity?

Slowly, and maybe too slowly, the U.S. is awakening to the tragic truth that we are returning to our roots instead of fully progressing and evolving. We know that the origin story is not glamorous. People are pulling down monuments to human trafficking and rape. There have been numerous opportunities to move on, and in small ways, we have. Still, when it comes to making a clean break from exploitative practices, the price seems too high for too many people to complete the transaction.

The United States could sign the dotted line and agree to a reboot. We could honor the legacies of Indigenous Nations by trusting the articulation of their pain. Listening would open the door to healing other victims of the county’s triumphs. Imagine empathy becoming more than talk.

Until then, we will see people doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.