Speaking out, followed by action.

I am grateful for all the eloquent words written in response to Ahmaud Arbery’s death. It is important for people to speak out. Our faith leaders’ voices, and the moral weight they carry have been especially impactful to me, particularly those words spoken from remote pulpits this morning. It is important for all of us to speak out. And words must be followed by action. A quote from Elie Wiesel is stuck in my mind: “We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented... Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe."

Ahmaud Arbery was murdered because he was black. Of that there is no doubt. Racism is a persistent stain that we may never completely wash from our national fabric. Changing hearts and minds is hard. But as in so many other instances, our laws and our legislators embolden, enable, empower our worst instincts and make Ahmaud’s killers not just ugly, ignorant racists, but also deadly racists with the law on their side. Action in the form of votes is required to change this.

Case in point: A trifecta of Georgia laws, Open Carry, Citizen’s Arrest and Stand Your Ground, that allow people to walk around armed, take the law into their own hands and apply deadly force even though they don’t have to. A jury will have to decide whether any of these laws apply in this case, but it’s impossible to imagine Ahmaud’s killers didn’t have these in mind when they left their house with a .357 and a shotgun, chased him down and initiated a confrontation.

None of these laws will change with our current crop of state legislators. Todd Jones, my local state house representative voted for campus carry (to put more guns in more places) and against the Georgia Hate Crimes bill, as did Sheri Gilligan, our other Forsyth country state representative. Georgia is of only five states with no hate crimes statute. Todd also supported cutting back early voting in some counties, limiting citizens’ access to the polls. And after repeatedly and personally promising action after the Parkland shootings in 2018, he did exactly nothing. 

Greg Dolezal, my state senator, hasn’t been around long enough to do as much bad shit, but he did sponsor a bill in this year’s session to bring more guns into churches and tighten up the definition of “brandish” a firearm so I can pull a gun on you, I just can’t point it at you.

All of this is personal experience or can be found in the legislative record. I’ve had coffee 1 on 1 with both Todd and Greg. Nice guys, and while they might give lip service to some of these issues, I am convinced they will do nothing other than possibly make it worse.

We need new legislators who will work to change our laws for the better, not perpetually make them worse. Tomorrow, May 11, 2020 is the last day to register to vote in our primary elections. You can register to vote here > https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR/welcome.do#no-back-button. You can request an absentee ballot here > https://georgia.gov/vote-absentee-ballot . Yeah, it’s a bit of a pain, but if you want change you have to actively engage in the process.

Seven year ago I wrote a blog (https://faithpoliticsstatsandrandomstuff.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-sad-death-of-ronald-westbrook.html) about a retired Air Force officer and Alzheimer’s patient who was murdered by a neighbor who then, like now, decided to grab his gun and take the law into his own hands. He shot Ronald A. Westbrook, Lt. Col. USAF, (Ret.) when Mr. Westbrook did not follow commands. Where have we heard that before? And Mr. Westbrook's killer faced no charges.

I’m sending my absentee ballot in today. I did not plan this at the time, but the last stamps I ordered from the US Post Office feature John Lennon and Marvin Gaye. I bought them because I like their music. Lennon was 40, Marvin Gaye was 44. As I put the stamps on my ballot, I can’t help but think that these are two more people we lost way too early due to gun violence. 

The saying that it’s insanity to do the same thing and expect different results has become a cliché, but it’s a cliché because it’s true. And it’s insanity to keep the same legislators and expect better laws. It’s time to change these laws and do to that we have to change our legislators. Vote.