Groupthink Overload

 A few blog posts ago, I said that some comments I was hearing in response to George Floyd's death, seeming to justify it in some way or lessen the implications of it, seemed like groupthink to me, which is dangerous. If you disagree, then the point that needs to be made is that police officers are not judges or executionists and you wouldn't want them to be if you or your loved one were in that position. 

When I first learned about groupthink, I suppose it was in psychology class, as it is a psychology term that refers to the phenomenon when people feel as though an idea is a good idea, although it may not be, simply because the majority of their group believes it is a good idea. The example given in the class where I first learned the term was the Bay of Pigs Invasion where the U.S. funded and supported Cuban exiles to attack Cuba in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. It is viewed as a failure in U.S. foreign policy, but it seemed like a good idea to decision makers at the time. Poor decisions were made as a result of groupthink.  

In my blog post, I mentioned groupthink in reference to a society that produces juries that convict people of crimes they are innocent of and condemn them to death or decades in prison, largely influenced by the color of their skin. Just Mercy is a movie about the Equal Justice Initiative and its first cases. Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is an organization that combats such injustices through providing legal representatives for victims of marginalization in the criminal justice system. If you want to learn more, I highly suggest watching Just Mercy and checking out EJI. 

Over the past few weeks leading up to the inauguration of Joe Biden, and surrounding the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol that was incited by President Trump's refusal to accept his loss at the election, I have been seeing groupthink overload. It was surely already there, but I think it is exposing itself even more now. Before I get into what I am seeing largely among a group I suppose can be called Christian nationalists, who seem to be primarily white folk, let me share quickly a story of how I was a victim of groupthink a few years ago. 

Project Esperanza receives several volunteer groups each year (with the exception of 2020, of course). Many of these groups are college students traveling together during spring, summer, or winter break. The groups are usually accompanied by a professor, T.A., or sometimes student leaders. Volunteer groups are normally about 80% female and 20% male. The exception to that last stat is that we have a partnership with Morehouse Bonner Scholars from Morehouse College, led by the amazing Dr. Whitney. They are an all male group, and Morehouse is a historically black college (HBCU). They have come and served with us every year since 2015 (again, 2020 excluded, but they came twice in 2016). 

A few years ago, we had a group come for our English summer camp registration which was held on a Sunday evening, then the first three days of summer camp. The group had already served in the capital for a week, faced some challenges, and by the time they got to us, they were not so fresh anymore. This group was also majorly composed of females of color, which is important to note as I share the perspective that was present. 

Project Esperanza had a new volunteer coordinator working just during that summer. This was her first group. We also had a mother and teenage son volunteering, who are also from the U.S. Other than that, some of our local teachers were present at camp and our students. The volunteer coordinator, other volunteer, and I perceived negative feelings coming from this group after the first day of camp, which were out of the norm. This friction built over the next few days of camp, although many of the group members got into the groove of camp, connected with the campers, and executed planned activities. 

There wasn't time to address this friction as the group was not staying with us at our volunteer house, and was actually paired with us through an agency that took care of the logistics of their trip. So after saying good-bye on their third day of camp, we had no more contact with the group. However, the agency shared a blog post with me a few days later, written by one of the group members as a reflection assignment. 

Reading the words of this volunteer who had spent a few days in our school with us was shocking. The post displayed this student's extreme misconceptions and assumptions based on her life in the U.S. She was basically comparing our school run off of donations of foreign donors to U.S. institutions that are perhaps government funded. She basically claimed that our free education provided to them was a problem because it's imperfect. She unfortunately didn't see the education as a way to combat the alternative life for these kids in the streets, but looked at both with disdain. It was an angry, biased, and flat out untruthful account in many ways. I don't say untruthful to defend myself or the organization, but because she criticized the camp for things like not having drinking water, whereas there was literally a jug of water with cups in the hallway during the three days she was at camp, and the kids drank during break time. Upon learning that I personally read the post, it was removed from the internet, and dialogue and apologies followed from the group leader, who was not actually present during their time with us. 

Some of the perspective gained helped us to sharpen our volunteer orientation pre-trip package and to provide a better quick orientation for groups that came in throughout the summer, especially those who did not stay at our volunteer house. But in summary, it was a very offensive experience. It was also unfortunate, as I felt as though if there was more time to talk with these students and they could've felt comfortable raising questions, as well as were open minded to listen to answers, then their experience could've been completely different. And not all students felt the same way as this student, but the positive voices were apparently silenced by the negative ones, from what I was told.  

I share this in no way to complain about this group or to say that Project Esperanza and me personally are above any sort of criticism, but to examine the issue of groupthink. When I replied with my rebuttal to many of the claims made in this blog post, the writer likely realized that she was ignorant and should not have been so sure of her assumptions. But why was she so sure of her assumptions? She hadn't formed them alone. Surely they were grown and strengthened and encouraged by some of her group members who she dialogued with after camp, during the evenings, on the bus to and from, etc. Perhaps some of the world views she had formed in her home community or in her studies in the U.S. also inlcluded assumptions that hadn't been challenged yet by experiencing more outside of her bubble up until that point. But the point is that she felt confident enough about her comprehension of what she saw that she boldly posted a quite derragotory account on the internet. After more than a decade of leading volunteer groups, this was a first. 

I surely have been involved in groupthink myself. I can remember taking part in mischief, especially in 8th grade, that I highly regretted afterwards. I am reminded of some words from James 3. Here are verses 5-9.

"The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness." 

During my adulthood here in the Dominican Republic, I feel like I have been such an outsider most of the time that I have barely had the opportunity to participate in groupthink. I often oppose trends that I see in my kids' school or in our neighborhood and critique them with my kids, basically, teaching them to think a different way. For example, I will not become accustomed to the idea that on certain days, kids have to pay 10 pesos to enter school, a school where their parents pay monthly tuition, as a fundraiser for the senior class. I will not become accustomed to the idea that entire days of school will be dedicated to rehearsals for the Christmas dance that will be shown on TV. Had I grown up here, maybe I would, but it's too late for that. Okay, maybe those are not examples of groupthink but simply customs I don't like, but the influence goes down the same path.  

Had I stayed in my hometown in Virginia, maybe I would be more susceptible to being influenced by some of these conspiracy theories floating around because many others around me would be sharing them and repeating them. Or maybe I would be opposed to them and feel as though I was surrounded by them all the time, wanting to escape. Maybe I would've been susceptible to other kinds of groupthink. But I see great value in embracing diversity and considering all points of view. I see it as a Christian practice. I believe many may see bathing themselves in their tribe, referring to their community, comfort zone, family, and church, as a way of staying true to their faith and to God. However, I think it could potentially influence you to do just the opposite if you are not careful. 

As I have scrolled through Facebook, (which I prefer to Instagram as I like to read articles, not just look at pictures, and I don't use Twitter), I see church leaders posting prophetic dreams which portray things like Donald Trump speaking to a burning bush as Moses did, then climbing back down to find his people dancing around a pagan fire, as Moses also did. But the dream goes onto show that faces of people like Kamala Harris and George Soros appear in the fire!!! These sorts of things really pain me. 

George Soros, for example, is someone I learned about from following Foundation Database and looking for grants that could be applicable to Project Esperanza. I see his philanthropic work and the generosity he has displayed. He himself was a Jew who faced persecution growing up in Hungary, and went onto "change his stars" and use his position to make the world a better place. This is actually the type of thing we preach at our English camp, which is called Change My Stars. It's about using your education to change your position in life and serve your hometown and country. 

But because he has, in addition to financially supporting projects all over the world, financially supported the Democratic political party in the U.S., he apparently deserves to be portrayed as a Satanic figure. Shame on that. Unless someone has some hard facts of abusive activity coming from him, we must realize that we are the evil ones in sharing such slander. 

I have also been disappointed at posts made by Christians stating why they will not celebrate Kamala Harris as the first female VP in the U.S. and they mention that she "slept her way to the top". I could go on and on, but again, how could you possibly have reliable knowledge on that subject to feel confident in repeating it? And there is not time to even get into the hypocrisy of forgiving or ignoring dozens of such allegations against Donald Trump, yet repeating that one about Kamala Harris. Here is a fact check on that allegation.  

Do people even know the roots of the slander they receive? Someone recently brought a name to my attention, and that name is Alex Jones. Wikipedia shares sources naming him "America's leading conspiracy theorist". His words are responsible for horrific acts like the stalking of parents who lost their kindergartners in the Sandy Hook shooting. He also apparently spoke at the rally that incited the insurrection and comes up with and spreads a lot of these conspiracy theories that people share so effortlessly. Is this the type of "work" we want to be supporting? 

Let me share another verse to examine the notion that the Democratic party is aligned with evil and the Republican party is aligned with good. 

"Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." 

- 1 Corinthians 6:9

"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

- Galatians 5:19-21

You see the word homosexuality in there? Yes, we see that word. Okay, what else? Enmity, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and what does revilers mean? A quick Google search says "to assail with scornful or abusive language".  Wow, that's a great word to describe Donald Trump, who is still being prophesized as an anointed leader by God. I don't see any levels in those verses. I don't see it said that God will have more grace for those who promote enmity, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and are revilers more than he will for homosexuals. I do see there is quite a focus on division as all those words I just mentioned go hand in hand. God seems to extremely dislike division. It seems to have been quite the theme to brush off the "scornful and abusive language" of Donald Trump, as if it doesn't affect someone's spiritual status. I have felt convicted to speak out about it, not because I want to stir up conflict, but because I feel it is wrong. 

Brothers and sisters, those who call themselves Christians and those who don't yet personally know the son of God who sacrificed so deeply for us, let's get excited about Luke 10:2. 

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. "

We don't have time to waste on all of this junk. We have work to do. And you know who has the biggest responsibility? 

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." 

-Luke 12:48

I'm talking to you America, land that I love. From the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam. God didn't give us all these blessings so that we could hoard them! And he didn't bless us so that we could go on and on about our rights and liberties, feeling as though they are always under attack. I hope and pray to see no more posts or comments comparing modern day Christians to Babylonians in captivity! I find it to be a delusion and a display of ungratefulness. Sorry, not sorry. 

¡Vamanos! ¡Manos a la obra! 

Our crew

The Descendants

I am writing this post to applaud the Disney trilogy called Descendants. Over the years, I have watched all three movies with my kids. We recently watched the third one and I am excited about the themes that the films bring up. It questions current criminal justice systems that condenm people for life, as well as their families in some ways, ignoring Jesus' teaching of forgiveness. It questions immigration policies and attitudes of priviledged citizens toward immigrants. It also promotes the effort and dream of rescuing youth from the cycle of poverty and all that comes with it. 

The setting is a fairy tale land called Auradon, which is inhabited by all of the good characters in fairy tales and their offspring. The king and queen are Beaty and the Beast. They have one son named Ben. Ben becomes king upon turning 18 and makes his first decision as king to bring four youth from "The Isle" to their boarding school at Auredon. 

The Isle is where all the villains from fairy tales are kept with a magical barrier around the island that keeps them from leaving and keeps the island magic free. Ben chooses the children of Malificent, the Evil Queen from Snow White, Cruela Devil, and Jafar from Aladdin to come to Auredon in an attempt to forgive and give them a chance. He is an idealist who never gives up hope. 

These kids, especially Mal, the daughter of Malificent, are under the order of their parents to steal the Fairy Godmother's wand in an attempt to free them from the island and give them back their powers. Mal, therefore, puts Ben, the new young king, under a love spell. She later feels bad as her heart is beginning to soften as she develops true feelings for him. She tries to reverse the spell, but he confesses that he knew all along as the spell had already worn off when he swam in the enchanted lake. 

Anyway, the meaning of the first movie is that she and the other three kids choose to go against their parents' will and be good. They choose good over evil and in doing so, overcome the evil that crept into Auradon. The movie also reveals the fear that the residents of Auradon have of the villain kids and their superior attitude some have towards them. Ben breaks through this notion, and Mal and the others don't disappoint him. 

In the second movie, Mal attempts to self destruct, thinking she's not good enough for Ben and Auradon. She goes back to The Isle, and Ben goes after her. Despite the mistreatment he faced while there, he never stopped seeing the good in his abusers and encouraging peace. By the end of the movie, he agreed to allow Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen and Mal's best friend, to come up with a list of kids from the Isle who she thought would thrive at Auradon Prep. 

During the third movie, which is quite musical, four more kids from The Isle are taken to Auradon. However, Hades almost escaped while the barrier was open, causing a scare. A decision is made to shut the barrier forever. Then an Auradon resident goes crazy and takes a crown and scepter from the museum of magic. She uses them to wreak havoc on Auradon. Who saved the day? Villains from The Isle. This puts a twist in plans and the trilogy ends when the barrier is taken down forever, giving villains a second chance, and their children a first chance. 

I generally raise a concerned eyebrown when my kids are watching shows with magic, including My Little Ponies, because I take seriously what the Bible says about such practices where powers come from something other than God. Also, we live in a place where magic is practiced in a deliberate attachment to Satan from what I understand from testimonies of people who have grown up in households where this was practiced. So I have learned to not take it lightly. 

Nonetheless, in movies where there is good use of magic and bad use of magic, as well as minimal demon possession type imagery, I often equate the good magic to God's power. I wouldn't want to keep them from learning such powerful lessons in an entertaining way out of excessive fear.  

Leading up to the recent election, I have heard points of view that I don't understand. I have heard a perhaps excessive fear of socialism and even sentiments that seem to equate global peace, communication, and collaboration through efforts such as the United Nations with something that comes from a dark place. I understand that The Descedants is a Disney movie. It is extremely simplified. However, I think it captures a glimpse of what God does intend for his creations. 

 "Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves."

-Philippians 2:3

I see you

You see me

Imperfect

Perfectly

Face to face we can see clearly

Vischer 2020 - Veggie Tales' Creator Has Captured My Heart & Mind

 When I was 14 years old, I had a huge crush on Sam Combs. Sam was so smart and witty. He was a skinny guy with glasses and taught himself to play the guitar. I was just amazed by him. I was friends with many boys throughout my youth/young adulthood, but had very few actual crushes or boyfriends, (I would say 3, counting my husband). Sam was basically nothing like the man that God gave me as my husband, who is quiet, Haitian, and into body building. However, he represents a special place in my heart you could say – a smart, talented, guitar playing white boy.

Shortly after George Floyd, I saw a video shared by one of my friends on Facebook called Race in America. It was by Phil Vischer. It was brilliant. It put my heart on the issue into intelligent words and provided historical stats with simple graphs and images to back it up. I was so impressed and grateful. Someone shortly after shared the same video in a group I am in called Mommas Against Racism. But she introduced it by saying that Phil Vischer was the creator of Veggie Tales.

Wow! I had watched Veggie Tales since I was a kid and shown it to my kids as well. What a creative program that taught about God in a completely loving way. And its creator is a smart, sensible anti-racist? Who knew?

I ended up researching Phil Vischer and learning how Veggie Tales came to an end when he was sued by someone he did business with, causing him to lose all that he had built. He had dreamed of being the Christian Walt Disney. But after Veggie Tales ended, he continued to serve God through cartoons for kids and podcasts geared toward adults. All of his cartoons, songs, and family based Bible studies are available at Mr. Phil TV, which someone can subscribe to for a small fee. I did, and this has basically replaced our children’s church, which closed permanently due to the pandemic. (It was run by missionaries who went back to the U.S. for good, which is why it was a permanent close).

I highly enjoy watching the children’s programs with my kids, but I am very intrigued by the podcasts. It used to be called Phil Vischer Podcast, but now is Holy Post. He has some sidekicks who are with him often, who share his views and have valuable input. He does silly things like a great Irish accent when reading the Irish constitution in a discussion about how Ireland legalized gay marriage, and an impressive deep South southern accent when reading a politician’s quote from the Southern states in the mid-1900s. He writes songs to summarize topics that are discussed during the podcasts and sings them, while playing his little ukulele.  I just love it!!! As you may have guessed, he reminds me a bit of my old crush Sam!

 Today alone I shared two of Phil Vischer’s Holy Posts on my Facebook page. I have been waiting for the right moment to share his Race in America 2 post which dives deeper into misunderstandings about and fact checks of the welfare system, black families in America, divorce trends, unemployment, solutions, etc. But I saw two other videos today that friends had shared on Facebook and just had to re-share. The first was explaining why white Christians majorly vote Republican and black Christians mostly vote Democrat. The second was about whether or not Christians should vote based solely on the issue of abortion. Again, he (actually it was mostly his friend Skye) captured what I already thought in his overall message, but explained it so brilliantly with historical information to put it into context and provide a strong base.

After reading so many posts and memes that seem to be based on misunderstandings, I wish there was a way to require American citizens to watch these posts and podcasts as part of a course or something. I have no power to do that, but I can share them on social media and promote them in conversations and in this blog post.

In conclusion, I would suggest that we vote Vischer 2020, but in reality, I think his presidential duties would take up important time that he spends creatively teaching about Christian living. I know not everyone is a Christian, but honestly, he showed us in Veggie Tales how applying Jesus’ teachings are good for everyone. Veggie Tales was a Christian show that I don’t think any parents felt threatened by, no matter their religious affiliation. So perhaps he could be an advisor?  Anyway, if you haven’t checked him out yet, please wait no longer!! Prepare to be enlightened!

Wonderfully Woven

Misunderstood don't gotta be explained

But you don't understand me, so let me explain

- Lil Wayne, Misunderstood

Lil Wayne is a potty mouth, but he also has some beautiful songs and lyrics. He has emerged as an African American man who says he has not experienced racism and asks others to question situations without jumping to conclusions that race was an issue. While I appreciate his advice that no one should be too quick to jump to conclusions about conflict being rooted in racism, there are plenty of voices from the black community sharing different experiences, like THIS ONE that recently happened close to my hometown in Virginia. (Capital letters used to show that there is a link.) 

Out of all of the signs and memes I have seen regarding race issues over these past two weeks, this one may explain a situation that seems to be misunderstood the best. 

The confusion on this is something I have never understood. I used to hear people complain about affirmative action. Some are now defensive when they see Black Lives Matter. This little girl breaks it down so clearly. She says, "We just need your help with #blacklivesmatter for black lives are in danger!" 

Vandalism isn't pleasant. Looting and violence are horrible. Disrespect to undeserving police officers doesn't help. Let's all listen to this sweet little girl rather than continuing in a war with those things. 

Many people would say that black lives are not in danger. That is a thing of the past. While they would agree that the death of George Floyd was clearly horrible and the officer should be charged with a crime, they may still say things like, "that could've easily been a white man that the police killed" or "I can't judge any situation when I didn't see all of the circumstances leading up to it". "He had a criminal record." "He was high".

To that, I would say you are missing the point. There is no reason for police forces not to practice tactics that have been proven to reduce these situations. THIS SITE shows what these best practices are, and where they have and have not been adopted. Additionally, there is no reason for the country to not strongly and seriously consider diverting resources from policing vulnerable neighborhoods, setting expectations for the presence of criminals, to other efforts such as mentoring vulnerable neighborhoods, setting standards for growth and excellence. The latter is what is being pleaded for when "defunding the police" is mentioned. 

I would also say that some of those comments listed two paragraphs above could create groupthink, which is when people feel a certain amount of certainty over an idea because they hear many people in their groups saying it and supporting it. Groupthink causes groups to make poor decisions. What we don't want is for a jury to judge these cases with bias, making the statement that the killings are excusable. 

The history of white men and sometimes women, both police and civilians, being excused or given very light punishments after killing a black person is what has caused all of this. I hope everyone will consider that. You may not agree with the extent of the problem, or feel as though it is being exaggerated, but no one can close their eyes to the fact that all of this emotion did not come from nowhere. 

Therefore, everyone must be careful to keep from contributing to those unjust rulings on these present cases, as well as on anything that could happen in the future. We must realize that when we are too forgiving of those who happen to look like us, we are actually condemning other groups, and that only adds to the problem. If you don't think that I am right in saying that, just look at Ahmaud Arbery's case. Months after he was killed while innocently jogging by people who were not even police and no arrests were made until a video made it to the public. When I first found out, I upheld faith in the system and blamed the lack of arrests on the coronavirus chaos. However, many factors and conversations made me conclude otherwise. If the coronavirus wasn't too chaotic for an arrest of George Floyd to be made for allegedly counterfeit money, it surely wasn't too chaotic for the arrest of Arbery's murderers. 

Some are just bothered by the conflict. They don't want to deal with the situation. They would rather just say it doesn't exist. That, unfortunately, doesn't work either. The sooner we collectively face it, the closer we are to making it less of an issue. 

The changes proposed by the reasonable protestors (recognizing that not all protestors are reasonable) don't necessarily have to be a drastic change. This does not mean that police presence would be immediately and completely removed and anarchy would exist. That claim is polarized and creates unnecessary division. Pilot projects can be executed, and already have been. Camden, NJ, FOR EXAMPLE, made some of these changes and saw a 42% decrease in crime. Whether or not this is a perfect example, can we examine it, learn from it, and try new things? Change can be implemented with caution, gradually. But this is simply what Black Lives Matter is asking for. I see absolutely no harm that moving in this direction would have on anyone. In fact, if executed responsibly, it would surely be positive for everyone.  

So if you have been complaining about this movement that has been embraced all over the United States and even many parts of the world, it is time to give in to this cute little girl, whose name I wish I knew. She, like all of us, was fearfully and wonderfully made, woven together in her mother's womb by the Creator. (Psalms 139:13-14) You don't have to donate to the cause or go out and protest, but just understand what she is saying and be sensitive to it. 

We know that this is a cause that is not going to be forgotten. It must be respected and given proper attention. This isn't about political party. It's time for everyone to give in, compromise, and unite again. Only then can the true delinquents that are looting and using violence be efficiently recognized and dealt with. And when they are, they will stop taking advantage. 

Check out these wonderfully woven dolls, representing an array of racial beauty. These
dolls are designed by my good friend Nicole Plata, made with the help of local girls here in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Nicole designed them, realizing that there were barely any dolls in this country that accurately represent the children here with varying skin tones. We are selling these dolls as a fundraiser for a school here that is in danger of closing its doors. This is the school that Project Esperanza has come to grow a trusting relationship with, and is where we send our top students for high school, as it is within walking distance of our school.

After 35 years of excellent academic performance and dedication to small, manageable classrooms, the school is down on its luck because of a greedy landlord and the difficulties brought on by the covid lockdown. Your PURCHASE OF A DOLL can help SAVE THIS SCHOOL. 

Thank you for your help by either chipping in, sharing, or both. At the very least, let's work together to resolve these problems at hand. If I can look past Lil Wayne's incredibly dirty and offensive words and find his flashes of brilliance, his touching, truthful language, then I think everyone can do that in some way in order to work together toward a common cause for humanity. As it says on the Haitian flag, "L'Union fait la force" which means "Unity is strength". 

And I just want you to know

That you deserve the best

You're beautifuuul

You're beautiful

Yeah, and I want you to know

You're far from the usual

-Lil Wayne, How to Love

Oakland, CA

Photo taken by Beth Laberge 

Black Lives Matter: From Emotion to Strategy and Solutions

Opened my history book to take a better look

At where we came from and where we’re going

Without a sense of time

You’ve got no ears or eyes

I see a broken rhyme called human learning

You know this is serious

We’re repeating things we’ve done

Do ya wanna be a part of the solution?

-Solution by Paul Colman Trio

I spent many years finding out about world events long after they happened. I have lived in the Dominican Republic for 12.5 years. I am busy and removed with a large family, work, and studies. However, we’ve been on lockdown here since March 18^th and I have been paying more attention to the news due to the coronavirus. It is amazing and interesting how the topics that spread through my social media feed change daily.

I am very glad that I have been so attentive to world events; especially U.S. events because so many of my family, friends, and contacts on social media are in the U.S. I was shocked and heartbroken by the announcement of the murder of Amaud Arbery while innocently jogging, especially since his murderers were not yet arrested at the time of the announcement. I was in disbelief when I learned of the horrific murder of George Floyd so soon after the arrests of the Amaud’s murderers were finally made.

The events that took place the days following George Floyd’s death were very revealing. I am specifically referring to the fact that the four officers, while they were fired, were not arrested right away

after such a brutal murder was caught on film. A CNN reporter who happened to be black was arrested while reporting the protests. The words spoken by the president in reference to the riots, especially when compared to words he spoke about white armed protestors in Michigan during the coronavirus lockdown exposed incredible bias.

 I think it’s safe to say that many who were not convinced that racism is still an issue in the United States and that the police brutality used specifically toward black and brown people deserves serious attention now see differently. I feel hopeful for future change that will be taking place, but there is work to be done to bring it about.

First of all, let me address something that will probably be important for many to consider my thoughts on this issue. I am a white woman. I was born and raised in Virginia. I moved to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic permanently when I was 22 years old, having recently graduated from Virginia Tech. My husband is a black man from Haiti. We have three biological children and two adopted children.

As I mentioned, I have lived in the Dominican Republic for 12.5 years now. I have not lived in the U.S., and have honestly not spent many days there at all, throughout all of Obama’s terms and Trump’s. My race causes me to be a minority here in the Dominican Republic. To racially describe the Dominican Republic in a nutshell, it was the first place Columbus landed in the New World and was settled by Spain. They kidnapped people from Africa and enslaved them, but when slavery ended, the races became very mixed. The population that would be considered white in this country is very small. The population displays a beautiful array of skin color shades and there is no shame in calling someone by their skin color (indio, moreno, rubio, negro, kle, wouj, etc.) The race of the neighboring country Haiti is primarily what we would call black. If you haven’t studied Haitian history, I highly suggest that you do.

I have met many white friends here through Project Esperanza.

Line of white protestors stand between police
and non-white protestors.

However, they don’t live here. They visit. So on a daily basis, I am the odd one out in that way. I don’t usually even see someone that America would refer to as white, other than perhaps tourists in passing. My kids used to point and say “Look! Volunteers!” whenever they saw white people. I may be referred to as gringa in Spanish or blan in Creole. I have had to correct people many times and let them know how I feel when they talk about blan or gringos. I think about things I say and am held accountable if I say something that offends someone.

This isn’t to say that I have walked in the shoes of an African

American woman who grew up in the United States. I have surely not. I realized that I was unfairly privileged for many reasons in addition to race while I was growing up and felt guilt over the issue. This is largely why I wanted to use my privilege to serve situations that broke my heart.  Nonetheless, I do think I have some insight that I would like to share and engage in dialogue about. 

As I said, I’ve noticed that social media themes change daily. Yesterday and today I see that many are questioning rioting and how effective it is or was in this case. People are comparing Civil Rights Movement protests that were peaceful, strategically planned, and completely respectable, to the chaos of looting and burning. Perhaps only God knows if the rioting hadn’t taken pace, whether the killer would’ve even been arrested, and whether other factors would’ve changed in addition. Yes, it’s sad that rioting took place and is still taking place. However, war is always sad, isn’t it? War is a result of groups of people that were not able to effectively communicate and reach an agreeable compromise. Additionally, many people are just taking advantage of anarchy, which wasn't the intent of most protestors and isn't their fault. 

What are you going to do to protect your city from these problems that could lead to rioting, if it hasn't already? The ONLY humane solution is to effectively communicate and reach agreeable compromises on a consistent basis. The responsibility here is on

each city’s leadership to initiate this process. Take a knee and engage the people rather than shooting tear gas and rubber bullets, (both literally and figuratively). However, where this doesn’t happen, churches, schools, and organizations exist and can initiate such communication. The bottom line is that this is not the responsibility of the black community to make themselves heard. There have been plenty of cries. I particularly teach my kids that whenever they hear someone cry, they should ask what's wrong. It doesn't matter if that person cries a lot and you are used to hearing him or her cry. It doesn't matter if the person even hurt themself. You cannot hear someone cry without asking what is wrong. Every single time they cry. It’s each community’s job as a whole to reach out to the black community and listen with opened minds and hearts. The insight provided will show the direction in which each community needs to go to create needed change.

This site (www.mappingpoliceviolence.org) provides statistics about police violence in the U.S. Simple practices such as requiring the reporting of any use of force, ban of chokeholds or strongholds, and requiring other officers to intervene if another officer uses excessive force drastically change statistics. A Canadian friend recently informed me that in Canada, a report must be filed

whenever a police takes his or her gun out of their holster. This practice puts weight on the very act of taking out a gun, AS IT SHOULD. There are things that can be done. Sources say that progress was being made in this area during the Obama administration, but went in the opposite direction under Trump's direction. READ ONE SOURCE HERE.

And then there are cases such as George Floyd’s where the gun was not the lethal weapon. However, the killer and an accomplice had quite poor records with many red flags raised. I have to agree with my brother Matthew McHale who posted:

“We have a system designed to protect police at all costs whether they behave correctly or not. It gives them a sense of being above

the law. It should be the opposite. They should be held to a higher standard than the public given the power they are wielding. Any abuse of power should be harshly punished and not tolerated.”

My friend Maryann Glascock stated, “I think it’s just far too easy to get a badge and a gun with all the authority in the world. Police officers are public servants and we pay their salaries through our taxes. I think we need to increase police officer salaries to hire more qualified people or use the money to provide more training to the people they are hiring. I’d be happy to see my tax dollars going towards that”.

When one examines how funding toward law enforcement is allocated, it probably wouldn't be necessary to ask taxpayers to increase anything in order to pay police more in order to recruit higher qualified individuals. It would simply be a matter of diverting money spent on weapons and potentially excessive police presence toward salaries. The Black Lives Matter campaign is leading a petition for police defunding. If you READ HERE, what that really means is a diversion of funds from investments such as "military hardware" and allocating those funds toward after-school programs, mentoring, and other preventative efforts.  

I agree with all of those points. I also feel strongly that there should be a campaign to recruit minorities into the police force. I understand that those who feel targeted by the police are reluctant to become police officers themselves. Black police officers are criticized by other people of color for choosing that profession. However, this is creating more of a problem than a solution. If there was a black police officer on the team that set out to arrest George Floyd, do you think things would’ve gone down the same way?

Rather than criticizing black or brown police officers, the black community and the community as a whole should celebrate them, thank them, and let them know that they are heroic in many ways. After all, police officers do risk their lives. We know that not only do police officers kill people sometimes, but they sometimes get killed as well.

I imagine images flying around of black or brown police officers and black or brown children dreaming of becoming police officers. “This is my community. I will uphold and protect it.” There should
be a sense of ownership and pride over the community. This should be a point of dialogue. If there is not that sense of community, then why not? What can be done to change that? Incentives should be developed as have been developed for the army where special scholarships or other benefits should be granted for people of color who will serve as a police officer for a certain number of years, and other such incentives. Priority should be placed on this! Of course white police officers would be jealous as with any affirmative

Protestors protect a cop who
got lost from the others. 

action but that shouldn’t be a reason not to do it.

Let me now say that anyone in the black or brown community feeling discouraged, exhausted, fearful, etc. should know this.  You may not benefit from white privilege, but you are so very privileged. I say this not to belittle anyone's feelings or to ask them to stop complaining or protesting. Share and protest (peacefully) all you want! I support you! I say this to share a truth that I can see from a different perspective as someone outside of the U.S. which some people may forget or not be fully aware of.

I am very sympathetic to and heartbroken by these recent cases. I have lost lots of sleep this past week thinking, reading, and talking about it. However, the truth is that I often brush off issues in the United States as “first world issues”. You think your public schools are bad? You think your minimum wage is low? You think your low income communities have it rough?

Being an American citizen, no matter where you are on the unfair spectrum, is a HUGE privilege. Nowhere else in the world attracts immigrants like the United States, and many cannot get in, even illegally. As a citizen, you have access to so many benefits, including student loans, loan forgiveness programs, welfare if needed, public education through high school absolutely accessible to all, and the list goes on! To put this into perspective, many of the youth I work with have

missed years of school because no public education was available to them and their family couldn’t afford private education. READ MORE HERE. In 2013, the highest court here ruled that Haitian immigrants that had been in the country for up to four generations would potentially have their citizenships removed, depending on the migration status of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Minimum wage in this country is $200 per month for someone working 44 hour work weeks. These are just a few examples.

Additionally, having English as your native language is a privilege. I have a strong advantage with many online work opportunities I have done and looked into because of this privilege. However, I fully understand that just as a child who grows up in a loving, united lower class family may turn out more well-rounded and have a happier life than a rich kid who has a lot of toys and gadgets, but a cold family life, the effects of feeling like the underdog or whipping boy in society can be emotionally debilitating, keeping groups of people from reaching their potential despite available opportunities. Some would even say they feel as though society hates them. It’s a complex issue. And please don't think that by mentioning these benefits available to American citizens that I don't acknowledge all that has been denied to black American citizens throughout history since the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle it has been. The recent events are just a sample of proof that was made visible to the world, representing centuries of the same cold heartedness. 

Although the oppression still goes on, as has been witnessed so clearly lately, we shouldn't lose sight of the progress that has been made through the Civil Rights Movement. There are many amazingly successful African Americans in the United States. Two of my personal favorites who I’ve watched and loved since I was little are Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith. How many black Americans have become millionares through professional sports? Do we realize what a small percentage of the world has such an opportunity? While there is still work to be done before we can say that true equality is being practiced in the U.S., no one should let the horrific stories like George Floyd’s take away from the countless successes. And as they say, we're not going backwards.

Therefore, in reference to black and brown readers, if you can keep a global perspective, you may feel more encouraged by remembering that despite what it may look like in your home town, you are actually on top of the world! You also could consider spending time in or even relocating to a country like the Dominican Republic where your race would not make you a minority. Project Esperanza would love to have you as a short term volunteer, or even serve as a year or two as volunteer coordinator. 

In response to the George Floyd case, black Americans who have relocated here were posting about how grateful they are that they had done so as they don’t face the same fears of police brutality

here. And for any white Americans that would like to remain in the majority with these changing times where whites will likely no longer be the majority within the next few decades, you could consider going somewhere like Australia. I suggest this (and don't actually expect anyone to even take it seriously but you never know) because it's an English speaking country that is not too cold and there is a strong white majority. The point is, there is surely no changing the direction that the U.S. is going. The only choice is to embrace it. 

Anyone who is offended by the light suggestion of relocating should realize their American privilege right there. Do we deserve to stay in this promised land we call the U.S.A. generation after generation? Did we ourselves build it? Rather than fighting to keep others out and maintain it a certain way, why don't we explore other parts of the world and share our best practices? CHECK OUT MY TEDx TALK for more thoughts on this. 

For anyone at all wanting to teach their kids about race issues, I highly suggest watching the Netflix series Family Reunion.  There are a few episodes that deal with police brutality, reporting the officer, and consequences for the officer, starting on Episode 10. However, the whole series is great. MORE ON THAT TOPIC HERE.

It’s encouraging that so many are taking a stand and showing they

MLK's tomb site during a protest taken
by Project Esperanza
board member Edna May Hermosillo.

care by at least speaking up on social media. I hope and pray that the follow-up remains strong and these cases are seen through. If the murderers of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd don’t get a just punishment, then a lot of the efforts put forth so far will have been in vain. Also, we have to continue to share insightful information with others. Racism isn’t something we recognize when it’s never challenged and those who are in very homogenous groups can benefit from these insights that they might not be exposed to otherwise.

I saw some posts about “policing the police” where people who see what seems like potentially an unnecessary amount of police officers around a car or individual stop and watch the situation to make sure there’s no foul play. I also saw, “stay with my son” which means that you stay with the black male being questioned by police until it is over to also make sure there is no foul play. These both seem like great efforts and ideas. Let’s keep it up!

I am dying for raw, honest, tranparent dialogue on this issue. Please share your thoughts in the comments. Let's work through this together! Thanks! 

2,000 years ago the greatest radical walked the earth and said we are forgiven souls

Have we forgotten him and made religion king? Love and grace is what we should be offering

You know this is serious

We’re repeating things we’ve done

We must be delirious thinking it’s new under the sun

Do ya wanna be a part of the solution?

To be one, to be one, to be one is the solution, yeah, yeah! 

Junior Jean
Unity is Strength (taken from Haitian Flag)
A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
www.GoodFruitDesigns.com