“We have heard a lot of talk about backward people on other continents. But when we think of that burned car, and when we think back on Medgar Evers, Emmett Till and other victims of our own American violence here at home, we must ask ourselves: who is really backward?”
Our Quote of the Week prompts us to pause for a moment of much-needed self reflection. As we continue to villainize immigrants while home-grown violence takes away precious lives each day, we urge our political leaders and our citizens to speak, act, and legislate in ways that will allow us to create a more peaceful environment for all of us.
We take this week’s quote from Sargent Shriver’s 1964 Address to the NAACP. In an appearance he made while he was leading both the Peace Corps and the War on Poverty, Shriver makes the case that the work of overcoming society’s challenges is difficult and requires everyone to be involved. In the speech, he focuses on the problems of the poor and of people of color, and reflects that these problems have persisted for generations because of systemic injustice, racial discrimination, and policies that make it virtually impossible for the economically disadvantaged to get ahead. He then observes that his Peace Corps Volunteers were tackling some of these same problems abroad—and emphasizes that we cannot in any way hold ourselves as superior to anyone, when we are responsible for so much violence at home.
At the time of writing, we’ve experienced another week of violence in the US that included a school shooting in Evergreen, Colorado and the assassination of right-wing organizer/influencer Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. A review of the Gun Violence Archive “Last 72 Hours” list reveals that these incidents are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to gun violence in the country. We are heartbroken by the frequency of gun deaths occurring in the US. We are also outraged at the barrage of polarizing rhetoric and snap judgments by our leaders, media personalities, and citizens, including Kirk, all of which has done nothing but escalate the tensions that are fueling the violence we continue to suffer. We grieve for the people who have lost their lives and mourn with their loved ones.
Many things have changed in our political landscape since Sargent Shriver spoke these words in 1964. And yet, his message is particularly poignant today. We must not be satisfied with superficial statements about sorrow and unity in these moments, particularly from leaders with great privilege and power, when we witness them repeating rhetoric and upholding policies that cause hate and violence to persist and to worsen. We must also reject inflammatory language, hatred, and intolerance. We have the ability to make our homes more harmonious, our communities more welcoming, and our government more accountable. And while we may not feel that we have much power as individuals, if we stand together, speak out, and take action—by getting involved in our communities, understanding the issues, and by voting—we can create a more peaceful world. But it’s going to take all of us working together.
We grieve for the people who have lost their lives and mourn with their loved ones.
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