In his inaugural address, JFK famously encouraged each of us to, as his fellow Americans, “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

Whatever your politics, there is a very real problem in this country which seems fast approaching a tipping point. See Philando Castile, Officer Nakia Jones, Alton Sterling, Black Lives Matter, Freddie Gray, Trayvon Martin, etc…‬

I want to suggest at least one thing that, as Kennedy proposed, you can do for your country:

Eductate Yourself. Read about Philando Castillo and Alton Sterling and the other black men that have been killed by the police just this WEEK, this month, this year. It won’t be hard to find – scroll through your news feed, there should be plenty to choose from. Maybe even go back to the early 90’s and reread about Rodney King and that aftermath. And I mean really read, and watch the videos, they’re hard and disturbing – like, really disturbing. But how can one really form an opinion without real knowledge and some understanding of the actual facts? Be discerning, don’t let the headline stop you from reading the real meat of the story. Also, don’t forget that there are usually two sides to the story. So, perhaps even read articles from people and websites with whom you generally disagree with politically. Try hard to form your own opinion, but don’t stop there, try hard to understand the opinions of others. Regardless whether you think others’ opinions are stupid, it is their opinion and you thinking ‘it’s dumb’ is not likely to change any minds or add to the conversation. Think for yourself. It’s hard and it’ll take some time, and it’s super uncomfortable. But it does make a difference. It’s only a first step, but it’s a critical one.

We cannot ignore the cries of our neighbors, friends, colleagues, pew-mates, and relatives.  I don’t want to be a country where approximately 1 in 7 people feel outcast, ostracized, oppressed, and subordinate.  Do you?  Let’s face it, educating ourselves on the plight of the black man is worthy, but it really is the very least we can do. If we don’t even do that much, we’ve effectively chosen the side of the oppressor and bear full responsibility for these perpetual heinous deaths.

I want ‪#‎LynnMA‬, and every city in this country, to be a place where justice is, actually, for all – which is really just a paraphrased plagiarism of this guy’s dream (this is not really new, folks). And I’m (like 80%) sure that all my neighbors and friends here want that too. We might disagree on how exactly to get there. But regardless of your view, don’t forget these harsh (tough love) words paraphrased from Dante:

“The Hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of moral crisis preserve their neutrality.”