All Lives Matter? Really?

The problem is that if ALL LIVES MATTER had been successful, it would have marginalized if not killed BLACK LIVES MATTER. And the #BLACKLIVESMATTER movement is not a result of only the recent occurrences. My dad, who was a Civil Rights worker with Beth Hines Kilmer, used to talk about how back in the 1940’s, there was a phrase, “BLANK killings” which basically meant, “whatever”! In many ways our society considers a black person being killed to be par for the course. The difference is that NOW there is a movement to bring attention the a systematic problem. As far as I see it, there is practically NO representation of the Pensacola Yogic Community in ANY of the VERY IMPORTANT local activism. I have seen Nancy LaNasa out once or twice. She knows that Yogis need to be activists. She teaches it. But from a practical standpoint, the Yogi’s of Pensacola have more important things to do than participate in working for justice for Black People. I have never seen a poster at any of the local studios for an issue for Black, Mexican or Asian lives and if there’s ever been one for LGBTQ, it isn’t the usual. I do see TRUMP bumper stickers in the parking lots, which tells me that people who want to promote someone that says, “they send us their rapists” when referring to local Mexicans feel comfortable and welcome to not only join us, but to proudly promote their racist choices. So we need to either make some REAL SACRIFICES and SHOW UP to support blacks, or continue to allow the injustice. AHIMSA means non-stealing. So if you listen to music with it’s roots in black culture: rock, rap, reggae, jazz, bluegrass, funk, house, disco, etc without PAYING the culture for it, we are stealing. You are one of a handful of leaders in the local Yoga community. I’m racist and sexist too. We all are. We are part of this society. Homophobic. We are either working on it, in denial or finding it acceptable. The leaders I think of are Nancy LaNasa, Rebecca Sathre, Krista, Stacy, Michael Brant DeMaria, Ric Kindle. We have AT LEAST one LGBTQ friend who moved away because he was continually attacked by a citizenry that we are not challenging. If we prioritize activism we WILL CHANGE THE WORLD. Pensacola will become more tolerant. And it needs to. Actually the change will happen either way. The question is Will we have been a part of it?

10/07/2016