Turning Point
Austin, TX | 2021 © Alicia Kae Miller
As I steeled myself to watch footage from Uvalde, TX, the sight of the most recent mass school shooting, tears fell from my eyes as a grief-stricken father shared that his daughter, Amerie, was the "sweetest little girl; she always brushed her teeth." Of course, we could easily dismiss brushing one's teeth as basic hygiene, but coming from a father, it is a source of pride since, as a parent, it is one of the earliest teachings by dear old mom and dad.
While we may not understand why we are taught certain things in childhood, as we become adults, we realize that our elders were preparing us for the big show, aka adulthood.
I See You
As adults, being the leader of our own life is liberating.
Like any great leader, we are honor-bound to think beyond ourselves, just as Students Demand Action did when they staged a massive walkout on May 26, 2022, in response to gun violence on school campuses.
Following their lead, I propose that We, the People, take positive action to commence with conversations around gun control since gun control impacts all of us. Similarly, we do not have to wait for anyone to signal that it is okay to normalize discourse around race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
We Are Here
We are at a turning point to take back the narrative while holding our intrinsic "me" and collective "we" sacred.
Since January 1, 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive, over 230 mass shootings have already occurred in the USA.
Like you, I am angry. I am heartbroken, and I have firm opinions. However, I also realize that as comfortable as I am staying within the narrow confines of like-mindedness, change does not occur in isolation.
The choice to sit in judgment or stand in solidarity is ours, and ours alone. When we remain caught up in the ebb of my way or the highway, we block the flow of critical thinking necessary to engage in complex conversations with our loved ones and strangers, who often become dear friends.
Until we meet again, it's time to get closer. Are you ready? ❤️
Yours in solidarity, -akm
June 2022