This week, we are all Louisianans, Minnesotans, and Texans. This week, this terrible week for all of us who love peace and justice in America. I cannot remember another time when our nation has been as unsettled as it feels right now. The closest thing I can recall to this feeling of unrest was the horrific period of the mid-to-late 60s, when I was a young girl and I watched multiple assassinations, civil unrest, and the Vietnam War all unfolding at the same time.

Shared Humanity Can Overcome the Shock and Awe of Violence

Sometimes it feels like the more we move ahead, the less we learn. I cannot even imagine the worry Black families feel surrounding the obvious police brutality aimed so clearly at young, Black men in our society. And I cannot imagine the worry of knowing and loving a police officer as we watch retaliatory violence against the police as the rage and frustration grows among those already disenfranchised.

There can be no excuse, ever, for murdering one another during a traffic stop, or while at a peaceful protest, or in just living our everyday lives. We are our brothers' and our sisters' keepers. We must learn more about justice and more about peace. We must internalize our sense of outrage and externalize our sense of compassion. Only then can we be a real part of healing our society.

I heard Maryland Representative Elijah Cummings speaking at the start of the DNC platform committee meeting he chaired on Friday. He thanked everyone for the chance he has had as the son of a sharecropper to become a member of Congress. His sincerity and humanity, so openly on display, was calming. It reminded me about why I keep supporting Progressive Democrats of America, and other organizations that advance justice and peace.

Do all these meetings, emails, conference calls, candidates, platform efforts, and conventions like The People's Summit and the DNC matter? Of course they do. It is all of us organizing together for the change we want. Together, we can change things more quickly than any one of us can hope to on our own. And I intend to help as much as I am able. I am still a Change Makes Change partner for PDA, and have been for many years. How about you? Click here to join me making automatic monthly contributions to PDA. We welcome any contributions you can make.

Peace,

Donna Smith for Mike F, Mike H, Judy, Janis, Deb, Kim, Steve, and Conor, your PDA National Team

P.S. Please help us continue organizing. Contact Mike "Phone Guy" Fox to make important movement-building calls. Too busy to volunteer? Then please contribute $500, $50, $5 or whatever you can now to keep us organizing and mobilizing!