A Message from our Executive Director/CEO, May 23, 2022
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
This opening paragraph of A Tale of two Cities refers to a time of controversy and contradictions, conflict and divisions, at the time of the French revolution. This famous quote often comes to mind when society is in the throes of transformation often led by upheaval and turmoil, uncertainty and fear. Just like now.
There is so much going on. Ukraine, Omicron, market declines, economic uncertainty, the impending loss of reproductive rights and choice, the intentional fomenting of racial hatred and divisions and now Buffalo. And NOW, Uvalde (updated). Another mass shooting based in hatred and supremacy like Orlando, Charleston and Pittsburgh. There have been more than 200 mass shootings defined as 4 or more people killed since January. The proliferation of assault weapons makes it so easy to kill. Easy to spray bullets into the most common and mundane spaces: supermarkets, churches, temples, entertainment venues.
There are no words to console the family of the victims, but yet we try. At the same time as a society we seem paralyzed to think about taking action that could turn the tide of the unending gun violence, racial injustice and social divides. The divisions and incendiary ideas and speech continue to add to an environment of division that divides into “us and them.” The very idea of the United States seems to be unraveling.
Maybe all we can do right now is acknowledge how much there is to carry. That each of us is affected whether we pay attention to how heavy the load is or not. We carry it. It is important to acknowledge the pain and suffering and bear witness. The phrase “It’s a lot” says a lot. At Peace Over Violence, our staff and volunteers and interns bear witness to the suffering from intimate violence and the trauma it inflicts every day. And when appropriate they take actions through listening, mentoring, coaching, counseling and advocating. And sometimes, just sitting with the silence that comes from there being no words.
With all that’s going on in the world, nearby and far away, maybe the best we can do right now is acknowledge that we are all affected by local events as well as the national and international.
Margaret Mead, the anthropologist, predicted that with the invention of television we would enter an age of anxiety because we would know about what happened across the globe far from our own neighborhoods as the age of information took hold. Our challenge of course is what to do with this anxiety. We can bear witness but at some point we need to take action. And perhaps that’s where Dickens' “Best of times” will come in. Perhaps that’s the “age of wisdom” that will arise.
If only!
In the meantime, take good care.
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