These days, I’m not sure there are many who wouldn’t wish to lift off and away from this wretched earth, who wouldn’t want to leave behind this damaged planet, this deeply disturbed country.
We watched a man being murdered. We watch as our cities burn. In schools, children pledge allegiance to values mocked by the very people entrusted to safeguard them. Surely there are good police officers with high ideals, but just as surely there are police officers who change from white robes into blue uniforms. Who could deny this? We watched as law enforcement officers murdered a handcuffed, unarmed, black man.
I wonder, when they gather their tasers, handcuffs and tactical gear in the police locker room, do the officers smile slyly at their grim secrets? Are they amused at the misplaced trust of small hands on hearts pledging allegiance to a land with liberty and justice for all?
We have betrayed our values for centuries but it is not our values that are flawed. As Shakespeare says, The fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves.
As we lift off into the heavens, it would do well to remember that each of us bears a responsibility to honor our home planet and the values of our country. We must not only speak out with words, but with actions that reflect a genuine awareness, sincere contrition, and renewed commitment to the promise of liberty and the guarantee of justice for all.
