When I was in the sixth grade, I went to a private school where we were expected to read many novels to enhance our reading, as well as our understanding of culture. One of the books we read was "The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain. Although it was somewhat comical in that a prince exchanged places with a pauper to see what each other's lives looked like, I was deeply affected by what would be my first exposure, albeit literary, to "man's inhumanity to man."
The pauper (the prince) experiences first-hand the stark inequality between classes in England and is exposed to the harsh, punitive nature of the English judicial system, "where people are burned at the stake and flogged. He realized that the accused are convicted on flimsy evidence and branded or hanged for petty offenses, and vows to reign with mercy when he regains his rightful place."
Right now, we are "plagued" by a virus that goes beyond COVID. We are plagued by prejudice, violence, and the disintegration of our culture. Our Black brothers and sisters have suffered for centuries by the hands of white people, and in more recent events, by law enforcement.
Imagine being judged by the color of your skin. I am Jewish, and I have experienced anti-semitism, but people would not know by looking at me, that I am a Jew.
We need change that goes more than skin-deep. The hatred, fear, and discrimination that is embedded in our society has reached its boiling point.
Every mother was sickened when George Floyd cried out for his mom while he was being killed. We are all affected in profound ways, and we can no longer ignore this sickness.
We need change, not only with our leaders and law enforcement but also in our individual hearts to bring healing to this generation.
As survivors of the Holocaust have declared, "We must never forget." So it is with George Floyd. One week, one month, one year from now—we need to keep this beautiful and unique individual at the front of our minds and seek peaceful solutions to end this systemic hatred.