Episode 21 - White Silence Is Violence

This week's podcast was supposed to be an interview podcast I had recorded with my brother, but that's not the podcast you'll be listening to. Instead I'll be talking about police brutality, racial injustice and the killing of Elijah McClain. What happened to this 23-year-old is unacceptable and his tragic loss of life should outrage everyone. The unlawful deaths of countless African Americans over the last few months are a repellent reflection of American values. I forgot to mention in this podcast that over 2.2 million Americans have signed a petition to reopen the investigation into Elijah's death. I forgot to mention that during his encounter with the Aurora Police, while they brutalized him they threatened to unleash their attack dog on him. He committed no crime and he had no weapon.  If you're a white American and you're silent on the topic of racial injustice and police brutality, or you're neutral, or you don't want to pick a side - your silence is violence. By looking the other way you're giving tacit permission to those perpetrating these acts. By not standing up for your fellow human beings who are being killed with impunity, you're helping to create a world where this behavior is normalized. Be better. Have hard conversations. Love one another. Now more than ever.