By MaRico Tippett
When I was a Cadet at the Air Force Academy, we had an Honor Code. The Honor Code stated, “We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.” This Honor Code was instituted to create a culture of trust among our military service members who one day would be fighting side by side with each other on foreign soil. Yet, in our own country for Black Americans with what has happened with Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, we have yet to see a culture where Black Americans are accepted as human beings, accepted to want better for themselves.
We need a Code for Humanity within our Judicial System and Police Force that says, “We will not participate in discrimination, prejudice, hatred or bigotry based on race, religion or sex, nor tolerate among us anyone who does. That last part, ‘nor tolerate among us anyone who does’ is what is most important in today’s society. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the injustices Black American’s face on a daily basis. We can no longer remain silent to the injustices Black Americans face every day. America must stand with us and for us and continue to show love, kindness, and understanding as we work together as a nation to root out the evil atrocities we continue to see all over the nation.
All of America must say, “Enough is Enough.” Enough of using skin color as means to separate and cause harm instead of means to come together to show and honor diversity. Enough of people accepting discrimination. Enough of people using the term Black and African American in the context of alarm and fear. Enough of us rioting in the streets because we don’t know if justice will be served. Enough of the lack of understanding for the history and plight of Black America. Enough of the lack of love for all humanity.
It is high time that we as nation combat this problem of race. It is time we as a nation demand that we hold each other responsible to end racism. It is time that we as nation hold hands, black and white, Asian and Hispanic and live together in peace. Let us as a nation put an end to this violence. If we are going to make a better future for our children, we must come together NOW.
So how do we do this? Don’t feed into the narrative that automatically condemns a black man because a white woman calls 911 and says he is harassing her. Don’t feed into the stereotypes that are associated with Black Americans. Don’t continue to accept the narrative portrayed in the media. We must condemn the riots and the violence, but we must also condemn the actions which led to the riots and the violence. We must condemn a culture that still in the year 2020 finds excuses for white men to shoot a black man in broad daylight and call it justified. We all need to look inside ourselves and ask honestly are we as angry about the injustices that were committed as we are about the riots. We must look inside ourselves and ask when is Enough ENOUGH!
