War Is Not The Answer

On Sunday, Philadelphia police officers and firefighters responded to 378 fires, 14 fires that were declared arson, 246 commercial burglaries, four acts of graffiti, and 154 acts of vandalism, along with 21 shooting victims, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at an afternoon news conference.

At least five were injured in West Philadelphia, where Outlaw reported police cars were set on fire and people threw bricks, rocks, and Molotov cocktails around the area of 52nd and Market Streets during Sunday’s unrest.Of the 418 people so far arrested for failure to disperse or obey curfew, 314 were city residents, Outlaw said. With more protest activity in Center City on Monday, police would continue to restrict areas downtown and enforce the 6 p.m. curfew, she said, with assistance from the National Guard and other local law enforcement agencies. “What you’re seeing across the country right now is unlike any of us have seen. We have been sitting on a powder keg for quite some time and it has burst,” Outlaw said. “You layer that with the level of the anger that’s been pent up, and then you add technology.”

The police department has to adapt to technology's role in the protests and the “countertactics” it allows demonstrators to use, which have changed the way police need to manage crowds, she said. She said people have used coordinated efforts to disperse activity across the city and make police split up, and that police need more resources to manage such situations. “What happened yesterday is that we were there, we addressed it, and then we could only stay for so long and we had to leave and then it rekindled all over again,” Outlaw said. “We don’t know what we’re going to be dealing with and it continues to unfold each and every day,” she added.

— Justine McDaniel  18 police officers were injured, two of whom remain hospitalized. Injuries included chemical burns, broken bones, and head injuries.

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Painting by: Benny Andrews 

“For Benny there was no line where his activism ended, and his art began. To him, using his brush and his pen to capture the essence and spirit of his time was as much an act of protest as sitting-in or sitting-down was for me. I can see him now: thinking, speaking, articulating what needs to be done and in the next few moments trying to make real what he had been contemplating. He was honest to a fault, and I think it was his determination to speak the plain truth that shaped his demand for justice and social integrity. He never aligned with any political group, but would offer the full weight of his support to anyone he thought was standing for truth.”

— Congressman John Lewis

In response to the above post and so many traumatic images along with other posts  seen on Instagram and all over the internet plus the Philadelphia Inquirer and various other places I would like to say that I born in Philadelphia  the city I love and carry so many cherished memories I refuse to buy the radio and news commentators promoting division creating  us against them  where the majority of black community keep calling out the race card while it played a major part in the individual officer brutalized and murdered George Floyd I might consider looking into investigating more info regarding the elite and new world order that want to rule, dominate & destroy all of us in society like George Soros & evil Bill Gates with his upcoming vaccines  we can only begin to understand we are dealing with a much  bigger agenda than one another. The global elite want to exterminate us all; they don't discriminate.  

I am completely against any & all forms of police brutality, abuse of power along with all forms of abuse for that matter no matter who believes they are justified or above the laws of right & wrong  to act out on another human being for their prior injuries  to perpetrate them on another.  Injustices happen every day and go under the radar based on who you know or position that one holds in society today. When will justice be paid?  In many instances probably never ; at least not in this lifetime.   Be comforted knowing that God sees all.

Violence never solves anything but to create more of the same.  I do believe the men that stood there and watched while the other cop murderd George Floyd deserves  the death penalty but that isn't up to me.  My thinking is not in compliance with the ideology of  punishing society by injuring  large numbers of innocent people at a grand scale via destroying businesses, futures,  buildings, people, places & things do not add up for  me. To me,  violence is a lose/lose  outlet and can't possibly bring any positive end.  What do we tell the kids in the United States of all races, beliefs and nationalities that this is the way to create any kind of future or resolve any of our past, present or future differnces?  Without open dialogue, accountability, healing and the road towards forgiveness nothing changes. 

In West Philly as a kid during the 60's &  racial riots  I didn't understand what was happening I had many incidents of being racially profiled as a young girl; I was not able to sort it all out or to defend myself but over the years life has taught me to either hang onto anger or try to look for the balance and seek out compassion for myself and others.   It doesn't happen all at once; it is a process and takes time.  I am still working out a lot in my own life because life keeps giving us new lessons. Give healing a chance.    Healing and forgiveness is a lifetime journey which begins with others but ends within ourselves.  The onus is on each of us as individuals but collectively we need to join forces in order to benefit one another & the planet. 

Life is beautiful but  "we must learn to work together as brothers or perish as fools"  as so aptly put by the late great Dr. Martin Luther King.  

Thich Nat Hahn says:  "when we learn to suffer we suffer less" My parents never supported hate, racism or bigotry;  I'm grateful for the love they showed me because it has carried me a long way in life.  Give peace a chance.   Begin with making peace with yourself & eventually we can all make make peace with our pasts. 

Over the last week it saddens me to see people acting out  so violently towards one another and towards the Philadelphia police who were not the guilty parties of the murder of George Floyd.  And so where do we draw the line?  If the people who are using extreme violence by rioting to express their anger continue to fuel their anger  in the end it not only hurts the target but will also be hurting themselves  over and over again along with  passing on the next generation. There is an old saying "while your out chasing monsters make sure you don't become one"   

Many people claim their rights have been violated, mismanaged, dismissed and not heard and that is always going to true for all of us & I am not saying that to minimize or dismiss the impact that this travesty has had on the hidden wounds that have been opened once again.  The wounds are real and raw.  

We are all part of the human experience and it isn't always an easy trip. We never know what someone else has been through in life unless they tell you & frankly it has taken me a long time to realize there are heartless people in life that really could give a flying fruitcake .  I've had many injustices throughout  life like every other human being  but to go around demanding  others pay for past injustices wouldn't do me or my ancestors any homage.    If you are a believer in justice I know that God is our judge, jury and vindicator. 

Only God knows 
a mans heart
what's in yours? 

As Gandhi said: "an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind"   Putting out fire with gasoline isn't working so far.  Lets try and feel the hurt, begin to process the pain so we can let the healing begin and once again try to get along in a civil manner so we can move humanity forward.  May healing happen for us all one day at a time.  God Bless you.  The  "High Road"in life is always open.  Lets get on that road.  

                          - Meg O'Hanlon