We looked on in horror at the events that took place in the Capitol, we were filled with anger, sadness, pain, and grief as we witnessed the assault on the building and on the very nature of our democracy. We like many of you, we were traumatized by what we saw. This was not a protest; it was not a riot. It was an Insurrection by almost half of our population attempting to undermine our democratic process. It was led and encouraged by the President, who has now been impeached for his crime. We await tomorrow’s inauguration with hope, and with a sense of dread. What will happen next?
We know that everyone has been impacted by these shameful events, and we are here for you. With an ear to listen, and perhaps help alleviate the trauma of this collective experience in some small way.
What struck us most was not just this violence against the foundations and core beliefs of our nation that was incited by our own Commander in Chief, but that the law enforcement response to this mob stood in such stark contrast to the events of this past summer, and the disproportionate response police forces brought to bear against the BLM Movement – a movement that was protesting for people’s lives, for equity and for social justice. We want to acknowledge that the visuals of the Insurrection represent yet another trauma for the BIPOC community and are a reminder of the tremendous work ahead of us in this country. There is no clearer demonstration of the inequality of our society than the contrast between these events.
These are hard times: we continue to face a pandemic and more people are dying by the day, social unrest and injustice is rampant, the absolute abdication of responsibility by our politicians and a mental health crisis of enormous proportions. It is times like these that we must all strengthen our resolve to work together, to help our neighbors and to be there for each other. Times like these offer us an opportunity to make the world a little better for each other every, as they remind us of what is most important. These small action taken together can affect a huge change.
For us, what is important is this community, the pursuit of social justice and our unwavering commitment to caring for the mental health of others; we stand ready to help anyone who needs it to navigate these difficult times together. We have tremendous power to lift each other up, to face tough conversations and change together, and to offer support to those who need it.
