Lisa Strawn, CMF Vacaville, G01271. “The Lives That Matter.”
Just as Marvin Gaye said in his song, “What’s Going On–” “We’ve got to find a way to bring some love in here today.” When do we begin to stop the hate and violence against Black people? Haven’t we had enough of senseless murders, and now people are killing the police. This won’t solve the problem. We are still saying it’s okay to take innocent lives from this earth. We all, as human beings, need to realize that anyone who dies because of hatred, violence, anger, racism and bullying, you are taking the lives that matter to others. We’re not going forward as a society, when we still judge because of race, orientation and gender. We are losing too many beautiful souls too soon. How do we begin to fix this problem? Communication, compassion, and tolerance are key.
As a transgender, I must have compassion for those who are ignorant to me. Because they fear what they don’t know doesn’t mean I should turn away from them. I’d rather go towards them with understanding and guidance. We can learn a lot from one another if we just try and not allow others to convince us to go along with ideals of how we should be. Everyone is an individual. We did not get here together, but we need to now come together and show each other kindness, respect and love. Love is something that can make your life better, and the life of others as well. The lives that matter are all around us, regardless if we know one another. So, the next time you have that anger, hatred, racism or bullying in your brain against anyone, and want to harm someone, think about how you would feel if others thought about you that way. Your life is just as important as theirs. Give one another a chance at life. It’s not too late to save the lives that matter. Lisa Strawn, G01271 CMF. “The Lives That Matter.”
These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
