However long Black Americans have waited for equal justice and total liberty, they will have to wait that much longer if violence erupts. I can liken this waiting to Americans who are anxious to open up the economy which was shut down due to the pandemic. (Before you pounce, I realize that the waiting period is much shorter in this case, but it feels like an eternity to some.) But if the economy opens too soon, the virus will resurface in a second wave and the waiting period will be that much longer.
I know it is so easy to say wait a little longer if one is not a member of a group that is the target of oppression. Although I am not personally affected by discriminatory practices (that I know of), I do belong to a group of Americans that has had a long history of discrimination and persecution. True, Jews were not enslaved or lynched in the United States in the way African Americans have been, but we have had quite a troubled past overall due to the prejudices of other groups. Yet I do not advocate violence in any country to solve my group’s social problems. It has certainly not helped in making Israel more secure with any kind of lasting peace. Only by negotiation and compromise, and, yes, the ultimate liberation of the Palestinian people, can Israeli Jews ever feel secure in their own country. It is of course a daunting challenge, particularly since many feel that the Arab nations are bent on Israel’s annihilation. However, it is the ONLY way to achieving a lasting peace. Likewise, Blacks must work together with Whites to achieve a lasting peace and maybe even, in time, goodwill toward one another on a human level. Nothing of any lasting value is achieved by short-term quick fixes.
