Civil Rights and the tenacity of the human spirit.

Here's something I was thinking about today: It's funny to me how, on some days, I think that I hate everyone and that the creation cannot be redeemed because everyone is selfish and hate-filled. Then, on another day, maybe it's sunny or whatever, and all I can think about is how heart-breakingly wonderful people are. So, this morning, I listened to this story on NPR and started bawling in my car. It's about John Lewis leading a pilgrimage to commemorate the Civil Rights struggle.


Peggy Wallace Kennedy, daughter of George Wallace, said the following:

"'I knew in my heart that their cause was just, but unlike them I did not let my voice be heard. For many years I wandered in the world of indifference, until I heard the voice of Barack Obama. He inspired me to believe in myself and to join with millions of others who laid claim to faith and pride in America.'

And then George Wallace's daughter turned, and with tears in her eyes, embraced Holder. For several moments, the two just held each other."

The story goes on to describe the sermon delivered by Rev. Joseph Lowery, based on Revelations 21: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth have passed away."

I mean, I bawled. I sat there in my car and bawled. But, here's the thing, right? The whole pilgrimage is based around how completely shitty people were being in the 1950s. So...what is it I want to say? That a wound needs to be opened before it can heal? Something about yin and yang? Revolution? Full-circle something something? I don't really think it's any of that. I guess what I want to say is that people are completely shitty sometimes but, then, you know? Sometimes they're not. So, maybe, when people seem like utter dickheads, the thing to do is to keep believing that things change. Everything changes. On the other hand, the same could be said about when people are being fantastic...