I didn’t sleep tonight thinking about you.
Thinking about the message my country just sent you.
You’ve given to our country in many ways that are never
highlighted.
In many ways, you built this country, from our buildings to
our railroads; from our roadways and bridges to our dams and monuments.
You’ve struggled to get to this country so that your family
might have a better life. You’ve had to
learn English, and fight against the inherent bias of a mostly white nation to
gain your position, your basic rights, your place in society.
You’ve likely toiled through sweat in the dank corners of American
enterprise most of us never see just to make enough money to keep a roof over
you and your family’s head.
I’ll understand if you’re serving in our military and today
you go AWOL. You have every right to
feel like you should get up and walk away.
I hope you won’t.
I’ll understand it if those of you who work menial jobs (and
several of them) to just make ends meet decide not to serve me based on the way
I look now too. I hope you’ll give me
the honor of being served by you.
I’ll get it if you’re afraid today. I am too.
What now?
What can I say to you as a white man, raised within Judaism, that would make you for one moment want to stay here? What can I say to you that will assuage the fears that your child has detected in you?
What can I say to you as a white man, raised within Judaism, that would make you for one moment want to stay here? What can I say to you that will assuage the fears that your child has detected in you?
I. don’t. know.
I can only tell you that a lot of the hearts of white men
and women also cannot be determined just by their skin color.
I can try to assure you that I know plenty of people who
reject the fear-laced rhetoric that has encouraged those with lesser moral
compasses to attack that Muslim child you saw on the news, or assault that woman
who couldn’t find the courage until much later to come forward with her rape.
I wish to apologize for the delicacy of our nation; that
after the major terror attacks of 9-11 and the rise of ISIS, it hasn’t taken
much for many Americans to say ‘me first, you later.’ I’d ask you to keep your compassion for them
even if you won’t see it in return.
I want to ask you not to leave our country, that if you know
anything about the history of this nation, as checkered as it has been
sometimes, through every dark period we seem to rise into the light at some
point.
I want to urge you to continue your education here, because
it’s still a country of opportunity even if it feels like that opportunity is a
bit lessened today.
I want to reassure you there will be another day where you
will be recognized.
I want to convince you there will be people who will leap to
your defense against those who seek to do you harm within our borders, even as
you might find it hard to believe today.
I want to encourage you to still send your children the
message of hope as I do, that this country still believes ALL MEN are created
equal.
But the truth is, today I hope you’ll forgive me.
Today, I don’t know how.
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