Hate Crime Decision - Ahmaud Arbery - August 8th 2022

I was reading in the news about the decision in the case of Ahmaud Arbery and the man who shot him. The news reported today that U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood decided that this constituted a federal hate crime.

Earlier this year the defendant Travis McMichael was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the murder of Mr. Arbery. This decision comes after a national and international reckoning that swept the world as people everywhere marched together to end hate and intolerance.

Todays society while improved from ages past still faces racism and intolerance as people fail to understand one another. We need to ensure that each day no matter our color we stand against racism in all facets of our lives.

With every racist joke left unchallenged it become acceptable to those who let hate lead the way. With every false accusation we make our world and justice system a bit less welcoming to those whose only crime is being born with Melanin. With each racist of hateful act left undefended we chip away at what it means to be a member of our society and tarnish the value of a person.

We must remember that the horizon of human rights and universal dignity is a watch that will never end. We must be cognizant of others and their struggles so that we ensure our world is just and fair and was the promise we founded our society upon. All people are created equal, therefore under the law and under that flag we must hold these truths as self evident.

"Rights are just words without actions to defend them"

John Ames Birch

@johneames2