06/09/2020
Of course, Black Lives Matter! We’ve wrestled for over a week with exactly what to say, and really, that’s what keeps coming to mind. OF COURSE, BLACK LIVES MATTER!! Like most of you, we saw the horrific and disgusting video showing the death of George Floyd, and we’ve seen the videos in the past of those who came before him. But, this time, we made ourselves watch it over and over to digest exactly what happened. In broad daylight. With other officers and people present. On video. It’s incomprehensible to us. And yet, it’s not. Honestly, as two Caucasian people, we don’t have the answers. We don’t even pretend to have some of the answers. So, last week, instead of speaking, we listened. Our silence about this issue on our social media last week was not an accident and it was not for lack of support. It was intentional. As Rumi said, “The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” So, last week, we heard. We watched, we listened, and we learned. We heard about the different fears that Moms feel when their black sons learn to drive and leave home alone for the first time. We learned about men of color who are afraid to walk without their children or dogs in their own neighborhoods for fear of being targeted because of their color and stereotypes. These are things we’ve never even had to think about. So, we listened and learned. This past week we’ve heard the cries, the rage and the commitment from communities across the country, and the world. Black Lives Matter is not just a hashtag. It’s not just the latest thing for the media to focus on. And it’s not a bandwagon for businesses to jump on. Black Lives Literally Matter. They have always mattered. Our country was built broken and black racism was institutionalized. It doesn’t need to be "fixed." We need to start over and rebuild from the ground up in order to end systemic racism NOW. We see you and hear you. We stand with you and will fight for you. We share the black community’s demand for change and to end racial injustice. Donate, volunteer, listen, fight. BLACK LIVES MATTER.
-Dave and Val Creager
Neighbor Boy Christmas Tree Lot
Neighbor Boy Country Store
Neighbor Boy Lawn Care
Tequila Dale's
Val Stone Photography