Like every year at this time, our
thoughts turn toward Summer, the time of ease and vacation, when our regular
obligations are postponed until after Labor Day, when we are expected to snap
back to being serious and alert. However, this is the summer of 2012 and this
country is on the verge of disastrous financial decisions and the destruction
of our civil rights as we know them.
When we elected the first
African-American President, we did expect to see some pale and lame racist
protest which we were sure would be easily dismissed. We didn’t realize until
the elections of 2010 that it was a large, well-organized movement that would
take over the Congress. Suddenly, fifty years of social progress was being
erased as the far right felt empowered to proudly fly the flags of racism and
sexism. They immediately froze all action in the Congress because they knew
that their constituency was so excited at the prospect of hurting the poor and
minorities that they would sacrifice their own well-being to hurt those whom
they perceive as weak.
We have to be prepared to not
relax this summer with a critical election 5 months away. Our own Governor is
an unpredictable servant of the rich. The conservatives, in almost every state
government, are attempting to destroy women and children’s health and safety,
and bring back a form of Jim Crow against African-Americans. The very right to
vote is being cancelled.
We cannot take this summer off
from action and education. They will not shut down and neither should we. Even
though New Jersey has not started harassing voters, we must make sure everyone
is registered. As so much harm is being done because of ignorance, we must be
constantly teaching ourselves and our community the truth that is being buried
in rhetoric and lies. The Undoing Racism
Committee will be working all summer long to bring heightened awareness to the
community. There might not be a summer vacation for many of us in 2013 if we
lose focus in 2012. This really is Life or Death.
