we haven't come very far.

i just wrote a whole long post about racism.

and then i deleted it because in the end, no matter what i say, a young man died because of someone else's ignorance. and really, there aren't words enough to express my disappointment and sadness.

unless dialogue begins, that conversation that so desperately needs to happen - things will never change. until there is education and understanding, ignorance will prevail.

and lest it be thought that racism is uniquely an american problem, i'll tell you that it's not. and sadly, this plague will most likely always existed - manifest in so many different ways - from indifference to violence. from displacement of people groups to genocide.

if i were to be completely honest, i'd say one of my biggest fears about taking my children - my latino, bilingual, immigrant children - back to the united states some day is that someone will look at them, see them as different and cast them off as worthless because of it.

i can not even begin to imagine the burden of raising children - and especially boys - never knowing (or worse yet, knowing exactly) how society will accept them. knowing that the deck is stacked against them from day one.

my heart goes out to the families of children lost to this bitter war of ignorance. and i hope that this most recent incident opens up conversation - because unless we discuss what is happening, it will never change.