John Carlos - Blog Posts
18,262 days later
Today has been a sad week, my heart has just had a constant ache the past few days, it hurts to the point where I can physically feel it pulling me down, holding me back. I am sad, for a feeling that nothing much has happened in the past 50 years, and that we have become more complacent with hatred and prejudice, tolerant and desensitized to injustice
We have seen it all, and are surprised by nothing. You can say you refuse to get used to it or accept it, but eventually, you will as that’s how our brains work. We see something shocking enough, it becomes something we expect and it becomes normal, no matter how terrible it is. It is not a choice. And when that day comes when we all accept, we will officially not be able to create change
Martin Luther King Jr. is known as an advocate for civil rights to bring equality to African Americans, but he was a civil rights advocate for all; regardless of race, gender or economic status he believed that everyone should be given the tools they needed to reach their full potential, especially if they worked for it. While progress continued, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. greatly impacted the rights of all US citizens and unfortunately at 50 years later, I do not think we have recovered. We are still divided by race, religion, gender, poverty, sexual orientation and so many others. We are not a people of a country but individuals of ourselves, disconnected
I have become desensitised by gun violence, it saddens me but it doesn't shock me and that sadness doesn’t last. Like the news stations, and in the offices we hear about it and then move onto traffic, we scroll past it on Twitter, we hear it and move on. It has become a part of my everyday life. The similarities today from 50 years ago of those who are still fighting for equality, for our lives, do not give me hope but dread, for when we become desensitised by injustice to others I know our chance for equality and true prosperity for all will be over.
Let me explain, I knew who Etan Petz is, but I didn’t know who Emmett Till was
