Commentary: Don’t judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes

By FRED KRONER

fred@mahometnews.com

For some time, I have been thinking about the slogans and mantras many of us are fond of saying, while seeking the one which I could call my favorite.

Be kind.

Work hard.

Just do it.

We’ll get through this.

They are all solid, but very general.

I sought one which was not only general but also one which had specific relevance to a great many situations.

My final choice: Don’t judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

It’s not an original thought, but it’s meaningful. Especially now.

As George Floyd has become a household name, as Americans have become sickened by repeated discrimination and social injustices, as Black Lives Matter protests and rallies have been held across the country now for 14 days – including the one in Mahomet on Monday that drew more than 700 peaceful marchers – it becomes clearer each day to me how oblivious I have been.

It’s the part of White Privilege that you seldom hear about. It’s similar to the expression, “out of sight, out of mind.”

I have never had to be concerned about picking up a package for an out-of-town neighbor and wondering if someone might see me and think I was stealing it.

I have never had to have a conversation with my son about remaining vigilant while driving and to stay calm if he gets pulled over by an officer for no reason that he can immediately determine.

I have never been followed around a store at midnight by a security guard who was wondering what I was doing.

I have never had to endure taunts or racial slurs or been bullied based on the color of my skin.

And, it’s not enough that I haven’t participated in this behavior either.

When you are in your own White world – your bubble – and things are the same day after day, week after week and month after month, it is easy to travel down the same path and fail to recognize that your own reality is not what others feel.

As I watched the organized and orderly procession in Mahomet on Monday, I was struck by the sense of community within the group of men, women, adults, teen-agers and pre-teens.

They were together for a like-minded purpose.

I tried to read as many of the signs as possible. A vast majority of the messages were of a similar nature. One, in particular, expressed my feelings even better than I could ever articulate.

“I understand that I don’t understand, but I stand.”

Wow. Is there a better summation?

Count me in the group that can’t comprehend so many of life’s events, from why aggressive, brutal and threatening tactics are employed by police no matter the situation they are entering, to why it has required repeated deaths at the hands of officers for decades before an uprising about the social injustices erupted with the shared attitude of enough is enough.

Whether it is making a traffic stop or executing an arrest, a presumption of innocence should be observed.  No officer has the right to serve as judge and jury, no matter what evidence is in their possession.

Not understanding the whys is not an excuse to ignore what is in front of us, and has been for years.

The fact that black citizens are disproportionately targeted, assaulted and treated without compassion is at the heart of the national uprising.

Addressing that issue is not the end, but the beginning of the process.

Everyone deserves respect. While no two people are alike, we are all a part of groups larger than ourselves. That’s where the unity starts.

We truly are all in this together.

It’s not necessary to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to recognize that the paths taken by many others are more dangerous and treacherous than we can imagine.

There is much that I don’t understand – yet – which means there’s more work to be done.

One voice can be muted, a half-dozen voices can be silenced, but a plethora of voices, unified for change can begin to make a difference whether it is in the nation’s largest cities or an area’s smallest villages.

That is what we are seeing, locally and nationally, and when the message is not mixed with other influences such as confrontation and violence, we can be confident that we are taking steps in the right direction.

Words can be spoken by anyone. It’s not enough to say, “I am not a racist.”

Showing it with actions is where we can begin to make a difference. In this case, one action is worth a thousand words.

I was proud of my hometown on Monday, proud of the heartfelt messages that were delivered by an assortment of people with an assortment of perspectives and backgrounds for 90 minutes before the march from Main Street to the police station on Oak Street got started.

Therein lies the operative words. We got it started on Monday. It’s not back to business as usual on Tuesday.

It’s time to greet the new normal on Tuesday, the warm, welcoming and accepting of all people. And, it’s time to change the practices of what has been into the practices of what will be.

Embrace the truth and serve as an example of what our world can look like. If we want change, be the poster example.

We can disagree on philosophies and ideologies, but should stand together for social change as hundreds did during Monday’s march, walking in solidarity, side-by-side, hand-in-hand, looking forward to the day when Black Lives Matter is a given and not a concept that needs reminders.