Sometime Patience Is The Better Virtue
By Betty Jean Grant
Betty Jean Grant
There are some in our region who are just waiting for an excuse to increase the tension that already exists due to many of the actions and orders executed by #47.
They are disappointed because we did not take to the streets after the November 5th General Election. A public protest rally would have given them an opportunity to infiltrate the demonstration and start breaking windows or clashing with the police— just as they did during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis, MN, several years ago.
Let us not be goaded by an element in our community that is armed with up to 50 guns per household. These "Good Ole Boys" will be in our neighborhoods at the drop of a hat—whether by a presidential call for the militia or the enactment of Martial Law, which could impose curfews or even shut down our city.
We must work within the confines of the law, engaging our legal and political infrastructures to raise awareness and seek relief. We need to write letters and op-eds to the media to inform and educate one another. We must advise our sons, daughters, and grandchildren that this country’s professed commitment to freedom and equality for all has been compromised by an administration and a Congress unwilling—or unable—to rein in this newly and possibly illegally acquired power.
Let us think strategically, using legal and safe methods to achieve positive results. We can support businesses and stores that are inclusive and welcoming of our diverse population. A massive voter registration initiative is crucial to strengthening our power at the polls. Most importantly, we need to teach our young people that we are dealing with a voting majority that appears to offer only two options for our often hard-headed young Black men: unemployment or incarceration.
We cannot afford to take our frustrations and anger to the streets in protest. The East Side of Buffalo cannot withstand another disturbance. Some buildings that were burned or partially destroyed during the brief uprisings of 1967 and 1968 are still visible today. This is not the time to be out in the streets "playing checkers." Instead, we must use the intelligence and strategies of chess to protect ourselves and our communities—so that we can all safely go out and vote for a more lawful, inclusive, and compassionate government that truly serves all its people.