Dear Friends,

 

Last night my wife and I got home from Baltimore

and turned on Saturday night network TV...something

we  haven't done in...Jeez...I don't know how long!

 

Setting aside the fact that every nuance of what I saw

was formulaic and designed to force us into a box of

thinking and feeling in ways that serve sponsors,

we got to the special report about the Zimmerman verdict.

Full disclosure...I really haven't been following this at all,

other than with a legal interest at the beginning of it.

It's not that I don't have compassion for either family,

or a system that's far from perfect (although seems to

have improved tremendously).

It's this...any attention I choose to put on outrage,

indignation or even superiority to a situation that has

nothing to do with me detracts from the justice system,

 from our civic responsibility, from my commitment

as a citizen of the United States.

My opinion on the verdict: I don't have one.

 

No laws seem to have been broken in the process

of making it. It seemed to be a balanced trial.

The television anchor made a point of saying the trial was

"tearing the country apart." He wasn't speaking for me.

Here's what I know...Diane and I spent the past

three days with Daegen Smith, who is wealthy, generous,

commanding, an outstanding marketer and teacher...

and a magnificent man whose skin and cultural background

are what we refer to as "black."

There were a bunch of others there as well of all different

colors and ethnic backgrounds. Race just didn't factor in.

Wanna heal race relations in this country? Be generous

with everyone. Step up your game. If it affects you or your

community, deal with it. If not, stay out of the drama

cesspool the media feeds on.

 

***   ***

 

That was what I put up as my Facebook status a little

before 1:00 am. Now that I've had a night to sleep on it...

 

The Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman shootings

happened seventeen months ago...in February, 2012.

 

In that time many people have been born. And many have died.

 

Many fell in love, fell out of love, graduated school, learned to

drive.

 

Many decided there was so much drama, so much juice, so

my stuff going on with the Martin/Zimmerman case that they

fell into it headlong.

 

They studied every nuance, Facebooked and Tweeted every

new development and every opinion someone expressed.

 

They sunk deeper and deeper and deeper into a DRAMA,

a real one for sure, but also a manufactured one...one that

played well and got ratings. People who sponsored stuff

on TV must have been very happy.

 

They got a little more soft, a little more furry, a little more dull.

 

And they found a hollow rage in which they could hide from

the world...and from themselves.

 

And in that same 17 month period others decided to take

control of the things they could...their emotions, their habits,

how they treated others, how they treated themselves, what

they were willing to give and receive...

 

And some of them got richer, happier and more full of love.

 

Those are the people who are most ready to heal this

country as we go forward into the post Martin/Zimmerman

era.

 

And of course there are many who are a little of both...

stronger, wiser in some ways; more dependent on forces

outside themselves and their Divine spirit in others.

 

Because you KNOW there's going to be a new media firestorm

that commands the attention of the masses. If nothing comes

naturally, we'll manifest one.

 

Which end of the equation do you want to be on?

 

Saddle up, Brothers And Sisters! The post Martin-Zimmerman era

begins now!

 

Much Love...To All Of Us,

Larry