Things to say when there's nothing left to be said.

This is wrong.
We can change this.
I'm sorry.
We can do better.
I can start with myself.
I will not give up.
I will listen.
I see you.
We are one.
We are connected.
We all have value.
I will always care about you.
This will always matter to me.

It turns out, there's always something to say.

And do.

Hope needs help. Your help.

Postscript.

This morning, after we posted the above entry, we received a comment on social media expressing outrage that we had not specifically condemned Nazi terrorism and white supremacy. The author asked, "Without taking that stand, how can one begin to do better? Or start with themselves? Or listen? The post states 'we are one' but it's never been more clear that, as a nation, that sentiment does not align with our reality. What actions will you take to truly work towards achieving the unity you claim?"

Please allow us to comment in return. The first line of the blog post is, "This is wrong." Do we abhor Nazis and anti-semitism and white nationalists and discrimination of any kind? Yes we do. And many other kinds of discrimination and hate less obvious and more insidious.

We say this every day in our writings and our work, in our postings individually and from Plenty, and by virtue of our very name and existence. We make this stand every day, in every thing we do. It exists in full view of the public here and in many other places, regardless of events: "We are committed to working together to create a world in which all human beings of all genders, gender expressions, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, nationalities, religions, ages, abilities, and beliefs can live, express, and enjoy those same values."

We also intended the post to express our feeling that the response by our President to the crisis has been completely and totally unacceptable, and has served to create further hurt, tension, and divide. The country needs leadership, and increasingly it is clear -- as we have written many times before -- that we are the leaders we are looking for.

What does "We are one" mean? It means that we are all human and we are all connected to one another in some way. Even the people we detest are human beings, made of the same spirit and the same source as we are. It means that while we believe there needs to be severe and swift legal ramifications for people who express hate and violence, if we give into hate and violence ourselves then we have perpetuated and grown the problem. We are trying to say that love is stronger than hate, and listening is stronger than shouting.

If we only listen to the people we agree with, we aren't listening. If we hate the people who hate us, we are not creating a better world.

In terms of putting our money where our mouth is, here’s a list of groups we actively and regularly support. You might find their work compelling to you, too: