Dear America,
I am queer. I am emboldened. I am angry. I am peace. I am white. I am an atheist. I am gay-marriaged. I am trying to believe in you again.
America, I am a teacher with students who are being targeted. I tell them their brains must keep them loud, must keep them present, must keep them learning. I tell them to remember why they are in school. They are making America better. Because they are working hard to succeed toward their dreams.
America, your graffiti-hate-crimes, your misogynistic superiority, your fists, your intolerance will only cause us to grow stronger. Not meaner, not violent. But firm in our beliefs to remain united.
America, your flag has never just been WHITE. It has included other colors, which is why it waves so valiantly. To bleach yourself, America, is to forget what has made you what you are.
We are a country of immigrants. Of people who came here with dreams. With nothing. With hopes. With empty pockets. With love. Exhaling trauma. Desiring opportunities. We are a country where we need to be holding hands now, not wrapping them around guns or insults.
Dear America, it is far easier to love. To accept. To be kind. To say hello.
Grab a ginkgo leaf. Hand it to a stranger. Let them know these trees date back to the dinosaurs. That they are medicinal and their leaves are shaped like wishes.
STOP being mean, America. We all belong here. We all deserve a chance to succeed here. To fulfill our dreams. To be kind.
Are you listening?
Aimee Herman 