Image by Gerd Altmann
Amidst all the horrors taking place these days, I am inspired by the rays of hope that shine through. Ordinary people standing up for what is right (and against what is wrong). Superstars taking the knee for what is right. Baseball players, white and black, both teams walking off the field in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
And today, I came across the video of the Seattle Seahawks' head coach Pete Carroll who spoke with the media on August 29th during the 2020 Seahawks Training Camp. He gave a 15 minute press conference after cancelling the day's practice in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and in honor of Jackie Robinson.
The speech he gave at his press conference is stark in its truth, raw in its emotion, and inspiring in its call to action. Whether you are a Seahawks fan or not, whether you are even a sports fan or not does not matter. You are a member of the human race, and that is what matters. You have a voice, you have people whose lives you can touch with your words and your actions, and you have a vote.
Please watch the video (see below) and then please share it (either the whole InnerSelf article or just the YouTube video itself). Share it with friends, share it with relatives, share it with sports fans who may not be on the same "side" of the political spectrum as you are. Just share it as much as you can, and share it in a spirit of empathy and love, not anger.
It is time for all of us to face up to the actions, not only of the past, but of the present. The current actions against black men, black women, and black children must stop. The harmful and hateful actions against immigrants, people of other religions or sexual preferences, and against women must also stop. It is time for the hatred, for the cruelty, for the inhumanity to stop. It is time for us to let our hearts be awakened and feel the pain of others, feel the injustice, and do all we can to make it better.
And the first step always resides with us. First we search our heart and our actions to make sure we are not also complicit in what is taking place, and I assure you we all are on some level whether we are aware of it or not. Just the fact that the hatred and violence is taking place shows that we are complicit. I know this is a harsh reality to face, but we are responsible for the world we live in. We need to see which of our actions are complicit in letting the bigotry and the injustice take place. It may simply be with our silence, and our lack of action, that we are complicit.
Then we seek whatever actions we can take to rectify the situation. In the US, it is very important to replace, with our vote on November 3, 2020, the current administration that is bringing forth the hatred, the division, and the racism. So as Coach Pete Carroll urges us to do: register to vote and get everyone you know to register to vote.
Speak openly from your heart of the events taking place in the US. Speak about it to those whose hearts are open, but also to those whose hearts you may think are closed. There is always a crack in the armor, and as Leonard Cohen wrote and sang "that's how the light gets in".
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in.
-- Leonard Cohen
(https://youtu.be/c8-BT6y_wYg)
So speak up, take action, do what you can to make a difference. This is our world. This is our reality. If it is not to our liking then we must rise up and make a difference, with love in our heart and in our words and actions. Speak up, speak out, take action and change the world one person at a time. Listen to your heart, and follow its guidance.
Please watch the following video and share it as much as possible. Thank you.
Video/Press Conference: Pete Carroll Speaks on Social Justice
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll speaks with the media on August 29th during 2020 Seahawks Training Camp:
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About The Author
Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.
Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com