Beginning to Write Again

My last blog entry was posted in January, 2013. I stopped writing this blog because in April, 2013 my brother killed himself. He was a police officer. He was a multiple veteran, having fought in the Gulf War and also in Iraq multiple times. It is difficult to know exactly why my brother killed himself, but he had been denied a return to Iraq due to a difficulty he had been having with cholesterol medicine. The last time I spoke with my brother he said he had been devastated about not being able to return to Iraq with his unit. I heard the word "devastated" but I didn't realize how much he was devastated until I got the phone call about his suicide.

I haven't felt a need to return to writing since his death--until now. 

At this moment, I want to change the focus of this blog. I will now write about my own experiences with racism. In essence, I will be giving witness to racism in our society.

I am doing this because I have been feeling for some time now that I want to take an active role as an ally. I want to be an ally for experiencing racism. I know that living in a world where everyone does not have freedom of access is a world that I feel uncomfortable living in. 

 I spoke with two women at the grocery store this morning about my need to be an ally and they said I "should just speak up wherever" I am. So I am going to do that. I am going to be a witness to all of the racism that I have seen in this society.