Like so many of you, the recent tragedies around George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have not only pained us, but have brought the long-standing racial injustice in our country to the forefront. Where it should have been all along. We are heartbroken. We are angry. We need to check ourselves. And we need to do better.
As military spouses, some of us may hesitate from speaking out on issues, in this case the Black Lives Matter movement. Some may believe there’s an unspoken expectation that we need to remain non-partisan or neutral on most topics. Or at least, refrain from engaging publicly. If you feel that way, check out this article from Military Spouses . And if you missed it, we also shared a message from Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday.
As this week comes to an end, we like so many others, are working on channeling our emotions into action. We are reflecting, we are listening, we are learning.
In the meantime, we’d like to share some resources and messaging we’ve found inspiring this week:
Thank you for writing this eloquent post. It is so important to acknowledge this and identify a path forward. Learn from our past, don’t keep repeating our mistakes.
There is no need or expectation for military spouses to remain neutral or nonpartisan or nonpolitical. We can freely (and loudly) express our political opinions, campaign for candidates we believe it, and even run for office ourselves.
Additionally, remaining silent in times like these is not neutral. Silence is a statement in itself.