2.23 Miles

If you love them when they take the field or take the court but not when they take a knee—

If you love them when they take the stage or a place in your music and movie collections but not when they take a stand—

If you love them when they wax eloquent from the pulpit or the podium but not when they speak truth to power—

If you love them when you look down with pity at their suffering but will not look up with admiration at their accomplishments in roles not meant to entertain you—

That’s not love, friends.

Today Ahmaud Arbery should have celebrated his twenty-sixth birthday. But he was murdered in Georgia on 2/23/20. All over the world today, runners and joggers ran 2.23 miles in his honor. I can’t run, but I can walk.

Along with Tom, I walked 2.23 miles for Ahmaud Arbery today.

Rest in peace.

This post was inspired by a tweet I read yesterday in which the individual talking about race said, “Same thing happens in sports, only love em on the field/court.” To which I responded, “Only love them on the field/court as long as nobody takes a knee. About this exact injustice.” I couldn’t get the exchange out of my mind, because I’ve seen and heard what he describes all my life.