Martin Luther King once said, “Darkness does NOT drive out darkness; only light can.”

Then why do we choose to hide behind the shields of a bullet? 

That hate does Not drive out hate; only love can. 

Yet we spit on those who are different. 

Why do we only seek change in times of destruction?

We pray for peace, but advocate war. 

We ask for justice, but live unjustly.

We beg for forgiveness, but never forgive. 

We pity ourselves and turmoil in self-destruction, yet laugh at the sufferings of our neighbor. 

We cry for change with dry tears. 

We allow the darkness and push out the light, succumbing to hatred. 

We promoted anti-semitism because they were the “reason of war.”

We took the Natives’ lands because they were “stupid.”

We segregated the Colored because they were “evil.”

We denied marriage to Gays because of their “lack of morals.”

And what was our excuse? 

We listened to those with a corrupted concept of peace. 

We shunned our conscience and chose the left path- allowing the serpent to penetrate our mind. 

We plucked the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Life because desire told us to. 

As a race, we provide sympathy and lack empathy- for some people’s shoes are too torn and ripped for us to walk in. 

The voice we were given at birth is used to promote degradation, where it should be used to promote admiration. 

It poisons our tongues with wicked diction- violently taking over our body. 

Controlling our thoughts and generating our impulses. 

This is what we have become as a nation. As a world. As a race. As people.

We can change the world with just the word “change.” People WILL listen. 

Only if we allow the light to speak our words and illuminate our mind. 

Peace WILL follow.

One voice will spark the noise of a million other.

One mind can enlighten and one face can change. 

But this will only take place once we stop war and fill the hatred in our hearts with love. 

Once we act with compassion and walk with Grace. 

Once we open our eyes to all the damage and pain we have caused.

Once we decide to go right instead of left. 

Once we realize that color is only exterior- that we have the same heart, same brain, same eyes, same nose, and same blood running through our body.

Once we realize we are ALL equal, 

That will be the day that peace will come.