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We deserve better and must work for it

America is the land of opportunity, for those who are seeking opportunity. This freedom allows us to protest when we feel it is necessary to do so. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were both extremely successful in agitating for change. It is unfortunate that our leaders are failing miserably to make issues of equality and human rights our "go to the moon" challenge. We deserve better and need to raise our expectations for leadership.

I live in a suburb that is prosperous and safe. I am guilty of being white and having the ability to care for my family, get my children through college and do my level best to make sure that the next generation is doing at least as well as I did. Should I feel shame for that? When I look at the protests going on now, I see more whites than ever participating. President Obama could not have been elected without a significant percentage of whites voting for "hope and change," That hope and change never materialized but all people of good conscience continue to hope and pray for it.

I am tired of the continuing cycle of race baiting and smear tactics used for advantage. I tired of the double standard and inconsistent definition of racism. People need to continue to agitate for change in their own way and vote for leaders dedicated to real change and not just lip service. People need to be the best versions of themselves not just for their own sake but for their posterity. That is the best form of protest. We also need to be a voice for the unborn and voiceless who have suffered the greatest violence of all.

Time to start paying forward for all the good things in our lives, where we can and realize that every life matters.

David Clark

Libertyville

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