“That’s one small step for (a)* man, one giant leap for mankind.”

— Neil Armstrong, from the moon’s surface; July 20, 1969

If you’ve read the pages of this site, you know I believe words matter–what we say and what we write matter. Sometimes, however, words alone are not enough. A phrase is not enough, even when painted on streets, buildings, yard signs, and protest signs. Such is the case for the slogan “Black Lives Matter.” BLM was a worthy cause for social justice reform that was hijacked by the BLM extremist organization. The two should not be conflated. All of us witnessed the numerous BLM protests this summer, as people exercised their Constitutional right to express themselves freely and peaceably. While I didn’t participate, many of my friends did. I know they are good people, with good hearts. I would submit, however, that simply participating in a protest by carrying signs affirming the dignity of Blacks falls woefully short of effecting change. Would we carry signs proclaiming support for the hungry, but fail to donate food to a food bank or serve at a soup kitchen? Just as the hungry aren’t nourished by signs, the lives of Blacks, or any people of color, are not changed by signs–by words alone.

Another empty gesture is self-flagellation for white privilege. I refuse to join that trend, as I, like you, had no control over the parents to whom I was born and the circumstances of my upbringing. The latter was middle class, but that was my good fortune, not my own doing. My parents made my life comfortable, but they also taught me to treat everyone in the same manner I wanted to be treated. To apologize for my background makes no more sense than it would for me to apologize for being an American to people living in a third world country. Neither gesture changes lives.

The phrase “systemic racism” is also trending. Systemic. Really? What does that even mean? As a physician, to me, “systemic” means affecting the entire body. A systemic infection, for example, is bloodborne and reaches every cell in the body. Are we really a country of systemic racism, meaning we are all complicit in its perpetuation, or do we live in a system that is sometimes racist and unjust? I would suggest the latter; however, if you support the former, you should be prepared to defend such a blanket indictment of the greatest country and people in the world. Again, words matter.

I have many friends of color whom I cherish just as much as I do my white friends, so I take this position not to stir hate or inflame an already serious situation, but to make a case for what all of us can do to make this country better. My religion teaches that everyone will know we are disciples of Christ if we love one another (John 13:35). You don’t have to share my faith to subscribe to this simple, communal principle of loving one’s neighbor–to treat others as we want to be treated, regardless of race, ethnicity, or station in life. I believe most, if not all, of us live by this principle.

There are simple steps we can take to effect change: we can invite people of color into our homes for a meal, we can sit down and break bread with our homeless brothers and sisters, we can worship with others who don’t look like us, and we can tutor or volunteer in schools or organizations that largely serve the disadvantaged. Those of you who are doing some or all of these things are to be commended for it. Your small steps are effecting change.

It is an inconvenient truth for some that many of the problems people of color experience as they grow up are rooted in community and, more importantly, the home. Children raised in a single parent home by a parent with a low-paying job, or no job, and where education is not a priority, are more likely to experience failure. Failure leads to frustration, stress, hopelessness, and loss of direction in life. Senator Ben Sasse, in his book Them: Why We Hate Each Other and How to Heal, cites statistics that show an individual’s failure to follow the arc of success–complete one’s education, get a job, get married, have children (in that order)–makes avoiding poverty and achieving success less likely. Clearly , there are exceptions. South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott and former President Obama come to mind, as they came out of homes that didn’t follow that arc. No doubt, there are many more stories of people overcoming odds and achieving success who don’t have such high public profiles as these two gentlemen.

It is the job of all of us who care about this issue to do what we can to correct it, which takes me back to the importance of words. We must start with dialogue. A successful approach to healing our wounds and addressing injustice begins with a few words. As an example, if you dismiss what I say because my perspective is that of a privileged white man, that’s a non-starter and we get nowhere. We must talk with each other, not talk or scream at one another.

I believe the majority of Americans want to live in a just society, where people, through education and hard work, are able to improve their lives regardless of their skin color, their ZIP code, or the size of their bank account. Taking small steps to address this issue could lead to a giant leap for all of us. I am optimistic we can do this! We need to start.

*Fun Fact: When Armstrong returned to Earth (literally!), he said the “a” in “for a man” was lost in the audio, which we all heard as “for man.”