Dear Young People of America, I Am Sorry

Dear young people of America, I am sorry.

I am sorry because I have let serious problems go unaddressed.

I am sorry because I have watched the slow progress in some areas of society and let myself be content with that.

I am sorry because I assumed that change takes time and it was okay to be patient and wait instead of pushing harder against the injustice I have seen.

I am sorry because I believed that by voting for the right people and donating a few dollars, I was doing enough to change the world.

I am sorry because I knew there were serious problems in how to care for our sick, our poor, our children, our LGBTQ family, and minorities and I did not let my outrage turn into positive action.

I am sorry because I knew that our criminal justice system is deeply flawed and racist in its execution, and I still did nothing.

I am sorry because when I heard my fellow whites say something racist, or homophobic, or bigoted, or sexist, I did not speak up enough, or loudly enough, because I was more concerned with keeping the peace than speaking the truth.

I am sorry because I have complained that young people have not been engaged enough in voting and activism like I thought they should.

Over the last week I have watched as protests have erupted across the country, as outrage over the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee, and many many more spilled over into action. Action taken by young people. The very ones I thought would never engage, and now they have acted with a courage and conviction I, and my generation, have never matched.

So I say again, I am sorry. I have let you down and I am ashamed.

Now, how can I help?