What do we make of this time and place we find ourselves in? Myself, I am saddened that our nation has become callous and cruel toward those on the margins. As a white woman, I, so far, feel safe using my voice to speak out. So I do.

I recently joined a group of “Per-sisters” on the Lunt Road overpass, who weekly have a message for I 295 motorists. We wave. Drivers respond by honking or flashing their lights. We’re all in this together. So what did I notice? Most of us (but not all) on the bridge are oldish. We may be retired, so we have time to make our voices heard. The people who honked were in cars, jeeps, pickup trucks, contractor vans, tractor trailers. Most, I’m guessing, were on their way to work, doing their work, making a living.

That’s what many of us are doing every day. We work, we volunteer in our communities, we take care of family and friends, we go to church, we read, we wonder, we dream … of an America that lives up to its promise and is not afraid of the “other.” Build a bigger table. Welcome the stranger. Hang our flag as a symbol that we’re still open to the “dream.” We’re not there yet. We have work to do. Please join us.

Leigh Kirchner
Yarmouth