2020 Hindsight: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied

The saying goes that "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied."  And that is my 2020 Hindsight for the 171st day of 2020.  Prior to this year, I knew that June 19th (Juneteenth) was the anniversary of the emancipation of the slaves in the US.  What I did not know is that on January 1st 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation became official but it was not until TWO AND HALF years later that Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas and the order was enforced.  Sadly, 155 years later on 6/19/2020, I am not sure we have undelayed justice in our World, yet.  Witness the amount of time it took to arrest the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery.  Witness the limited charges that were eventually brought on the officers who participated in the killing of George Floyd and the light charges that were finally increased against the officer who knelt on George's neck, strangling the life out of him.  I just finished watching the miniseries When they See Us, about the Central Park Five and miscarriages of justice that were perpetrated against them all so those who were politically conscious could show New York that they had solved the case.  I had heard about the Central Park Five before, but not until tonight did I realize how unfair and corrupt the whole situation was and how long they had to wait to be exonerated, and then how long they had to wait to be compensated for damages.  I have to admit I sobbed at times during this miniseries... Crying not only for the young men and their families, but also for the fact that this happened in the United States (and probably is still happening, in lesser extents, all over the country).  I used today to address my "Blind Spots" that I discussed last night, but I have so many more to remedy, so much more to learn, so many stories to listen to, and hope that I can find ways to put into action my desire for Social Justice to be recognized.  For Black people, but also for Native Americans, other under-represented minorities, for people in the LGBTQ Community (especially youth and those who intersect with other persecuted communities) and for those who are victims of horrible stereotypes (such as Asian people blamed for COVID, or those with disabilities who are victims of able-ism).  Friends, justice and fairness should not be hard.  Empathy, care, hope, and love should rule the day.  Let's all pledge to continue to work on our blind spots and find ways to be the change we want to see and make the world a better place!