"I'm Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired"
"I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." Fannie Lou Hamer's words have been on my mind lately. I'm struggling with a heavy heart because as I was preparing to write about the Jacksonville shooting, which is sad enough, I learned that here in Grand Rapids on September 3rd, another young woman, a 19-year-old, was gunned down and killed. It's all so disheartening, and I don't understand how so many people lack respect for life—theirs and others.
Hamer's quote is from her 1964 speech at the Democratic National Convention, where she courageously addressed violence, hate, and injustices against Black people. It captures her frustration at the time, and I believe her words are just as relevant in our current circumstances.
In the context of hate crimes, mass shootings, and local gun violence, Hamer's quote expresses the urgency and desire for change. I, for one, am troubled by the never-ending cycle and tragic loss of innocent life due to gun violence. I am tired of mass shooters who take their frustrations out on the innocent. I am tired of seeing headlines about hatemongering people who take the lives of others simply because of the color of their skin. I am sickened by the death of so many young people in our community. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.
On August 26, three people were gunned down at a Dollar General Store in Jacksonville, Florida. The gunman used an AR-15-style rifle to shoot and kill three people: 19-year-old Joseph "AJ" Laguerre Jr., 29-year-old Jarrald De'Shaun Gallion, and a 52-year-old woman named Angela Michelle Carr. All of the victims were Black, and the killer was a 21-year-old White man who was motivated by hate – he wanted people to know that he hated Black people. I really can't even imagine this kind of hate, but these hateful incidents are on the rise, and I'm sick and tired of them.
Last week, I wrote about gun violence against women in Grand Rapids, and again this week another woman was shot. She was just 19 years old. I think about what I was doing when I was her age. I'm thinking about my friends and family who are that age. All of her potential, talents, skills, dreams, ambitions, loves were snuffed out by some uncaring person. Her family and loved ones are now grieving, and that void can never be filled. She is one of many lately, and it is so unfortunate. The trust and sense of safety within our community are being shattered, and I am sick and tired of it.
Fannie Lou Hamer's words remind us that we cannot continue to accept this type of violence. We have to do something to address gun violence in America and specifically here in Grand Rapids. We've heard many times that it's not enough to offer thoughts and prayers; we must do more. We need to prioritize and ensure the safety and quality of life for all people, but especially young people. What are we teaching, or better yet, what are we not teaching our children and young people? Are we not teaching them that violence is the last option and that killing someone is immoral and completely wrong? And that if you kill someone, a part of you also dies. Are we teaching them that to truly love themselves means that they have to love others because we are one under God?
Truly, if we are tired of being sick and tired, like Fannie Lou, we have to get involved and take action. Yes, we need more common-sense gun control, but we also need commonsense control – of ourselves, our children, our families, and our neighborhoods. We need to be on the lookout for family and friends who have illegal and legal guns and say or do something if we feel that something isn't right. We need to work with our young people and others to promote conflict resolution and address mental health issues. This is a message to myself just as much as it is to you because, as I said earlier, thoughts and prayers are not enough. It's time to turn our exhaustion into action and work collectively to make our communities safer and more just for everyone.
Sophia Brewer (M.L.I.S.) is Collection Development and Serials Librarian, Grand Rapids Community College; Co-President of the Greater Grand Rapids History Council; member of the Grand Rapids Study Club and serves on the Grand Rapids Public Library, Board of Library Commissioners (Elected 2016-2021). She is a former Head of Programs, Grand Rapids Public Library and former Branch Manager, Madison Square Branch, Grand Rapids Public Library Congresswoman
Tagged in: