Dontre Hamilton family
struggling for justice.

This morning when I walked into our Church hall I was greeted by a friend who told me how good my letter to editor, Selma, No Milwaukee of the South, was in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper. Then he handed me a small yellow flyer urging me to vote for or against some amendment in some obscure election coming up. He then added the vote on the amendment would not affect the outcome of the decision on this matter but I should vote anyway.

Other people graduated me on the letter to the editor while holding a copy of the yellow flyer about voting on advisory amendment. I felt like saying and perhaps did to a few “If I vote on this matter or others will it really make a difference and excuse me from taking any other action on the issues. Whenever I go to an event for Justice for Dontre Hamilton there is usually someone passing out some voting literature, to vote for this person I never heard of or another.

I have no problem with people who choose to vote. I do have a problem when voting becomes a substitute for direct action. If I know what candidate has the most money in an election I can tell you, with 95% accuracy, who will win. Voting, as well as talking about a problem, has become the new substitute from taking direct action.

Today I went to an event to celebrate International Woman’s day sponsored by Welfare Warriors of Milwaukee who honored caregivers for people and community. As mother after mother came to the microphone to tell their story about battling the Child Welfare big business system to keep their children or regain them I was horrified that such things could go on in our State. But if someone writes about the stories and people read them the response will be just about the same as to my letter to editor: “Good story and let’s move on.” Who will drive the mother to court and encourage her in her struggle to keep her child?

I understand that everyone cannot get involved in every issue. That is why the ‘powers to be’ create more and more problems and issues so we will be more divided on these issues. As my 86 year old friend Lucille, who was honored today, keeps on saying we need to “work together” on our concerns and not be so divided.

When someone asked me today what can be done to address these issues I said two things: Works of Mercy and Nonviolent Resistance to the system. I realize we cannot get involved in every issue but we can be involved in a few with works of mercy, like driving a mother to court, or works of nonviolent resistance, like the actions of the Coalition for Justice.

Attending a public hearing or voting are good things but if you really want to work for change, in my opinion and experience, works of mercy and works of resistance will make a difference.

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