With so many causes in the world worth fighting for, it can be overwhelming to know where to spend one’s money and time.

In the best or worst of times, I believe everyone needs to carve out time to make the world a better place. For those with the financial means, they need to do their part on a regular basis as well. Pick your cause and be part of the solution. It really does take a village.

In the United States we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day next week.

One would think by now the racial inequities of this country would be much less than they are. Unfortunately, they only seem to be getting worse. The us vs. them is growing. The normalizing of people who are not white being less than, being other has to stop.

While I’m not one to normally turn to fiction to illustrate a point, I’m going to now. I’m streaming Station 19, which is an offshoot of Grey’s Anatomy. Season 4, episode 12 is titled Get Up, Stand Up. It’s about the firefighters grappling with the death of George Floyd.

Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officers in May 2020. The episode originally aired April 22, 2021.

I was in tears this month watching it.

It so painfully and poignantly showed how this heart-wrenching brutal death affected the firefighters. I highly recommend watching this one episode; it’s on Hulu.

Watch it to understand the world from Black people’s perspectives, as well as from a character who is half white-half Asian. Remember this was at the early stages of the pandemic and Asians were no better off.

They too have had a rocky time in this country. Think of the detention camps during World War II.

I never thought I would see something like that in my lifetime. Now it’s the Hispanic-Latino population being rounded up for no reason other than their skin color.

We can’t let this continue to happen.

The United States is devolving. I am angry and sad at the same time. Or maybe I’m finally realizing what type of country I was born into and for some reason continue to live in.

While I’m at a loss at times at what to do, I know writing about my feelings with the hope of generating discussion is one thing I can do. I can talk about my angst. I can call out people when they use discriminatory language; and want to be called out if I ever do the same. I can speak up when something wrong is happening. I can put my phone on video to record the injustice as well as try to intervene.

I can write to my elected officials. I can march in the streets. I can vote.

Voting is so important—in every election—at every level. Some of the most consequential decisions are made on school boards, city councils, recreation boards, utility entities. Those people make endless decisions affecting your everyday life.

We need leaders who are inclusive. We need leaders who are unifying. We need leaders who are not morally corrupt.

When we have leaders who normalize discrimination it gives permission to others to do the same. It spreads hate.

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day think about whether you are part of the problem or part of the solution. If you are sitting on the sidelines doing nothing with your time and/or money, you are part of the problem. Silence gives consent.