At a Black Lives Matter rally in Johnson City, Tennessee, over the weekend, a little girl showed everyone what love and tolerance are all about.
The rally was part of a national movement to mark the one year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri. About 300 people showed up in Johnson City.
Among the 300, two white men counter protested by waving Confederate flags. One of the men, as he walked through the crowd, announced:
“This flag is not hate, it’s heritage.”
Overall, activists who organized the rally said they were pleased with the turnout and what it represented. One woman, Monique Hall, remarked:
“I never, in my day, thought I would see this. It’s just been really hard to live here. To see this it makes me really hopeful that this place can change.”
But the day was best summed up by a precious little 9-year-old girl named Patiance Gardner who said:
“I really hope racism just stops, and people don’t judge people by their skin color. They’re making sure everybody fights racism and we’re sticking together. Everybody is God’s creatures.”
Leave it to a child, with her pure heart and clear mind, to speak words that cut to the very core of the issue. What Patiance Gardner said is exactly what needs to be said over and over again in this country: We are all the same, no matter the color of our skin, our religion, our background, our social status or income. This is the very essence of what Jesus taught:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)
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This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org.