We are grateful that our earth has the capacity to take care of all living creatures. We affirm the importance of the humanity of all people. We are gathered to reconfirm our commitment to the seeking of this great concept of justice that we are all still trying to understand. And despite adversities that present themselves, and obstacles that get in our line of vision and obstructions that are placed in our pathway in pursuit of this universal principle, we will not be deterred from working towards a world where justice is uplifted and becomes the standard.
With the help of the Divine Spirit which binds us together as humans in this living experience on earth, we must continue to hold one another in this process, to seek the help of a Force greater than ourselves, and stay focused on Truth.
Today as part of this community ceremony, we say the names of those who lost their lives or became wounded in pursuit of what they believed to be the right to peaceful protest. They wanted to hold a peaceful community gathering to demand accountability of the greater society, in Kenosha Wisconsin, for the life of Jacob Blake who was shot seven times by Kenosha police.
Today as the Smith community we recognize the sacrifice and sacred lives of:
Joseph Rosenbaum, age 36
Anthony Huber, age 26
Gaige Grosskreutz, now age 27, who was wounded
At this time we offer a moment of silence for these three brave individuals.
I end this portion of the vigil with the Muslim prayer “As Salaam Alaikum,” which means “peace be unto you.”