For the 50th anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, forty thousand people came together freely and peacefully. Representative John Lewis almost died by the hands of Selma police on that day 50 years ago. On the anniversary he said, “The bridge at Selma is almost a holy place. It is a place where people gave up their blood to redeem the soul of America…. We came to the highest point, and down below we saw a sea of blue, Alabama State Troopers. And behind the Troopers we saw men on horseback…. They came at us with nightsticks, trampling us with horses. I went down on my knees. My legs went out from under me. I thought I was going to die.”
Nachshon ben Amminadav must have thought that he might die when he jumped into the Sea of Reeds. Just seven days ago, the Israelites had fled Egypt and found themselves trapped between a raging sea and the Egyptian army. But G-d’s command, “Speak to the people of Israel; they shall travel” had been given, and with understandable hesitation, the Israelites resisted jumping into the sea. While Moses stood and prayed, G-d replied to him, “My beloved ones are drowning in the stormy seas, and you are standing and praying?” Then Nachshon jumped into the not yet parted sea. And G-d replied to Moses’s prayer, “You lift your staff and spread your hand over the seas, which will split, and Israel will come into the sea upon dry land.” And so the Israelites followed Nachshon’s lead and jumped into the parted sea. They soon came upon dry land, liberated.
On the marcher’s next attempt to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were met with troops sent by President Johnson to protect them. The following August, the President signed the Voting Rights Act into law.
Twice they marched across the bridge. The second time, on a wave of love and justice, they came upon dry land.
Closer to home in San Jose, and less than a week ago, a police officer was fatally shot by a suicidal man wielding a high-powered rifle. Mayor Sam Liccardo said, “This has been San Jose’s darkest hour. Our hearts go out to the family, the friends and colleagues of the fallen officer. This strikes at the heart of all of us here in San Jose and throughout the region.”
Closer still, what is most dear to me, is my daughter. She attends a local elementary school set upon a charming campus surrounded by trees. Her school belongs to a small district that secured money for structural, environmental, and safety upgrades as a result of the 2012 election. We now have solar panels, cemented down park benches, and a high black fence that surrounds the buildings making it apparently inaccessible to anyone who hasn’t entered through the office door to sign in.
After Sandy Hook, we received notification from the district that they would take every precaution to keep our children safe. Clearly, they are taking matters into their own hands. As my daughter told me about the fence surrounding the classrooms and in which block off the green space filled with trees, it occurred to me that because we’ve made so little progress with respect to gun safety and violence prevention, the district was building a fortress like environment to keep their students safe. Sure, the new modern façade and environmental upgrades are welcome and necessary, but the fortress like feel breaks my heart. At the science fair last week, I overheard some parents talking about the “jail like” fence and wondered, “What will it take to come upon dry land?”
~~~
Originally written as a D'Var Torah, "From Selma to San Jose: May We Seek Liberation"
Sources:
Three Words for Love: Selma, Aloha, Ahava
Meet Nachshon ben Aminadav
San Jose police officer shot to death
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