There was a memorial service yesterday for Heather Heyer, the young woman killed over the weekend while protesting a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. Her mother offered forgiveness and urged mourners to honor her daughter by standing up to the injustices in the world:
"Let's channel ... anger not into hate, not into violence, not into fear, but let's channel that difference, that anger, into righteous action."
"You need to find in your heart that small spark of accountability. 'What is there I can do to make the world a better place? What injustice do I see?' … You poke that finger at yourself like Heather would have done. You take that extra step. You find a way to make a difference in the world."
"Find what's wrong. Don't ignore it, don't look the other way. You make a point to look at it and say to yourself, 'What can I do to make a difference?' And that's how you're going to make my child's death worthwhile. I'd rather have my child, but by golly, if I gotta give her up, we're going to make it count."
I have no doubt that if we take these words to heart and follow in Heather's footsteps, we can overcome the hate that took her life. Find what's wrong. Don't ignore it. Ask yourself what you can do to make a difference.
By Brian Witte and Sarah Rankin
