I was thinking about what I was going to say to a victim’s awareness class at my prison, and all of a sudden an idea hit me like a ton of bricks.
I had planned on talking to the class about coping skills, but then the person who spoke before me said something that resonated deeply with me. “My victim cannot ever watch television again because of my actions,” he said. And here I was about to tell every incarcerated person in the class how one of my coping skills was watching the NFL playoffs and upcoming Super Bowl. So when he said that, shame and guilt came over me.
His words made me think of the 37,000 lifers locked up in my state of California. Then I thought of all the victims that we created as a result of our actions. And then I thought of all of the victims’ family members. I felt ashamed thinking of all these people who will never watch TV again, while I use it as a coping mechanism.
But I didn’t dwell in my shame for long. I decided to take action. I believe that all of us can do something, no matter how small, to change the world for the better. Even if we just create tiny changes.
I decided not to watch February’s Super Bowl, even though my favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs, was playing in it. This was one way I could make a meaningful sacrifice aimed as a gesture toward victims of violence. If people could no longer watch the Super Bowl because of harm I, or others, had caused, then I wouldn’t be watching it either.
My hope for the future is that all of us can make many more sacrifices, every day, to help make this world a better place.
