I support the adoption of the Eighth Principle. As much as I admire the tone and intentions of the Seven Principles, systemic racism is still enduring in our national culture. They are not sufficient in this day.

Having come of age during the 50s and 60s, I was nourished in a time of both blatant discrimination and justice awakening. Am I immune from the ideological soup of that time? Unconscious reactions are still imbedded in my mind, though I may be increasingly aware of their faultiness.

If I choose to support an idea, a movement, an endeavor, should I not be held accountable for that? Ultimately, I will be held accountable by my own conscience, and that is not a bad thing.

I can feel secure in the folds of lofty ideals, or I can engage in the earthly, human, compassionate and persistent challenge to work for justice.