The black T-shirt with the splashed white writing haunts me. She made a mindful decision to wear that T-shirt on that day, grabbing it rather than others. But, everything is not okay.
She knew things weren’t okay, and for that reason she would be on the streets protesting. It is not okay that the elected leaders of her country are imprisoned. It is not okay that the legitimate decision which voters made is being ignored. It is not okay that turmoil reigns. It is not okay that the military is firing on unarmed protestors with live rounds. She even anticipated that things might not go well for her. According to news reports, she had already made arrangements to be an organ donor and had posted her blood type. She had seen firsthand that things were ugly and not at all okay.
Seeing the picture of her life-less body, peaceful in its stillness, with her blood soaking the black T-shirt, I felt shaken. This screams loudly, “No, it’s not okay.” More than anything, her shirt, chosen intentionally or possibly whimsically, becomes a rallying cry. The fight must continue, wrong must made right, justice must be served—so that once again, “Everything Will Be OK.”
Rest in peace Kyal Sin.
Image: news.yahoo.com
sharonbernhardt 