Someone was shot and killed in Washington, DC today. That’s not an uncommon headline. People die senseless deaths everyday in Washington, and around the world.
THIS WAS DIFFERENT.
This man was a guardian. This man was a guardian of a sacred shine. This man was a guardian of a sacred shine that holds the memories of 12,000,000 people who themselves were senselessly murdered. This man was a guardian of a sacred shrine that holds the memories of 12,000,000 people who were senselessly murdered and works to motivate us to we strive towards a world where this happening again is impossible.
Go(d)dess only knows how many more might have died today if Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns and his fellow officers did not act quickly.
This many deserves to be honored. In Jewish tradition we honor the dead through leaving stones at their grave sites. There are many reasons for this, including that building rock cairns was a traditional act in the Torah. To me the reason is simple. We leave stones because leaving flowers would add death to death. Flowers decay and die in a place where there is enough death and decay. Stones are permanent markers that someone remembers this person’s life.
I encourage you all to bring or send a stone to the Holocaust Museum in memory of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns. I am sure they will understand the meaning.
After work Friday I’ll be heading down to the museum to say Kaddish for Officer Johns and leave a stone in remembrance of his service. How amazing would it be for there to suddenly be hundreds of people there tomorrow evening saying Kaddish? What if hundreds of people went to the Holocaust memorials around the country and world tomorrow? What if where there are no memorials, people went to memorials for those killed by terrorists and fascists; places like the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial, Ground Zero NYC, and The Pentagon bombing memorial?
I can not think of a better way to honor an African American man guarding the United States Holocaust Memorial that was gunned down by an 88 Year Old White Supremacist than by utterly, thoroughly, and totally rejecting all that the murderer stood for.
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I love your post – the phrasing, the feeling, the idea of leaving stones, everything but the topic – if only this idiotic tragedy hadn’t happened. Since you’re relatively on scene, do you know a good dept/address to send the rocks to at the Holocaust Museum? I’ll be lighting a candle and saying kaddish for Mr. Johns tonight but I think it’s important for people to see via the stones how much this man’s sacrifice means to people. Hope you have a good Shabbos.
Gavrielah
Here’s a link to the service I prepared: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhq23dsp_19cnp9grdm
What really happened was more amazing. Only a couple of people came, which is just fine. We met two of Mr. Johns fellow officers, Beulah and Lorraine and they prayed with us and talked with us for about 10 minutes. They also were very happy that people were calling him “officer.” They pointed out they are not “security guards,” but sworn officers who carry guns.
The address at the Holocaust Museum is:
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
Washington, DC 20024-2126
There is a lovely memorial growing of stones and flowers just outside the building. If you prefer, I can email you my snail mail address. I’m happy to bring your stone over.
A beautiful service. Wish I could’ve come.
Ketzirah– it’s so beautiful that you have put so much energy into honoring this brave man. Beautiful also that you describe him as guardian of a sacred shrine, which he indeed was. I will send the Museum a stone.