I am an American, but I live in Germany right now. The protests here… well there haven’t been any in the part of the country I live in. So as someone living an ocean away, let me start off by saying "thank you” to everyone who has stepped up for what is right. Thanks to those of you peacefully protesting who are making sure our political leaders understand where we stand as a country. Thank you too to all of those who work to keep our country safe. I am appalled at some of the actions of some of our police over the last week and I hope they are the minority. Thanks to those men and women who have stepped up to do what is right. Thanks for letting people peacefully protest, for working to find common ground with those willing to have a conversation, and for protecting those in need when required.

We have a long way to go as a country, but I hope and pray that we can move it in the right direction.

I am saddened to see people who have resorted to violence and looting. On 5 June 2020, Beyond the Brick posted the video below spotlighting a NYC LEGO Brand Store. It is sad to see all of the giant creations next to a damaged store and busted windows. A hobby that I turn to for enjoyment, creativity, and a way to engage with others around the world being hit like this is tough to see. I hope no one was hurt and I hope LEGO can rebuild and get their workers back in place soon.

Thankfully it is not all bad and the AFOL community has had some great responses to what is happening.

One post is an article on the Brick Model Railroader blog. Cale Leiphart, known for some incredible train MOCs, posted on 5 June 2020 about an experience he had traveling to a LEGO Fan event. You can read the full article here. Cale shares an experience of meeting a retired Norfolk Southern employee volunteering at a train museum in Virginia. While Cale and the volunteer had different skin colors, they both had a love of trains (one a fan of LEGO ones while one is a fan of actual trains). They were able to connect and it didn’t matter that they looked different. Definitely a lesson to follow in the United States now.

The Brother’s Brick has a few posts as well…
-One is a highlight of a build for “Black Lives Matter,” an editorial piece, and a conversation in the comments section.
-The other is a brick build of George Floyd and some additional commentary.

Finally, the LEGO Group had this to say on their Twitter feed on 3 June 2020:

No word as to what organizations they are talking about, but a step in the right direction.

I normally end my posts by saying “happy building.” While I echo the same sentiments, I also say “Let’s build a better world.”