The Peacock 444

 "I don´t imagine that you have ever known or seen any ordained persons that look like me", says Francois.

"Oh, but I didn't mean that at all"

"Oh, yes you did, Carol", says Carl, and now Melissa is loudly shushing him to be quiet.

Carol, suddenly shoving her plate away from her, says "You know, you people, you never seem to be satisfied with the rest of us.  No matter what we say or do, no matter how we try to help, how we try not to offend, to be kind, tolerant, inclusive, or whatever the trendy words are nowadays,  none of it, none of it is good enough for you.  You are always going to find fault, criticize, rip apart.  Maybe", and now she stares up at Francois, seated almost across the table from her, glaring at him, "It is almost as if you don't even want us to exist, that you want us all, all white people to go away and die somewhere so that you can take over--"

"Carol!" snaps Carl, "That is truly enough!"

"No, let her speak", Francois says.  "We are all entitled to our day in court."

"Why do you hate us!"

"Carol", says Francois, his voice a bit hushed, "I don't hate you."

"Do you support Black Lives Matter?"

"But of course they matter.  All lives matter", says Francois.

"That is correct, Francois, or I mean, Father Francois", she says, pointing her finger at him, "All lives matter.  Right?  Not just black lives.  All lives."

"But that is already implied."

"But is it",

"Yes it is, we are all together in this, we are all one, we all bleed the same colour red, Blacks, Whites, indigenous, everybody."

George adds in, "Filipino, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Latino.  Everybody.  But the whites have always held the reins of power, so they particularly need to be reminded that all lives matter, and especially black lives because of that huge and ugly thing called slavery..."

"