It occurred during what should have been our peaceful online meditation meeting. For three consecutive days, strangers invaded our Zoom session, disrupting our quiet gathering with hostile messages. One intruder's comments indicated this wasn't random — we were being deliberately targeted. I had recently published opinion pieces in this newspaper about creating a more humane, compassionate society. Suddenly, that simple act had turned our meditation circle into a site of contention.
The violation left me feeling exposed and alone, questioning my safety for simply expressing my beliefs. As I sat with these feelings, I realized I wasn't alone. Throughout our community and the nation, journalists, teachers, preachers, civil rights lawyers, and countless others confront similar targeted intimidation for expressing their views or just doing their jobs.