Jon Foreman (of the band Switchfoot) recently wrote a post called ”Why I Refuse To Protest Protestors”. In it, he talked about his experience dealing with protests at his band's concerts. A few sentences he wrote struck me the most,

All at once I had an epiphany: these puzzling creatures that are yelling at you are human souls – as unpredictable, perplexing and unpredictable as I am. Here's the shocker: this guy with the bullhorn could be my cousin! he could be a friend of mine! Better yet: this guy could be me! If our lives were swapped, who can say that I would be any different? I put nothing below me. Who can say what I would do if I had his reality? Compassion makes you realize what you have in common with the rest of humanity.

For me as a Mozillian, these past few days have been confusing and unsettling. First it was the protests against Brendan's appointment. For an organization you are a part of, for a pioneer you look up to, for them to be rallied against, it was hard to understand. Then it was Brendan's resignation. That was unexpected and felt like things falling apart. Now it is another wave of protests against Brendan's departure. In the midst of this whirlwind, I want to feel anguish. I want to shout. Why couldn't Brendan just recant? Why couldn't the protesters just understand? Why couldn't the media just set the story straight? Why couldn't Mozilla just handle everything a little better? I want to protest.

But that's not what Mozilla is about. Like Katharina said, Mozilla is great at not only shipping great products but also at shipping love. It was love, love for the web, that first brought Mozilla together. It is love that continues to drive our mission now. Like Jon wrote,

On my best days, I want to stand for love conquering a multitude of wrongs. I want to stand for forgiveness, for mercy, for beauty, for grace. I stand for you, sir and madame. Whether you are holding a megaphone or not. Even when you refuse to shake my hand I love you. Whether you insult me or not, drunk or sober; I honestly love you! I love your passion, your fervor, your dedication. I want to know you better. I want to find out what makes you tick. I want to know why you believe what you believe. I want to learn from you. I am for you, emphatically for you!

Let's do what we do best, at showing love. Show love to Brendan; thank him for all that he's done and wish him the best. Show love to the activists; empathize with them. Show love to people who think Mozilla is not inclusive. Show love to the journalists, to companies protesting us. Show love to the Board, to your peers, to the community. Let's show our love to Mozilla.