"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." -Abraham Lincoln
Michael Brown.
Eric Garner.
Tamir Rice.
Freddy Gray.
Alton Sterling.
Philando Castile.
Terence Crutcher.
Keith Lamont Scott.
These are all names that we've heard in the past two years along with many, many others. What do they all have in common? The eight men listed above were all gunned down by police officers. These eight men all had loving families and some of them were just beginning their lives. These eight men were also all black.
As a millennial, I grew up knowing we had a lot of things that most people didn't. We live in a nation that is supposed to be united. We were granted many freedoms that most countries dream of having. The first amendment gives us the right to say as we please, publish as we please, worship as we please, appeal as we please, and protest as we please. But somewhere along the way we forgot a very important part of the first amendment: the word peaceably.
Let me go ahead and present to you all what the first amendment of our constitution says, word for word:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Present day Americans have forgotten what our country was built on. It wasn't hatred. It wasn't greed. It wasn't even racism. It was one common goal: freedom. Independence. I'd like to think we've come a long way from when the United States of America first began, but it seems like we're starting to move backwards.
When my parents grew up, segregation was still prevalent. Racism was basically shoved down their throats without much thought put into it. It was basically a way of live: whites detested blacks. Slavery wasn't legal anymore but the hatred was still there. There was a separation for everything from schools to bathrooms. Words that we find socially acceptable nowadays were swear words and racial slurs. My mother can still remember when the first African Americans joined her school -- the beginning of integration. It was a completely different time period but it seems we are reverting back to it in some ways.
Ferguson, Missouri.
Baltimore, Maryland.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Charlotte, North Carolina.
These are only four of the locations where the eight men I listed above were murdered, most recently Charlotte. A simple hashtag -- Black Lives Matter -- started a race war that was already prominent but kept quiet. But when did peaceful protests turn to violent riots? A friend of mine said recently, "Black lives matter exists because all lives matter, not in spite of it." I think that is a very important thing to remember.
Black lives matter. White lives matter. Blue lives matter. Yellow lives matter. Brown lives matter. Purple lives matter. Every single life matters. We don't get to pick and choose which lives matter and which ones don't. That is the complete opposite of what America was based on. Every life that comes to America should be able to live freely. Every life should be able to become a legal citizen if they so choose.
We shouldn't be fighting over whose history is more important or whose history should be told. It should all be told. We don't get to pick and choose the good parts of history over the bad parts of history. It all happened. It's history. You can't change history.
So as a Caucasian, I acknowledge that your ancestors were poorly treated, both as slaves and during segregation. I acknowledge the names I listed in the beginning as unjust murders. I acknowledge that you may feel unfairly treated as an American citizen. I acknowledge that history happened and it's our jobs to not let it repeat itself. I even acknowledge that you might be offended by my article. But I also acknowledge these names:
Brad Garafola.
Matthew Gerald.
Montrell Jackson.
Lorne Ahrens.
Michael Krol.
Michael Smith.
Brent Thompson.
Patrick Zamarripa.
If you don't recognize these eight names, then let me enlighten you. These eight names should bear the same weight as the eight men I began with. These eight men were killed in the line of duty due to the Black Lives Matter movement getting out of hand. The peaceful protests turning to violent riots. These eight men are all police officers. These eight men also had loving families and some had young children just like the first eight. And no, not all of these eight men are white.
When did we allow fear to take control of our lives? Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." America is the home of the brave but shooting each other is far from courageous. So yes, racism is real. Police brutality is real. But that doesn't give you the excuse to lump everyone together into one category. I realize that some people do that anyways but be the bigger person. We live in the land of the free for a reason. We are all unique because God made us in His image. So maybe we don't look the same but we are all loved the same.
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
