Before I begin, I want to send my condolences to the families of Alton Sterling, Philando Castle, and the officer's who were gunned down in Dallas this past weekend.
As a kid from the South, I understand I can only offer my observations from where my life has brought me. This is my perspective on an issue that is much more than lively protests and blocked roadways. This problem has wreaked bloody, murderous, terroristic consequences, and as such it can no longer be ignored. I struggle with what to say, and how to say it, but I pray that somehow Christ can speak through my words. With that being said, these are the thoughts that have rung through my head as I've witnessed America and its recent battle with racism.
These are people, not statistics.
Anytime a new tragedy takes place (like the ones that took place last weekend) instantly debate begins. #BlackLivesMatter and #AllLivesMatter and recently even #BlueLivesMatter contingents pop up all over the place. Protests are currently taking place all over the country claiming to be fighting systemic injustice. I think the biggest thing that is ignored in this movement is the human side of all this. These people being killed are brothers, mothers, daughters, and sons. It breaks my heart to know the families that were decimated in Dallas over the weekend, and I think that is something that is skipped over and lost in the wake of endless shouting.
Our problem is bigger than racism, even if we don't know it.
As a Christian, I believe with all of my being that my Savior exists. With that being said, I'm also completely sure that our enemy, the Great Deceiver also exists, and he has done a masterful job of clouding our vision. Recently I have noticed that racism isn't at the heart of this issue, even if it is on the surface. The problem our country is facing is that hate is currently permeating through our entire society. Hate exists in our hearts and minds, and it manifests in some people as racism. For others it could come out as hating Christians, liberals, or gun owners. Most of us wouldn't outwardly profess to seriously hating someone, but if we took a closer look we would see it throughout our world views.
Our underlying hate is fostering an environment that brings these killings to life.
This one became especially evident to me over the weekend. As news was breaking that snipers opened fire on police officers in downtown Dallas, the immediate response was to not blame BLM, not to feel for the families of the officers, or even for the officers themselves. They were saying that BLM is absolved of all blame because one of the protesters didn't open fire. While that is true that one of the protestors didn't shoot, the problem is that supporters of BLM claim their opponents' way of thinking is what leads the shooting of black men to take place. If that is the case, then the reciprocal has to also be true. Their movement can be held responsible for nurturing an attitude of anti-police behavior and rhetoric. The knife cuts both ways. That attitude, from both sides, is what moves radicals to act, well, radically.
Our failure to recognize outliers for what they are.
If we ever want to heal, and come together as people then we must stop throwing our brothers into groups. The cop who shot Alton Sterling, or Michael Brown, or any other publicized incident recently, they are the smallest of minorities. Also, the majority of those shootings are, in a court of law, deemed justified. What those against the #BlackLivesMatter movement need to recognize is these black kids or men (depending on what case you're referring to) aren't all 'thugs'. Regardless of if there is a rap sheet or not, these men most likely grew up without a father, and even if they did they are still someone's son. To dismiss them as humans because of their past is ridiculous. Last time I checked, none of these men were on death row or were convicted serial killers at the time of their deaths. To dismiss a person's humanity because of their occupation or their upbringing is despicable, and it makes you part of the problem.
The issues divide us, when they should bring us together.
In the entire existence of our nation, the highest approval rating any president ever received was for George Bush immediately following 9/11. America came together to pick each other up after the worst attack in our history. That is a very rare response for us, with attacks seeming to increase with regularity our nation is as divided as it has ever been in my lifetime. Attacks breed dispute, defense, and disdain for our neighbors. Why can't we comfort one another, despite our differences? Why can't I be an opponent of gun control, yet still have a broken heart when a gun owner kills? To have a view doesn't mean you have no heart.
This past weekend was heartbreaking. A woman lost her fiance, a mother lost her son, and five families in Dallas will be forever incomplete. As our society is ravaged by injustice, iniquity, and rage, I can't help but wonder, where do we go from here? I think every issue I raised is rooted in the same problem, and it is in our inability to respect one another as much as we do ourselves.
If you really want change, show love to those you meet, sacrifice for those who have nothing, and serve at every opportunity. Only through love, true love, the love that our savior Christ exuded, can hate really lose, and love really win.
