Perhaps it would have been more apropos to title this post
"The State of the Country". We still have a country after
all. It sure doesn't feel like much of a union though.
This country is going through
some growing pains. Perhaps it would have been more apropos to say that
the country is going through hard-to-define-type-of-pains. It
sure doesn't feel like much growing is happening though.
Seems I'm going in circles, and
getting exhausted in the process, and I haven't even gotten to the meat of the bone,
yet.
So, to set the table:
> A Minneapolis police
officer put his body weight on the neck of a handcuffed suspect with his knee,
while 3 of his partners watched, resulting in the death of the suspect, George
Floyd.
> The police officer is
Caucasian.
> Mr. Floyd is African
American.
> Mr. Floyd was suspected of
using a counterfeit $20 bill.
> The police officer was
arrested 4 days after the death of Mr. Floyd.
> Community frustration in
Minneapolis and several other major cities in the nation have increased and
escalated from simple protests to full-on rioting and violence.
> In several cities,
(particularly Minneapolis, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles)
countless fires have been destroyed buildings and vehicles (police and
private), stores have been looted, and cities have become, in some ways,
unrecognizable.
> Last night, the crowd at
the White House was testing the patience of the Secret Service. Tonight, the barriers are providing for more
distance between the crowd and the White House.
> The 3 other police officers involved have not (yet) been
arrested.
I am an American citizen, from
birth to parents who are American citizens from birth. This country belongs
to me just as much as it does to other citizens. I love the freedoms I am
provided and respect the parameters that, as a citizen, within which I am to
live.
The 1st Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights to
protect my rights and the rights of all citizens. It states:
“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.”
I *support* the right of citizens to assemble, speak freely, and
protest. The key phrase, at least considering
recent events, is “…the right of the people to peaceably assemble…”.
Citizens have the right to speak their
mind, meet with those who also speak their mind (or just listen, if they so
choose), and to protest.
I do *not* support assaulting others for any reason, including when
they voice an opinion that differs from yours.
I do *not* support looting, rioting, or burning property that isn’t your
own. None of these actions are supported
in the 1st Amendment because they violate another’s rights. I don’t have the right to assault you because
you disagree with me. And you don’t have
the right to assault me when I disagree with you. Committing crime when you are justified in anger
and frustration doesn’t absolve you from the crime. Wrong is wrong. Are the actions helping your stated
cause? Sadly, the actions of many people
are a distraction from conversation necessitated by the issues raised by the death
of Mr. George Floyd.
The wheels of justice will move slow, likely too slow. Sadly, that’s the nature of the justice
system. Nothing will bring Mr. Floyd
back. Even if there was no rioting or
looting, Mr. Floyd’s live has ended. Because
of criminal actions, there are additional casualties, emotional wounds, and
exorbitant monetary costs that will have to be dealt with. Mr. Floyd’s death is a tragedy, certainly an
unnecessary one. The officers that are
responsible for his death need to be held responsible criminally and civilly accountable. Sadly, justice for the officers won’t bring
Mr. Floyd back to life. For his family,
and many others, those wounds will never fully heal.
I don’t know what it will take for this country to heal. So many problems to juggle, so much legitimate
pain, so much regrettable history. The
problems are in multitude and the solutions don’t seem to come easily or
quickly. I think there are many reasons
we are where we are today. I think the
big solution lies in God, in the peace only He can bring. But so many people aren’t open to that
notion. One-by-one, we can choose to be kinder
to each other, but that still involves an individual decision that many aren’t
willing to make. We can try to heal
ourselves and help our families heal the wounds that have hampered them. Some won’t take that step. But I can.
I will. And I will pray for
God’s peace to guide me and my family.
Will you?
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in
the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
