The Federalist Papers
After months of protests and riots, the grand jury’s decision has been made, and Ferguson, Missouri’s police officer, Darren Wilson will not be indicted. After months of listening, reading and weighing the data, which included witness testimonies and forensic evidence, the grand jury determined that Officer Wilson would not be criminally charged for shooting eighteen year old Michael Brown. Approximately an hour later, President Barak Obama made a speech, urging those who wished to protest the grand jury’s findings to do so peacefully, not with violence. However, those who needed to hear that message were already on the streets, rioting, looting, shooting guns, burning buildings and pelting police officers with rocks, etc.
I’ve listened to all of the media coverage regarding this sad event, as they and many others depicted Officer Darren Wilson as some sort of white supremacist. No one cared to present his side of the story, so all anyone ever heard about was how this poor, unarmed black teenager was brutally and repeatedly shot by the bad white policeman. I watched and listened while Michael Brown was elevated to a hero’s status, and Officer Darren Wilson was vilified. As the media had presented only one side of the story, it seemed right for me to be quiet about this tragedy, until both sides had been presented. For what everyone seemed to have forgotten in the months following the August 9, 2014 shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson, is that this is the United States of America, where EVERYONE is presumed innocent until PROVEN guilty, and this includes white policemen. Indeed, my biggest fear was that the grand jury would be swayed by the lynch mob that seemed hell bent on his indictment, regardless of his guilt or innocence.
I am outraged by the irresponsible media, who resorted to yellow journalism, simply looking for headlines, while stirring the pot with the race card. I wonder, would there have been the rioting and the outrage if a black police officer had shot a white eighteen year old who attacked him? Would a white boy in the same situation have been deemed a hero, or a violent criminal?
I have to ask this question, what difference does it make what color anyone involved was? Does their race change the facts of the case? Why is it that white policemen are always portrayed as racists?
I grew up in a racist home, and I hated it. Racism is foul and ugly, and it destroys nations. Look at Nazi Germany. Look at the violence that took place in Israel last week, when someone went into a synagogue, shooting rabbis who were praying.
Now, let’s look at America today. Yes, there are still white racists, who hate anyone who is not fair skinned. But let’s be real. There are Hispanic racists, who hate anyone who is not like them. And there are black racists, who hate white people, like the ones who went into the streets rioting, plundering and pilfering last night. The grand jury’s verdict was merely an excuse for violence and vandalism.
Violence and hatred will not end racism. It will only increase it. Idolizing criminals as though they are heroes will not end racism. It will only increase it. Parents who teach their children to hate or fear those who are different than them will not end racism. They will only increase it. As long as there are “black” churches, “white” churches, “hispanic” churches, “Baptist” churches, “Methodist” churches, “Pentecostal” churches, “Holiness” churches, etc., racism, bigotry, and prejudice will never end.
It is only when we begin to do as Jesus said and, “Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” that racism will begin to die, one person, one family, one church at a time. As long as Christians look down on other Christians, because they worship differently, sing differently or dress differently, racism will continue to flourish.
As long as people continue to take pride in their race, which was created and chosen for them by God, racism will flourish. How can I be proud of my skin color or eye color, when it wasn’t I who created them? How can I be proud of something I didn’t do? God gave me my skin tone, just as He gave you yours, so, knowing that God created both of us, how can you or I say one is good and the other is bad, when God makes all things good?
Therefore, beloved reader, isn’t it time for you and me to take a stand for what is right? Let us condemn the sin of racism, but let us love the sinners. Let us love one another just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. Instead of teaching our children to have white pride or black pride, let us teach them to be humble, for pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall. Our children will know great power and great joy, if we teach them to humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.
If we will do these things, and stop separating ourselves from other believers, simply because they are different than we are, we can begin to kill racism, one person, one family, one church at a time. But, if we refuse to do these things, instead, holding on to our pride and anger, not only will we fail in the mission to kill racism, we will also fail to reach heaven. For in heaven, there is no racism. Instead, there will only be men and women from every tribe and tongue and nation who love and trust in the Lord with all their hearts, and lean not on their own understanding.
© 2014
Cheryl A. Showers
Burning Fire Shut Up In My Bones 