As the 2020 Elections get closer, we can see conflicts raging in a few of our country’s communities.
In most of our cities, there are no protests marked by violence or any unrest causing serious disturbances.
In a few of our communities–a very few, truth be told–there are serious problems and it’s not certain when the unrest may abate or what a successful strategy for a resolution might look like.
The President is using fear in an attempt to frighten voters into giving him another term to quell the violence that has happened on his watch, the violence which has been worsened by his failure to address long-ignored issues of social justice and of equal treatment for all citizens.
The dark picture of America that he’s trying to paint for his supporters does not reflect the true reality.
The irony is that if he is re-elected, the dark hues we can see around the picture’s edges will intensify, spread and despoil the fragile image.
We must not allow anyone to wield fear as a weapon and convince the American people that the entire nation is wracked by explosive, uncontrolled mob violence from Portland all the way to D.C.. It’s simply not true.
Furthermore, we must reject the proposition that the protests and unrest–in the few communities where there has been actual violence–calls for Federal shock troops outfitted with military-grade weaponry cracking the skulls of citizens who are looking to their elected officials to respond to their grievances.
The unrest will be eased and moved toward better outcomes when all communities believe that our elected leaders and those in law enforcement, in particular, are serious about reform.
Unless and until that happens, there will be tension, unrest and, it must be said, actual violence.
Two things that will never ease, much less resolve, the problem of violence in our streets: first, ignoring the urgent calls to address long-ignored issues of social justice.
And secondly, trying to quell the unrest at the point of a gun.
Brother Ben
© 2020 The Fellowship of St Francis, Inc.
The Fellowship of St Francis 