Neighborhood Ministries

Since I was in college and watched the race riots, I have seen a remarkable decrease in racial discrimination and segregation. Black and White churches worked together to educate people and bring reconciliation. Desegregation has also helped. As children of both races play together and get to know each other, it has reduced racial tension. Granted, there is still some prejudice and discrimination, but not nearly what it was before the 1960’s.  In recent years however, there has seemed to be what appears to be a deliberate attempt to stir up fear between Whites and Blacks and pit them against each other. Liberals would have us believe that racism is as prevalent today as it was in the early 1900’s and that Blacks, Hispanics, and women are as discriminated against as they were then. They have also added Gays, Lesbians, and transgenders along with a long list of other social deviations to the list. They have even rewritten history to inject racism in everything. Critical Race Theory is being pushed in the public schools to instill in Black people a feeling of being the victim of systemic racism and to instill in White people a feeling of being the perpetrators of systemic racism, when not all Blacks are victims of racism and not all Whites are perpetrators of racism. Such teaching serves only to increase racial tension and create bitterness between the races that will further divide our country.

I recently received a letter stating that using the phrase “All lives matter” is demeaning to Blacks. While it is important to point out the high rate of Blacks killed by police, most of whom are White, to say that saying “all lives matter” is demeaning to Blacks is to say that Black lives are the only ones that matter. I find no fault with those who publicize the high death rate of Blacks at the hands of police, most of whom are White, if their intent is to publicize a problem. It is a problem that must be dealt with but it cannot be solved by ignoring the facts. We should not prosecute all White officers who shoot a Black man, simply because the one shot is Black, and the other person is not, even when it is justified while ignoring a lot of times when officers kill a White man or a Hispanic with no provocation. If it isn’t justified, and there is no room for a mistake, the officer should be disciplined, regardless of the race of the officer or victim, however if the shooting is justified, or if there exists the possibility that the officer made a mistake, the officer should not be punished. There should not be any discrimination based on the race of the officer or the one being arrested. Justice demands fair treatment for everyone, not just those who play the media.  Increased violence in response to shootings have increased fear of Blacks by Whites. It is easy to get caught up in the hysteria while the problem continues to escalate, but we need to step back and study the facts so we can develop ways to solve the problem.

I do not like the terms White and Black since we are all people and thinking in terms of we and them fuels discrimination but that is how liberals frame the debate. “Black Lives Matters” says they care about Blacks, but they seem bent on hurting Blacks. They want less violence against Blacks by police but by burning and looting, they are going to increase police fear of possible attack and increase the likelihood of police using force in restraining violent suspects. They say they want to defund police but that will hurt Blacks the most. That occurred partially in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland after the much-publicized Black men killed by police. They cut the police force and withdrew police from Black areas to reduce confrontations. Crime and murders among Blacks skyrocketed as there were less police to protect them. BLM and liberal politicians started out calling for totally defunding and then backed off when they got such opposition to that position to one of only partial defunding. Even partial defunding will only be a replay of Baltimore and Ferguson. Blacks stand to lose the most. Police need community help to do a good job and driving a wedge between police and community by demonizing police only makes matters worse.