The Ferguson Mirror

"Social justice cannot be attained by violence.  Violence kills what it intends to create."

-- Pope John Paul II

Another young, black, criminal is killed after assaulting a police officer.  That he was a thief - proof by video.  That he was a bully - proof by video.  That his parents did not know him - proof by their ignorance of his being a thief and a bully, and the fact he thought it was proper to attack a police officer.  There is an idea running through the land that if the black children had a father in the household, this kind of violence would subside.  Michael Brown had a "father" in the household, a father that seemed to have no clue what his son truly was.

Everyone is upset at the violence in Ferguson.  The violence is a reflection of society's inept ability to control criminal activity.  The violence is a reflection of the damage "well-meaning" religious leaders can do when they fan the flames of intolerance.  The violence is a reflection of the black citizens of Ferguson not exercising the ability to vote for a more racially equitable police presence.  More importantly, the violence is a reflection of the apathy of Ferguson citizens to stand up against the violent demonstrators, looters, and criminals, in order to protect their businesses and way of life.

Ferguson is a mirror of what we all, our society, is becoming.  I sat with a black gentleman at a local restaurant and we watched CNN as blacks in Ferguson compared what was happening there to Mississippi and the reporter mentioned the impending violence that would occur when "justice isn't served."  The reporter, and CNN, seemed to have already convicted the Police officer of wrongdoing ahead of the grand jury finding; news agencies fanning the flames of discontent.  We both agreed that these were northern blacks that had no clue where racism existed in America, and the newscaster was an ass.  The south still has its pockets of intolerance, but the north are the ones constantly dealing with issues like Ferguson.  Mississippi touts a more than equitable percentage of black politicians and government officials than any other state.  Racist?  Be real.

Ferguson is mirroring the frustration of a country's poor that have been prevented from moving forward to something better by the very social programs that were meant to assist them.  They exist under the heel of a welfare boot that politicians keep firmly planted on their necks.  The promises of better times the politicians have no intent of fulfilling.  It is a frustration that is rearing its ugly head as more and more poor come to the realization they are being used as a tool; a realization becoming painfully evident thanks to the personal computer age bringing easy access to all sides of information and opinion.

Ferguson erupted due to mistakes.  Governmental, police, community, and family mistakes that came to a head after a young man stole cigars then pushed around the store owner when confronted.  Everything that came after was a reflection of people steeped in a culture that thinks this kind of activity should be rewarded and held up as a model for more of their young people to emulate, an attitude that is evidenced by the ensuing violence that hurt more of their own people than it affected the population outside of Ferguson.

Everyone in this country needs to ask why this happened.  Everyone needs to look at the mirror that is Ferguson and ask how it reflects their own regions current state of racial tension.  Most of all we need to ask if it is appropriate to continue awarding bad behavior.  We need to ask if it is appropriate to teach our children that it is okay to be standard, to not award for "first place," that it is appropriate to just "get by" in life.  And the bad behavior extends to our government that considers it appropriate to send jobs overseas, and invite millions of illegals into this country to steal our jobs and our chances for a better life.

We worry about ISIS breeding domestic terrorism when, in reality, domestic terrorism has been with us for years.  We breed it in every inner-city in this country.  We nurture by allowing students to threaten teachers in our "schools" whose curriculum literally sucks as we teach liberal or conservative values instead of reading, writing, arithmetic, and "factual" history; a curriculum that would be well served to include world religions as a topic to promote understanding and tolerance.

"The Ferguson Mirror" will be a talking point until it is forgotten.  If history is any indication, this will occur all too soon.  As Americans, and people of conscience, we need to look into this mirror every day.  We need to constantly be mindful of where we've been, who we vote for, and that we do vote.


Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor