Let's Get It Together

My brother’s black, and his life matters. My friend’s husband is a police officer, and his life matters.  #blacklivesmatter #policelivesmatter

I get it. We get it. Groups of people are being marginalized. Individuals and certain groups feel like they are under attack and are not being treated with respect, and they are calling our attention to it. I totally understand it. The issue is when we sit in our different corners, in our huddles, devising methods in which to make our voices heard, we miss the entire point.

Rather than look outward and determine it’s them against us and vice versa, maybe we should look inward. Many of us, seeking to show the world that our groups matter, ignore the fact that we hold our own prejudices yet justify them. We don’t realize that our issues between one another are causing a rift. Rather than bridge the gap between us, we perpetuate hate in the name of raising awareness.

Each of us, to a certain extent, is discriminated against. Women are paid much less than men in the workforce, and some of them are more qualified. There are people who don’t respect you, or what you stand for, and therefore, they will never treat you as an equal.

The interesting thing is that this week, I have heard the most hateful statements, read the most vile posts, and seen how people who consider themselves as targeted have no mercy when it comes to others. The displaced Syrians who have sought refuge in the United States have caused quite a frenzy among us. There are those wanting the United States government to turn its back on these individuals, certain that being Muslim, among them are terrorists.

I’m black and female, so I’m disadvantaged, I suppose. However, I would hope that if I and my brother were in need of help, on the verge of dying, someone would look past our exteriors and acknowledge that first and foremost, we are human. They wouldn’t worry that maybe my brother, who is tall, dark, and tends to carry a backpack at all times is a potential threat to them. Rather than wonder if my brother has a gun in his backpack, they would proceed with caution but provide us all the help we need. Am I saying there isn’t a possibility that another brother and sister team could be feigning being in need of help as a scam, or in order to hurt others? Absolutely not…but does that mean we walk on egg shells around one another or in fear for our lives?

In the case of terrorists though, when dealing with individuals willing to die for a cause, things aren’t quite as black and white. What if we reject tomorrow’s future leaders because we’re afraid that among them is a potential killer? Why is it that we fail to realize that there are already so many terrorists in our midst? They are already within our borders, and those yet to come will find creative ways to enter.

Not all black people pose a threat to police. Not all police officers are out to get blacks.  Not all Muslims want to kill non-Muslims. When will we open our eyes, get the chips off our shoulders, and realize that rather than oppose one another, we ought to figure out how to wisely attack the real problems facing us?

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. – Luke 6:30, 31