The Right To Protest...

The riots in Ferguson, MO are the talk of St. Louis and of the nation.  Many people reject the protesters because of the violence that has ensued.  I was right there with those who said that rioting and looting are not ways to correct a problem.  I still believe that.  But I do think the real protesters have a right that needs to be upheld.

This country is inherently racist.  I know that the Civil War has been fought and is over.  I know that a Civil Rights Act was passed and signed.  I know that all people have the right to vote, to sit anywhere they wish on public transport and in restaurants.  But I also feel that, deep down, the evil of racism still persists.  Police officers stop more African American drivers than Caucasian drivers.  When we see a group of African American kids on the street, most likely we cross to the other side.  We don't want "those" kids bussed to our good schools.  We don't want "them" in our neighborhoods.

I watched the inauguration of the first African American as President of the United States with a room full of young African American and white students at our school and had tears in my eyes as I saw the pride in their faces.  I also see how this president is treated.  Congress will not work with hm.  I'm not going to argue aptitude here, but I think there is a deeper reason....as a people, we cannot stand to have an African American in the White House.  George W Bush was one of the most inept presidents I have known in my life time.  He left the country in a mess.  But he was the object of ridicule, not vituperative statements.  We do not even show Mr. Obama the courtesy of his office.

African Americans have protested before.  Led by Martin Luther King Jr, protests started out peacefully.  When violence erupted it was caused by the Caucasians in power.  

African Americans have tried and tried to tell us their concerns.  As a people, they have cried out to us to change laws and fix problems.  We have given them lip service.  But, deep in our hearts, it will always be "them" against "us".  

It bothers me when I watch cities being destroyed and people being hurt and killed.  It bothers me when I see neighborhoods burning and businesses torn down.  It bothers me when police officers are spit at, called names and have Malatov cocktails thrown at them.  It bothers me when police officers mace the crowd or beat down protestors with weapons.  It bothers me when we create committees to talk about the problems. time and time again.   It bothers me that we cannot all see that we are all human beings, black or white, male or female and that we all have something to offer this world.  We are all made in God's image and likeness....enough said.

On September 4, 1957, armed troops of the Arkansas National Guard stood ready to prevent nine black school children from entering Central High School in Little Rock.  A crowd of white people surrounded the children and shouted abusive, crude insults at them....even threatening them with hanging, right here, right now.

This incident reminded me of bishops in our country and a Pope who all said, when asked why they permitted priests who abused children to be moved to another parish (to abuse again and again), that they didn't know it was wrong at the time.

I wonder who's buying that?  Just like those white people who hurled disgusting words and threats at high school children, those ordained ministers of God knew exactly what they were doing.  How can someone not know that harming a child is wrong, all of the time, no matter what?  How could those white people hurl insults at children because of their skin color?  How could those men allow abusers to go free to abuse again?

I guess many would say it's the times....in the 50's segregation was the norm, so it seemed to be the right way to do things.  In our time, abuse seems common.  Both of these evil actions can never be considered okay because of the times we live in...evils against children never are.

But who protected them?  A white reporter for the New York Times helped shield one of the young girls and got her to safety on a bus.  For his kindness, he was beaten so severely by the crowd that he ended up in the hospital.

Organizations like SNAP provide information on abusers, but for their concern they are humiliated by those who say they are out to get the clergy and ignored by church leaders.

I don't understand why this happens.  The church excuses it by saying "we are only human, and humans make mistakes".  This is very true.  But, most people learn from their mistakes and correct them. People with developed morals do not continue to perpetuate their "mistake" and turn a blind eye to immoral behavior.

Abusers need to be arrested and tried in a court of law.  Abusers need to be renounced.  Abusers need to be shown that we will not tolerate their behavior....whether they wear a collar or not.