In my last post, “Rainy Day People”, where I mentioned, “People who value others as much as they value themselves”, I was vaguely alluding to the recent killing of yet another black man by a policeman.
But today I don’t want to just allude to it. I want to be clear and specific.
That policeman, first, chose to feel superior to that black man, George Floyd, and then subsequently chose to kill him, revealing how little value he placed on George’s life. And he did it with no conscience at all, even when people pleaded to let George breathe. It was horrifying to see.
This kind of thing has been going on ever since we set foot on American soil.
Yesterday, I was talking with a friend about all this.
And I asked, rhetorically, “What steps can we possibly take to change people’s thinking and eliminate the systemic racism in America?”
I was just thinking out loud, wondering how to totally stop these heinous acts against black people, these sins against humanity, these sins against God.
My friend had a simple answer.
She immediately blurted out, “There are no steps! It’s all about choice!”
She went on to say (and I’m paraphrasing here)………………
………”When we’re born, we don’t feel superior to anyone. And we, naturally, know right from wrong. But, later in life, we choose to think we are superior to others. Then we treat them badly as if they have no value, as if they are inferior. But no matter how we’re raised, no matter what influences we see and learn in this world, it always gets down to choice. You either choose right or you choose wrong. We all know the difference.”
People who feel superior to others, choose to believe it and act accordingly. But they aren’t superior. No one is superior to anyone. We’re all equal under God’s law and, supposedly, under our Nation’s Constitution.
But how is that working out for us so far?
We espouse lofty ideals and some really great standards to follow and live by, but are we always faithfully and justly executing them? No, we are not!
I hate that about America. I hate that George Floyd and so many others died in vain and their families have to suffer such indignity and the loss of their loved ones. And it all happened and continues to happen because someone decided they were superior to someone else.
No one is superior to anyone else. You may be stronger, wealthier, healthier, smarter, more knowledgeable or better at doing something than someone else, but it NEVER means you’re superior!
I hate the fact that America has been this way all along. It started when we came to America. We deemed ourselves to be superior to the Native Americans. So we killed them, took away their land and displaced them. Then we went to Africa. We thought we were superior to them. We killed many and captured many and sold them into slavery.
But dominating and killing members of another race is never the right thing to do. We know this. Yet we choose to do it or ignore it or allow it to happen. We continue doing it because we continue to CHOOSE to consider ourselves to be superior.
I repeat, NO ONE IS SUPERIOR TO ANYONE ELSE.
To stop this, all it takes is for everyone who thinks they are superior to others, to stop thinking that way.
To make a choice to see the value in others.
To make a choice to believe that we all are created equal.
To make a choice to do that which we know is right, and not do that which we know is wrong.
It’s as simple and basic as that!
Make the right choice!
P. S. I appreciate my friend for sharing her thoughts with me and for always standing up for what she believes.
At this time, I think it is befitting to close this post with a Gospel Medley, sung by my favorite singer, Lizz Wright. The Medley is from her 4th CD, called “Fellowship”.
……………………………To hear the song, click on the link below, where it says Gospel Medley (song #5).
In the second song of the Gospel Medley (song #5), called “Power Lord”, she sings…..
“….We need power. We need Holy power. We need the power to live right, to talk right and to love right.”
I appreciate Lizz for the songs she chooses to sing, and for the principles and ideas she stands for and lives by.
