Here are the five things I have learned over the past week:
- I was horrified to see George Floyd killed by those cops. It made me ill to see what happened. From everything I can see, he had no reason to die. I pray deeply that justice prevails when these men are judged.
- If cops are indeed killing blacks at a disproportionate rate than whites (a many believe), this is terrible racism and must be effectively dealt with. The most productive way history has shown is though awareness as peaceful protests where we all stand in solidarity and humans. Random looting and violence against the innocent will only set things back and harden everyone with disillusionment.
(See here and here for an argument that a disproportionate number of blacks are being killed by police). - If cops are not killing more black than whites (as others believe), then this needs to understood and broadcast immediately so that our hurting brothers and sisters in humanity can be comforted by the truth and no longer live in undue fear. And if this is true, the biggest problem we have is the media or, better, how we as individuals process and accept the claims coming from media. All media is great, but it is always prone toward ideology and the sensational.
(See here and here for an argument that there is not a disproportionate number of blacks are being killed by police). - Along this way to truth, we have to be sensitive, loving, accepting, gracious, forgiving, and nurturing to all those who have deep feelings of hurt and pain, whether it is legitimate or not. Healing always takes time and preconceptions, whichever way they turn, do not heal just because someone presents them with the right answer. That is only the foundation to healing.
- We are all individuals with our own baggage with individual emotions, circumstances, tragedies, open wounds and scars, privileges and disadvantages. The most important thing is for us to lift people up and be lifted up in every one of these.
