Here we are, 90 days into the destruction of the most exceptional economy in World history at the hands of a virus. And just about the time, we discover that we just might make it back to health while getting everyone back to work pretty quickly, our entire social infrastructure is destroyed by a handful of racist cops and the slaughter of an African American man in broad daylight. And, just as we have seen through the years over and over, a city explodes, thousands of lives are turned upside down, and social activists have found a new weapon with which they can use to instigate anarchy in Minnesota while driving a wedge between a couple of American ethnicities. (Like we needed something to create a greater gap between African and Caucasian Americans.)
Just as always happens, it took only minutes for political leaders and the media to launch the current episode of the “Blame Game.”
Forbes Magazine:
As Minnesota officials blamed violent protests on organized groups from out of state, far-right commentators on Twitter increasingly began blaming billionaire George Soros for playing a shadowy role behind the riots taking place in cities across the country—employing an old conspiracy theory based on false information and anti-semitic tropes.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, along with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, confirmed Saturday that outside forces had infiltrated the protests to cause mayhem.
State authorities said they were monitoring alleged criminals online, including posts from suspected white supremacist groups trying to incite violence by promoting looting and mayhem in Minneapolis.
The Washington Times:
The Trump administration blamed on Saturday far-left groups using Antifa tactics for fomenting the violent protests upending Minneapolis and other major cities, even as Minnesota Democrats say they’re looking at white supremacists and far-right extremists.
Attorney General William Barr said that the “voices of peaceful protests are being hijacked by violent radical elements.” He warned that it was a federal crime to cross state lines to incite or participate in rioting.
“Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate and violent agenda,” said Mr. Barr. “In many places, it appears violence is planned, organized, and being driven by anarchic and far-left extremist groups using Antifa-like tactics, many of whom traveled from outside the state to promote the violence.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey:
Officials have suggested that organized outsiders, including but not limited to anarchists, white supremacists, and gangs from other states, were behind the destruction and chaos in Minneapolis.
“We are now confronting white supremacists, members of organized crime, out of state instigators, and possibly even foreign actors to destroy and destabilize our city and our region,” Frey tweeted Saturday.
Minnesota Television Station:
The overwhelming majority of people arrested in connection with the Minneapolis unrest have Minnesota addresses, a search of the online Hennepin County Jail log shows.
Of the 45 people arrested for rioting, unlawful assembly, stolen property, burglary, or robbery on May 29 and May 30 so far, 38 had Minnesota addresses, according to publicly available jail records reviewed by FOX 9.
Politics
Everything — yes, EVERYTHING — that happens today somehow gets weaponized by those in politics. Certainly this racial horror the past week has been weaponized as well. Sadly, for the most part, the purpose or purposes for these political acts have nothing to do with racism, with the death of George Floyd or the loss to his family and his community. His death has been little more than a tool for people to use to try to get political advantage in an election year. Don’t think that I’m being cold in saying that. If you’ve watched and listened this past week, if you are honest you will agree with the politicization of George’s tragic death.
Let’s do this for the balance of this offering today: let’s drop the politics. Let’s deal with the REAL things that underly what we’re seeing: hatred, anger, fear, despondency, desperation, and uncertainty. Let’s don’t just talk about them, let’s discuss them from only the perspective of dealing with them to try to find ways through them. Let’s drop the finger-pointing, the blaming, the psychology of this and that. Let’s talk about the truth.
The Eddings Family from Minden, Louisiana
Do you have any idea how a black family with children begins, lives, and finish each day of their lives? A college classmate of mine who was a fantastic offensive lineman at Louisiana Tech graduated, married, and settled down to raise a family in his hometown. Not surprisingly, Gerald and his wife have a son: a BIG son. They are African-American, a really close-knit family, active in their community, and loved by all that know them. But, the Eddings Family live in the South and in a tiny town. Their 6-7 son sticks out in a crowd. And you know what that means.
Gerald’s wife (I’ll not give her name) penned this letter this past weekend to explain just what they as a family are going through today regarding this race war that is imminent in our nation. There’s no way any who are not African-American could ever honestly say to one of them, “I know how you feel.” There’s NO way a White person could ever truthfully say that. To try and give other Caucasians and me a snapshot of what their family works through mentally and emotionally every day of their lives, she worded it this way:
My heart is heavy as I begin this day. I would ask “why” George Floyd died, pleading for his life but I know all too well the answer. As the mother to a 6’7” black male, I have told him that merely by his standing close or towering over someone, he can expect to hear that he “intimidated”or “threatened” them. I trained him as early as a five year-old, when he goes into stores, he must put both hands in his front pockets until he is in the process of purchasing something. I’ve told him to stay away from certain areas, as not to be suspected of doing something “suspicious.” I admonished him not to take any comfort in residing in his zip code, stressing that it does not exempt him from being discriminated against. I wondered what rules George Floyd’s mom instilled in him. But, nothing that I have taught my son and nothing that his mom could have taught him is as powerful as the racism,violence and degradation he was subjected to by the Minneapolis policemen as the handcuffed Floyd lay for nearly ten minutes, pleading to be allowed to have water, to receive mercy, to breathe. I believe, In my heart, when he called for his deceased mother, this man knew his death was imminent. His life mattered. He joins a chorus of others who have been murdered at the hands of those who have taken an oath “to protect and serve.” I cannot erase the picture and sounds of his suffering from my mind. As a black mother, I’m haunted by the fact that George Floyd could have just as easily been my son. The choice of sitting alone in his own vehicle could result in him being detained. Though my son is a mature man today, I still caution him when he leaves home. Why? I’m the mother of an African American son and his life matters. I know other mothers seek for their black children to be treated with humanity and respect. Like me, black parents want their children to be given the benefit of being treated as if they are innocent, not judged and executed before any due process has been afforded. The phrase, “no justice, no peace” resonates more clearly and much stronger to me now. My prayer is that it awakens the hearts and minds of all of us.
Imagine if we all were forced to live and make a life for 30, 40, even 50 years with that shadow over us, we’d probably have the same horrors and emotions as do millions in the African American community.
I’m not going to admonish you anymore. I leave that to my brother and Pastor, Denny Duron. Sunday he put it plainly for all Christians as to how we should in Christ handle this. (Click on the link)
https://truthnewsnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Denny-@-SCC-53120-9.49-PM.mp3
Summary
I hope that we all go to prayer, refrain from making excuses, call evil evil, and LISTEN. And there’s no need for self-defense. In the words of Taylor Swift: ”Haters gonna hate.”
Pray for our leaders: not because we agree with everything that they do or say, but because we Christians are instructed to.
We need to be honest with ourselves and open AND honest with those with whom we interface. Trying to live behind a mask of untruthfulness will only make things harder.
