Is there systemic racism and social injustice in this country or rather just the opposite, social justice and systemic opportunity? If there is systemic racism, then how do you explain the recent election of a seemingly black president, not once but twice? If there is systemic racism, then how do you explain the recent nominating of a seemingly black woman as vice president?
Is there rather systemic drug addiction and drug abuse, systemic alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse, systemic spousal abuse and systemic child abuse? And do these addictions and abuses not lead to myriad issues that society and the police have to contend with and deal with on a daily basis?
In regards to the recent black lives matter incidents, are they systemic or are they rather aberrations? Does finding one incident a month to demonstrate about really constitute systemic?
Every day in this country of ours there are hundreds of thousands of police involved in hundreds of thousands of incidents. When they pull over an automobile, there is the chance of gunshots coming from inside that car. When they knock on a door, there is also the chance of gunshots coming from inside that location.
When you go into a police station, there will be a wall of honor, where the pictures of dead police officers are hung. Men (and women) who gave that last full measure of devotion protecting and serving. Is this not systemic and an example of systemic service and sacrifice? Or are we scapegoating the police for our addictions, abuses and failures?
Do black lives matter? Of course they do. But rather, isn’t it better to ask does God’s Life matter or does God’s Love matter? Do we as a people still trust in God?
Do we still pledge to become one nation under that God? Do we still hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created? Or, have we become more like poor little lambs who have lost our way, bah, bah, bah?
John C. Kirk Jr.
Santa Barbara
