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Inspiring!
By Kate Burch
In recent times Americans have been roiled, it seems to me, by
increasing alienation, unhappiness, anger, and unrest. By my
lights, the president who promised to bring us together has only
increased racial tension and animosity. Policies touted as
benefiting all have damaged the polity, diluted liberty, and caused
loss of opportunity and economic harm to many.
The administration has made lightning-fast responses to incidents in
which people of color were killed in police actions; always assuming
that the police acted with malice and asserting that unfair or
excessive targeting of minorities by police was a matter of
course. Even after total exoneration of the officer in the
Ferguson case, influential people in government and media have
perpetuated the false “Hands up. Don’t shoot” meme. We saw
outright encouragement of lawless behavior by the Mayor of Baltimore
when she said that the rioters and looters were to be given room to
“destroy.”
Ordinary people, owners of small businesses, have been deprived of
their livelihoods for refusing to participate in activities that are
counter to their religious beliefs. Pharmacists have been fired
for refusing to dispense abortifacients.
The apparently untouchable IRS has violated the rights of and
economically harmed individuals and groups who disagree politically
with those currently in power. Their tactic seems to be to
stonewall in the face of investigations and ride it out until the end
of Obama’s reign.
Citizens have had their property appropriated by inappropriate use of
eminent domain or suffered under crushing penalties for ridiculous
environmental offenses.
The victims of the terrorist massacre at Fort Hood were, until very
recently and under strong pressure, deprived of honors and
benefits.
Almost immediately after the recent mass murder of nine people in a
traditionally black church in Charleston, the president used the event
to advance a political purpose.
Then, on Friday, there was a ray of hope when five relatives of those
killed in the Charleston church confronted the accused killer and…
forgave him! These beautiful, gracious people, exemplars of the
love of Christ, advanced their own reconciliation and healing and
provided a priceless model of maturity and constructive behavior as
they told Dylann Roof that he had wounded them gravely; that he had
done great harm; but that they forgave him and prayed for his soul.
It is my sincere hope and prayer that their great generosity will touch
the hearts of the nation and help mend our lacerated spirit.
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