Kassiquan

INJUSTICE

Thursday, May 28, 2020 in the early evening, I was directed to view live on Facebook a protest in progress.  Reflecting upon the recent incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, between Minneapolis Police Officers and a civilian that ended in the civilian’s death, the live footage caught my attention.  “What do we want? Justice!  When do we want it? Now!”  I am all for taking a stand against injustice.  I understand the anger, feelings and the emotions expressed by those victimized by discrimination, by racists attitudes and the abuses at the hands of others.  I understand we need to have a voice, to be heard loud and clear, to be respected as individuals and treated as equals.  All of us, no matter our race, gender, creed, or color have the same basic human needs.  We have the same human rights; with the same basis human rights and needs in common with others, to be treated as equals.  I understand that there is a need for change in attitudes, behaviors, beliefs of the privileged towards the unprivileged.  But I do know that when you add wood to an existing flame, the fire will continue to burn until someone decides to extinguish it.  As I watched three minutes into the live coverage on Facebook, I made only one comment which, by the way, only two persons liked out of all who were watching.  The comment was this, “Protesting is one thing, but all the foul language and belittling others is not the way to get justice.  Martin Luther King, Jr. would not have approved this method.”

I am not a fighter by nature but, I will speak my mind when opportunities arise.  I was never in a fight growing up and avoided crowds that got into a fight.  In elementary school, race and discrimination were not words in vocabulary nor in my attitudes and behaviors towards my classmates and friends in the community.  Of course, there was bullying, there were “bad eggs” in every groups in my neighborhood.  My first encounter with racial discrimination was in junior high school, now a middle school.  I had to walk out of my neighborhood into a neighborhood where everyone was white; I am Hispanic (Puerto Rican).  The white kids bullied the black and Hispanic kids who crossed “the border” into a white neighborhood to go to “their” school.  One afternoon I was punched in the face because I was Hispanic.  Another time I was punched in the jaw, twice because I was “white.”  At the end of the school year, the last day of school, we would try to get home because the white kids would start a riot with the rest of us.  By the time I got to high school, my awareness of injustice heightened, racism.

My Dad was racist.  I had invited a high school friend to the house.  We were in my room and my Dad did not like that I had my black friend in “his” house.  My Dad waited until my friend left to go home to tell me, “I don’t want any black people in my house.”  I asked him why and this is what he told me, “They killed my father.”  I told my Dad, “My friends did not kill your father.”  I walked away.  In high school, most of my friends were black.  After graduation, I was disappointed that my Dad did not attend, I worked at a summer job.  I always had lunch with fellow summer job student; Crystal and she was black.  I enjoyed being with her because we laughed, shared stories and we had a lot in common; we were Christians.  I also met an older woman, named Alice that summer was also a Christian.  Alice was white and a Christian.  One day she surprised me, “Are you dating, Crystal?”  Crystal and I were not dating but, when Alice asked this question, I wondered what she was thinking.  Of course, I knew.  When I told Alice that we were just good friends, she looked relieved.  Christians are no better; injustice can be found among them, racism.

In 1995, I took at course in Seminary titled The Urban Church and Community Alliance.  The Professor who taught this course was a black woman who had worked with the Mayor of Philadelphia.  I and my fellow classmates really enjoyed this course.  We had taken a trip to Washington, DC staying over night at a bed and breakfast.  We had appointments to visit the Department of Criminal Justice, the United Nations, and a few other places.  One day in class, we got into a discussion about racism, black and white issues.  My fellow classmates represented Africa, China, Japan, India and Mexico and the US.  Since we were in seminary training to be pastors, missionaries and ministers I was concerned about the on-going conversation about white America reconciling and resolving the racists attitudes and behaviors toward the black America.  The comment was made, “Blacks will always be on the bottom rung of the ladder.”  I raised my hand, “Then where does this leave Hispanics and the rest of us sitting here in this classroom?”  The reply was, “Until the issues between white and black are settled, Hispanics (directing solely at me) will never move onto the ladder.”  I was not satisfied with this answer but did understand where she, as a black woman was coming from.  I replied, “Then we as a Church, should be setting the example for the world.”  My classmates hooted and hollered their approval; injustice found in the Church itself.

Here is what I know about the history of the United States.  Textbooks may tell one story about our history as taught while children in school.  But, do textbooks reveal the actual truth, or share motives behind the values, beliefs, and behaviors of the people and in government in our history.  Let me highlight some of the events in history that really caught my attention.

1]   Injustice – As the US moved westward, land was taken from the Native Americans; they fought back and defeated by “the white man.”  Government assigns them “reservations.”

2]   Injustice – Spain discovers America landing in the Caribbean, Native of Puerto Rico who by nature are hospitable are put into slavery, cleaning the island of Boricua (Puerto Rico) of its gold.

3]   Injustice – Africans are brought over to the US and put into slavery as early as 1775.  In 1860, the US broke into Civil War.  The southern states wanted to keep slaves while the northern states wanted their freedom.  A point here, the churches used the Bible to justify their reasoning to keep slaves, they were property.

4]   Injustice – The work of the Women’s Rights Movement (1848-1920) resulted in the ratification of the 19^th Amendment in August 18, 1920 which gave women the right to vote.  The right of African American men to vote was also the work of the Women’s Rights Movement.

5]   Injustice – The Holocaust in which Jews were persecuted, discriminated, and robbed of their dignity and self-worth; 6 million annihilated.

6]   Injustice – The Civil Rights Act of 1964, a result of The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968 led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an ordained minister, and Rosa Parks in the fight against racism and discrimination against African Americans which seems to be an ongoing problem in the US.

7]   Injustice – Not much has changed.  We have not learned from what history taught us.  The rich get wealthier the poor get poorer, racism and discrimination continue to exist, bullying is on the rise and expressed anger and hatred toward Asians and blaming them for COVID-19.

Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God taught the people about the injustices he saw in the people of Israel.  “And who is my neighbor?” a lawyer asks when Jesus speaks about love for God and neighbor in the first two commandments (Luke 10:25-37).  He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone first,”  Jesus said as the men stated the woman before him caught in the act of adultery should be stoned (John 8:1-11)  Note, in this passage it was the leaders of the Jewish religion who approached Jesus.  Injustice???  The men who were with the woman were just as guilty and should be stoned, too.

It is okay to protest, let your voices be heard, fight for change; change for the good of all people to be treated equally, respected equally, have the same human rights equally.  The First Amendment ratified on December 15, 1791 says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The statement, “…the right of the people peaceably to assemble…”  What I witnessed in the live video was not peaceful or respectful.  Who gives one the right to step up to one’s face shouting and pointing?  Who gives one the right to disrespect and make fun of one’s genitals/ body parts?  Who gives one the right to condemn and criticize an entire group just because of the behavior of a few of its members?  Who gives the one the right to threaten the dignity of others?  Yes, anger and hatred are valid reasons to express feelings and emotions in protest to injustice.  I so agree.  But to protest with violence, property damage, looting, and behavioral criticism that belittles another’s personal image and personhood?  NO.  THAT is injustice!

Saul of Tarsus, (Paul the Apostle) said to the believers in Rome that there is no one who is righteous or does good.  There is no difference between us, black, white, Hispanic because we all sin [and offend each other] falling short of God’s glory (Romans 3:10-12; 22-23).  Yes, I may join a rally, a protest and a “speak out” but I will not join a crowd that does no the meaning of “the right of the people peaceably to assemble.”  As a social worker, the motto I live by is found in Micah 6:8:

“He has shown you, O man (woman & child), what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

For those of us who profess to be Christians, Jesus said this, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John 13:35).  A dear friend, who has a place in my heart (I’ve known her since 1998) updates her daily Facebook status with quotes from Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr.  In respect of our friendship Janet Forte, I post this quote.

“Nonviolence is absolute commitment to the way of love. Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one’s whole being into the being of another.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.