This 💩 certainly looks like premeditated, and definitely was murder, to me. Certain cases, the silence can be deafening— and I refuse to be silent!
Why? Because if the McMichaels would’ve stayed home instead of treating their neighborhood like the Wild West, taking justice into their own hands like a vigilante, Ahmaud Arbery would still be alive. What would you do if a truck pulled up, and the two occupants had weapons, and said they wanted to ‘talk?’ I believe he fought because he feared for his life— fight or flight— and tragically, the very thing he fought for . . . He lost.
All because he matched the description of a home invader? It’s unbelievable. Even IF he was the one who was breaking into homes. . . You can’t load up, both in the truck and your guns, pursue a faceless culprit, then claim self-defense!
Why? Because if the McMichaels would’ve stayed home instead of treating their neighborhood like the Wild West, taking justice into their own hands like a vigilante, Ahmaud Arbery would still be alive. What would you do if a truck pulled up, and the two occupants had weapons, and said they wanted to ‘talk?’ I believe he fought because he feared for his life— fight or flight— and tragically, the very thing he fought for . . . He lost.
All because he matched the description of a home invader? It’s unbelievable. Even IF he was the one who was breaking into homes. . . You can’t load up, both in the truck and your guns, pursue a faceless culprit, then claim self-defense!
This may be clumsy, but my heart hurts, I’m mad, sad and I have great compassion for my brothers and sisters, who happen to have been born black. After all, we are all Imago Dei (Made in God’s Image) and none of us get to choose what race we will be. Black lives, white lives, brown lives are equal in the eyes of the Creator!
I love y’all and when any of you hurt, I hurt.
I love y’all and when any of you hurt, I hurt.
While it’s true, none of us get to choose our race, we do get to choose whether we stand up for what’s right and just— especially as believers. I stand, with understanding, for compassion and want justice!
I, simply, want to say it’s incomprehensibly ridiculous this happened in February and they haven’t been arrested and it’s May 6th! I watched the video and it was heart-breaking, sickening and, once again, disappointing. We are BETTER than this as a people and better than this as Americans.
At NO point, unless our lives are threatened, should we take the law into our own hands. Nothing but bad things happen when anyone does. This was hard to watch, and read about, but the whole purpose of this was simply addressing the elephant 🐘 in the room before it becomes one, being proactive in heading off the devil before he can try to divide us . . . as Americans and in the body of Christ.
And while that’s important, I simply want to say I stand in solidarity and march alongside you in this hurt. Your crying does not land on deaf ears and your mourning moves my spirit. May God give us His Grace, Strength and endurance to deal with it. I think of Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Freddie Scott, Adadou Diallo, Eric Garner and Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams (policemen shot 140 rounds into their vehicle), etc. the heart-breaking reality is, it could be the kids of some of my best friends.
Young black males are profiled, harassed and often times treated less than. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. Not every incident is racism, but what can’t be overlooked is in many cases, there is no legal accountability or justice. Administrative leave, or even being fired, is not in proportion to a life lost.
Young black males are profiled, harassed and often times treated less than. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. Not every incident is racism, but what can’t be overlooked is in many cases, there is no legal accountability or justice. Administrative leave, or even being fired, is not in proportion to a life lost.
I do not pander to the black race, or any other race, and I am not a race-apologist, I’m proud to be white, just like every race should be proud of their own culture, race and heritage, but we must never be so proud of our race that we ignore grave injustices, turn our eye to bigotry and racism and not express our compassion to people of another race. When one hurts, we ALL should hurt! When one is wronged, we ALL are!
Black lives MATTER! ALL lives MATTER . . . Their’s NO less than mine!
Sadly, since we live in this time— I am not chasing CLOUT . . . I am chasing COMPASSION! Not just for black people, for ALL people. Compassion for orphans, compassion for those enslaved, for those being sex-trafficked, compassion for widows and widowers, compassion for those who have lost their businesses, or are struggling, wondering how they’re gonna go make their money stretch to pay their bills and keep a roof over their heads during this Coronavirus pandemic and compassion for the homeless. Compassion for the voiceless, compassion for those marginalized and compassion for the voiceless! Compassion for situations, and people, who demand it. Because guess what? ALL are deserving of compassion!
Black lives MATTER! ALL lives MATTER . . . Their’s NO less than mine!
Sadly, since we live in this time— I am not chasing CLOUT . . . I am chasing COMPASSION! Not just for black people, for ALL people. Compassion for orphans, compassion for those enslaved, for those being sex-trafficked, compassion for widows and widowers, compassion for those who have lost their businesses, or are struggling, wondering how they’re gonna go make their money stretch to pay their bills and keep a roof over their heads during this Coronavirus pandemic and compassion for the homeless. Compassion for the voiceless, compassion for those marginalized and compassion for the voiceless! Compassion for situations, and people, who demand it. Because guess what? ALL are deserving of compassion!
Just like with any of us, being white, black, brown etc. doesn’t make us WHO we are . . . We are so much more than the pigment of our skin! We are ALL masterpieces and God created us to be a BEAUTIFUL mosaic not pictures of hatred and division! Damn that notion and attack from the enemy!
So, this was just my feeble attempt at saying my heart goes out to you and even though I can’t wave a magic wand and make it all better, or rectify the situation, I simply wanted to say my heart goes out to you and like the song goes . . . You’ve got a friend in me!
On this National Day of Prayer, we should examine our own hearts about how we approach events that may not affect us directly and the ones that do . . . We should pray. asking God for justice, asking His Son’s blood to cover our racial division and asking Him to turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26.)
On this National Day of Prayer, we should examine our own hearts about how we approach events that may not affect us directly and the ones that do . . . We should pray. asking God for justice, asking His Son’s blood to cover our racial division and asking Him to turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26.)
#AhmaudArbery
Please look at attached picture. It’s a shirt I bought a few years ago, which is sadly fitting in this instance.
+Hope Abounds+
JMB
