Death, Darkness, Donald and I

Mr. George Floyd, a Black Man was killed by a White Police Officer, with assistance from three other Police Officers in the town of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. A murder before our very eyes, as those that recorded the video could only watch in horror this brutality unfold. Then came the outrage, the protests, the conversations. We all know how this plays out.

But there is one concern I have with all of this; Donald was absent in the midst of this atrocity, showing complete radio silence during this criminal act against an innocent Black man, only to speak when the outbursts cause collateral damage to property (mostly Black Owned)

"... yea, though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me, Thy rod, and Thy staff, they comfort me ..."

Any believer, and quite a few non-believers, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ know of the meaning behind these words. The 23rd Psalm of David is perhaps applicable to this moment and should be the standard bearer along with many of the other passages of the Bible (in particular to David, knowing who he was). It reminds us that we will experience great pains, or even see ourselves in life-threatening moments, or will die unjustly, but we know where our souls shall be when this earthly life is over. Perhaps that is why Mr. Floyd called out to his mother, that he would see her again on the other side.

As a Black man myself, we must live with this reality every day, everywhere, every time. It doesn't matter if we are in violation of the law, or the most upstanding citizen; a phone call is all it takes to see our lives brought to a swift and brutal end. Perhaps that's the reason for Coolio's "Gangster's Paradise" when he cries out being:

"[...] on my knees every night, sayin' prayers at the streetlight."

Yet, despite our lives being laid down, we must go through this Valley, a valley we have traveled for over four centuries while others thought it just our imagination, or we were simply feeling sorry for ourselves, vilifying all around us. Systemic racism makes the best and worst of cynics. Only now, when the brutality of an unchecked law enforcement agency has shown its nature to those other than a black life that the truth has been set free. But now that the wound is exposed, we must make new progress to prevent it from becoming any more infected than it already was; the old methods no longer work. They affect us all now.

So that leads to Donald. Sadly, it's this issue that proves my concerns to be right. While I have no choice but to walk through the Valley each day, he has the luxury to hide and still be okay come the next day; it's a promise passed down through his heritage (among other things) known as white privilege. He doesn't grasp that Americans are literally seeing the Black Experience play out in real time; perhaps he doesn't know how to cope with going through the experience as he could never know of it in his life. To that end, the blissful ignorance of another's plight is a perk of white privilege; a perk that is no longer showing any worth in the modern space. There are other concerns that I have for Donald.

Dragging God's Grace through the Mud with 'The Photo Op'

A proof of this is the fact that he could just go into hiding while protests are happening all around him near the White House. So much so, that he felt compelled to host a 'walk' down to a local church, hold up the Holy Bible (an interpersonal guide from our God to every Christian), and utter something; I couldn't make out the words due to being more concerned with the shock and dismay of protesters being gassed and herded like cattle with the military in complete regalia fit for a combat operation...against peaceful protesters...on American soil...with the Secretary of Defense calling such a situation a "battle space."

The House of Cards, Divided

It's clear that the panic of the COVID-19 pandemic (still ongoing as of this article's date, yet receding all the same), the resurrection of the Second Great Depression, an older man showing more solidarity due to simply showing him to care about others, compounded by his inability to curb his "Prima-Donald" passion of lights, cameras, and rallies. But the issues at hand require a united direction from a national leader. But as we have seen, when challenge comes at his door, he hides or gets others to do it for him; only to pull the rug from under them and take credit for their success. Worse, when a problem is still in effect, he jumps over to the next issue. This House of Cards approach to avoiding problems while trying to take credit for making the House is expected to fall. Worse still, it makes us as a nation look weaker. This is a problem.

Once more, we are at the pivotal crossroads of not only our nation, but our lives in how we proceed. For myself, I understand that much of my life will be a challenge simply due to my situation and skin tone. Despite all this, it isn't something I can walk away from. Even among the death and darkness, I must make the best of this situation and move forward with the intent of making it better.

As for Donald, he's stuck. He's beyond desperate to put this behind him that he fails to understand what is happening around him is due to his inability to take heed and learn from his mistakes; assuming he has the willingness to understand his mistakes and grow from them. The outcome is not promising.

I only hope that now, even amid this pandemic, this Second Great Depression, and this time of Civil Unrest, that amid this death and darkness that Donald and I can move forward. Perhaps that is all that is available for us to do at this point in time.