I have struggled for weeks over the Ferguson Fallout: the issues in Ferguson, MO and the reaction of the media and the people of Ferguson over the case of Michael Brown and Darren Wilson. My biggest beef was with the media. Every time you read an article or watch a news clip, the phrase “an unarmed black man was fatally shot by a white police officer” was there. That constant, subliminal message did a lot to inflame the national psyche.Seldom were the facts presented in a balanced, calm way. And often the phrase, “an unarmed black man was fatally shotby a white police officer.” was in the subheading, but no details or wording were included to indicate that Officer Wilsondrew his gun in self-defense.(Don’t misconstrue that last statement. I am not saying that Darren Wilson was right in his actions, I am only pointing out that he initially drew his gun because he was being beaten by Michael Brown.)
For comparison, if you look at the media coverage of the Bill Cosby scandal, you will see the phrase “No criminal charges have been filed” over and over again in the body of the article, in the video clips on websites, and in the subheadings when reporting on Bill Cosby the words “no criminal charges have been filed” were there. So the message to the national psyche has been “this is what’s been said, but no charges have been filed” – which adds a measure of protection for Cosby and seems like much better journalism.
Every day when I write, I pray and sincerely ask the Lord Jesus what to say to encourage my wonderful readers and honor Him. And every day He lays a topic on my heart and guides me. But last night as I was preparing to write, nothing clear was coming to me. I prayed for all of you, and I asked the Lord Jesus for guidance. Still nothing. The violence and protests in the news in Ferguson and elsewhere were weighing on me, so during my evening commute I turned off my radio and just prayed for our country, our leaders, and God’s plan for our future.
LI had heard on the Janet Parshall radio show, In the Market that America is no longer number one in financial power. China is. “Could this be the beginning of the end?” I pondered. We know that the Bible says that although no man willknow the exact time of the coming of Christ they will know the season. So I prayed. But still, I didn’t feel a release to write about the Ferguson Fallout or any of the other recent protests in America.
Until this morning.
This morning, when I opened my Facebook Page on the top of my news items was a great post written by a young friend of mine, Amanda Smet. In her blog A Penny For Your Thoughts she addresses the Ferguson Fallout in a very fair, but clear way. What’s so impressive about Amanda’s post is that she is not even 20 years old yet. Her whole life is ahead of her, and yet the Ferguson Fallout has impacted her bright, sunny, hope-filled world.
I told her in my comment on her blog that she “nailed it’ and I meant it. Amanda Smet was able to address the Ferguson Fallout in a kind but direct manner without slandering or threatening or inflaming. Just like Jesus would have done.
Read it for yourself and please take the time to comment. For us writers, commenting is like oxygen. We need a healthy dose of it to stay alive.Smile.
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